When should I replace sails?

[livingstone]

I have a mac 25 from 1985 with the original sails, one of which just ripped today in a strong jibe in 20 knot winds when it hit the sailstay. The shape seems to have a very deep draft, and I wonder if they are stretched from use, and ripped from weakness.

Any thoughts?

I just am not sure if I want to drop a grand on a sail at the moment. As my grandfather used to say, "a fool and his money are soon parted."

Thanks,

Jack

[delevi]

22 year sails It's a miracle they lasted this long. Amazing for any sail, let along the low quality sails that MacGregor uses. From personal experience, quality new sails are the single best thing you can invest in to get more enjoyment out of your boat.

Leon

[kmclemore]

Kinda depends on the sails. I still use my original North sails for my 1978 Boston Whaler Harpoon 4.6 and they look and work great (29 years old and going strong).

I had them restored by SailCare... lots cheaper than buying new ones and they came out superb. They have a method for putting the sizing back into the sails so they 'snap' just like they did when they were new.

[James V]

Did the seam rip?

A set of sails should last more than 2 years of full sun. If they was kept out of the sun when not in use they should be good. Take it to a sail loft to have it checked out. You may just want to restich and wash. Anything more than $ 200 I would get a new sail.

[kmclemore]

Oh, and forgot to mention..... SailCare also is a complete sail loft, so if you have torn a seam, they can fix that, too, as well as doing modifications (adding slugs, reefing points, etc.). They fixed a couple of small holes in my sails when they restored them, as well as replacing the faded logo in the topsail. As I say, they were good as new when finished. Compared with the price of new sails, I felt it was a really good deal. IMHO, I'd call and get an estimate on yours if you feel they're 'tired'.

[Catigale]

You might be in closer to about 500 USD for that new sail rather than the boat buck you mentioned....the beauty of these boats is the volume means everything stays relatively cheap.

[Frank C]

You can also check Minneys Yacht Surplus (dot com) to see what they have for your Macgregor. A couple years back they offered a pile of brand new sails for the Mac19. Apparently Roger (or Doyle) came across a few boxes of never-used sails in a warehouse.

[johnnyonspot]

If you know how to use a sewing machine you might want to try sailrite's mainsail kit for about $500.