# north sail vs doyle



## regatta (Aug 29, 2011)

Hello, I'm ready to change my old mainsail and genoa. I got 2 choice at same price from these 2 company: Doyle and North sail. Any advise?
Best?thanks in advance for any reply.
cheers
Gab


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## jsaronson (Dec 13, 2011)

Are the fabrics comparable? Same weight? Same battens? Same cut of the jib? Will each measure your boat?


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## sailor1950 (Dec 8, 2009)

Go with the one who will take measurements and talk to you about the kind of sailing you do. Even better if they are nearby. Both companies are reputable


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## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

Check Quantum out also. They have unbeleiveable customer service. As posted make sure you are comparing equal weights, fabrics, weave countm stitching, etc.

Dave


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## SimonV (Jul 6, 2006)

Most if not all of the big name sail makers send their orders to Hong Kong.


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## SchockT (May 21, 2012)

A lot depends on the local lofts. They are both going to give you a quality product, and the difference is going to be the quality of service the local loft can provide. 

Personally I would go with North because they are well known and respected, particularly when it comes to performance sails.


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## regatta (Aug 29, 2011)

thanks for write me back.
my boat is a 26 foot folkboat, and both of the companies has the sail draw for this type of boat.. the problem is that all 2 are far away from me and they ask me to give the measure...they did'n come to see the boat... this is my problem..trust in a unknow company near me that send someone check everything or trust those 2 big loft!!!


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## HDChopper (Oct 17, 2010)

Nice boat Regatta , You got good answers, I would only add ....It makes sence & in your best interest to keep your local venders in bizness also, besides thay will come to your boat and measure it thats good ! & might even look over your rig and have help there too .. establishing rapport with local venders can only be a good thing.


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## NVCATS (Oct 20, 2012)

I agree with the local loft... we need small business to keep us all afloat. When you get down to the basics of sail lofting you don't need all the fancy stuff the big boys use to build a low tech sail. You need a floor, good cutters, sewing machine, hand palms and accurate measurements should have actually be the first in the list. I have had performance sails by many of the top lofts and a few from local Caribbean lofts, it really comes down to how you treat your sails over the long haul gives them longevity.


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## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

> Most if not all of the big name sail makers send their orders to Hong Kong. - SimonV


Our new Quantum Main sail was made in South Africa

Dave


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## NVCATS (Oct 20, 2012)

Only reason to ship sails over seas for construction would be due to some of the high tech cutting and computer software used in high performance sails. There are big lofts through out the US and the Caribbean that still cut their own sails. We all know what big corporations are doing in every field... go local if possible and cut the big box sources off where it hurts. you will be happy with a custom hand made sail with local support


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## northoceanbeach (Mar 23, 2008)

Which lofts still make sails in the USA or Canada? I'm getting sails this spring and it's one of my prime considerations. 

More so than if someone will come measure. How much is that worth? I'm not understanding how that is such a big deal? You can measure yourself or hire someone for $50. So why all the emphasis on a local loft just because they come measure? 

North sails is double Lee. I'm trying to understand what I get in that price. More than double Lee actually. And north sails is double north direct, which uses the same material and is probably made in the same factory. So why order from a local loft if they outsource the sailmaking? I'm just trying to understand this. 

I found Kappa. They are reasonable. I need to call Doyle. Their website says they are made in the US or New Zealand which is cool. 

I know of port townsend, but they wanted double north a price and can't start on it for six months! Are there any other sailmakers I'm missing?


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## Delta-T (Oct 8, 2013)

I'm going to have to give Doyle a thumbs down. My head sail when I had them make a new one, when I asked for a sunbrella cover the VP looked at me like I had two heads. The sunbrella was not hemmed, they used that thread sealer and that did not last before it started to have threads coming off. I brought it back and they did more of the same. Again it did not last. 

The main sail they made...I brought my old sail to them and they measured it. I told them it was 6" short, the new sail ended up 12" short! 6" shorter than my original one. They told me they would add the 12" for me. I did not bring it back. They left staples in the sail that rusted and stained the sail. And the rope in the foot was too small and would not stay tacked, I had to return it to have that fixed. I would have had them fix the height too, but I did not know it was short at that point.


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## obelisk (May 23, 2008)

I don't think you can go wrong with North or Doyle, I have had great experiences with both. My North genoa was stitched in Hampton, VA in 1999 and has 65,000nm on it and is still going strong..maybe a bit unshapely by now, but that's to be expected from any sail. Also, their customer service here in NZ has been exemplary but, unfortunately, I can't say I had the same experience in the US. And though I don't have any Doyle sails, I have had Phil Houghton at the loft in Whangaeri do some work and could not be more pleased with the quality, service and attitude.

In terms of smaller lofts, check out Sperry Sails out of Marion, Mass. I have a Sperry asym and a Sperry main. I sent the measurements to them and they came up with two brilliant sails. The 1.5oz asym showed up on my doorstep exactly one week after I sent the measurements and it now 5 years and 32,000nm with no problems; flies great! I was so happy with the spinnaker that I ordered my mainsail from Chile when it was time to replace my old one. The main fit perfectly and both sails were FAR less than quotes by the big guys, plus they were stitched in the US and very well made.


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## BarryL (Aug 21, 2003)

*Local vs mail order*

Hey,

I like dealing with a local loft. I want someone who will come to my boat. and measure MY boat. I want them to listen to me, to understand how I use my boat, what I want to do with my boat, and then recommend a sail that is appropriate for that. Then I want them to come to my boat, and help take the old sails down, help put the new sails up, and make sure they were properly built.

I want to be able to take the sail back to them for repairs and maintenance. I want great service, so that if I have a problem during the (too short) sailing season, the sail is repaired promptly.

That's what I like to deal with the local guy. If I were more an expert on sail making, or if I had a simple requirement, like I want the fastest sails because all I care about it racing, or I wanted sails for cruising that would last 10 years, maybe then I would buy mail order sails. But I'm not.

Barry



northoceanbeach said:


> Which lofts still make sails in the USA or Canada? I'm getting sails this spring and it's one of my prime considerations.
> 
> More so than if someone will come measure. How much is that worth? I'm not understanding how that is such a big deal? You can measure yourself or hire someone for $50. So why all the emphasis on a local loft just because they come measure?
> 
> ...


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## PaulinVictoria (Aug 23, 2009)

+1 for a local loft, just had a new 110% genoa built by Leitch & McBride here in Sidney. Mine is a basic (but nice) dacron sail, but they'll build you any kind of fancy carbon sail etc if you want it. Their sails seem to win a lot of races around here.


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## regatta (Aug 29, 2011)

At last i choose Ulmann sails ...7oz very good manufacture and material.
Perfect cut and very responsive in any conditions..Los very happy😃


Inviato dal mio iPad utilizzando Tapatalk


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## vtsailguy (Aug 4, 2010)

I went through the same thing a couple of months ago:
How to Buy New Sails: Local Loft vs Rolly Tasker ? Sailing with Kids

I ended up getting a Doyle.

Basically, they are all made int he same place. You just need a local rep to measure for you so if they bugger it up, its on their dime.


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## luck66 (Jul 4, 2011)

I've used Lee sails, they make sails that are less expensive.


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## MooGroc (Sep 22, 2009)

I recently ordered a new genoa from my (relatively) local Doyle loft. They tell me it will be made in Florida. They did come an measure the boat and were responsive to my questions and requirements.

Time will tell if I made the right choice.


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## flo617 (Mar 3, 2010)

MY36 said:


> I recently ordered a new genoa from my (relatively) local Doyle loft. They tell me it will be made in Florida. They did come an measure the boat and were responsive to my questions and requirements.
> 
> Time will tell if I made the right choice.


Same here with my main in Alameda.


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## TerryBradley (Feb 28, 2006)

chef2sail said:


> Our new Quantum Main sail was made in South Africa
> 
> Dave


Just for the sake of curiousity; what were the shipping costs on a sail from SA??


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## obelisk (May 23, 2008)

SimonV said:


> Most if not all of the big name sail makers send their orders to Hong Kong.


I know that North sends all new construction from NZ to the main loft in Auckland to be stitched, and we are relatively close to Hong Kong. Where does the notion that the big boys farm it out come from?


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## killarney_sailor (May 4, 2006)

I bought North sails in New Jersey and they were made in Sri Lanka. I think the reality is that all of these large companies find a place to make their sails cheaply. We are considering Doyle sails that are made in Barbados. This is not to say that sails made in one of these places will be poorly made, if the cloth and designs are good and they have appropriate quality control in the plant.


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## Delta-T (Oct 8, 2013)

I know for a fact that both my Doyle mainsail and head sail were made on site at their corporate headquarters in Salem MA USA. I went there and had them measure my existing sails. Sailmaker in Salem MA | Doyle Sailmakers Chris Howes the VP there was my only contact and I think I would have been better off having them outsource the job to a competent maker.


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## northoceanbeach (Mar 23, 2008)

I hope you're wrong Delta. Doyle and Kappa are the only two sailmakers I can find that make their sails here and in New Zealand. 

I'm getting a Doyle quote today and he confirmed over the phone that the sail would be cut at their main facility in Massachusetts and sewn at the loft in Seattle.

So if the prices is equivalent, why would I go north or hood or anyone else? Especially since I would get the benefits of a local maker, and I get to have made in USA sails?

Plus, north Seattle really didn't want to give me the time of day. They also didn't send me the quotes I requested. The other sailmakers were all friendly and helpful. 

I'm getting cruising sails. If you were in the market for those molded north race sails, I could see going with them, but then again, I think those are made here.

So any other experiences with Doyle? They're one of the big and best names aren't they?


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## Alex W (Nov 1, 2012)

There are plenty of lofts that will make you a sail in Seattle. You should also talk to Ballard Sails, Schattauer Sails, and Hilgard Lindsay. I sail on boats that have Seattle-made sails from each of those lofts. We have local lofts for Quantum, Ullman, North and others (you already found Doyle), but I don't know where they are making their sails.


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