Wayne nicol wrote:
i think the better option is a canvas sock.
quick off , easy on, protects the sail during transport etc, from rips and tears,and it stops any dirt getting into the sail if it is above deck while transporting- mine is strapped to the mast during transport , whereas the strip will still allow dirt and moisture and muck in!. and it protects from uv while on the boat.
and besides i do think it looks a whole lot better, than that dastardly black stripe around the perimeter of the sail.
just my opinion!
Ask and you will get different opinions. Mine is totally opposite of Wayne.
I had the BWY sock and absolutely hated it. At the end of the weekend, I dreaded hauling that blasted thing back up and connecting and zippering each section. It really was a 2 man operation. Then I would feed the sheets through the gap in the sock and tighten everything up so the wind doesn't vibrate the whole mess violently. The sock acted like a foil and if I didn't keep tight tension on the sheets, it would flop around in heavy wind shaking the forestay and mast. I Hated it! I hated pulling it down, folding it up, checking for spiders before storing it below. Did I mention that I hated it.
True, the sock probably offers better protection, but I don't care, it's a total PITA.
I actually think the black stripe looks kind of cool. You see so many boats with stripes on their furlers. I view it like pinstripes, a fashion statement. I like having both sails match with the black covers.
Remember, we own power sailers. These are not performance sailboats and the lack or addition of a heavy stripe isn't really going to make that much of a difference. Our boats sail like barges and we have to face that fact.
So for me, convenience is more important than performance. That's my opinion. You will get others.
I would ask BWY to clarify what the Dacron is made of and if it is UV resistant. The black "canvas" is probably Sunbrella material. It is heavier, but it is a fantastic material that resists UV and just about anything else. Your sail will be well protected with the black (or other color) Sunbrella cover.
I would be concerned if the Dacron is simply a sacrificial cover that will be destroyed instead of the actual sail. If it's a sacrificial cover, I would not opt for that. It will eventually need to be replaced and the cost of doing that is as much as a new sail.
If it were me, I'd go for the maximum UV protection. Sail cloth is extremely vulnerable to UV damage. Also, a genoa tends to have more load on it, so a heavier sail cloth would also be wise here.
Overall, BWYs has some nice sails. I believe their loft uses quality materials and heavy cloth.
You may also look at Judy B's sails. She is an advertiser on this forum.
http://www.judybsails.com/MacGregor-26M-Sails-s/59.htm
I bought my 150 genoa from her. It's a well made, heavy sail with lots of reinforcement. They ship from The Philippines, so customs and the shipping to Switzerland would probably be similar to the States. Mine has the luff pads which make it easier to reef in heavy winds. I believe it will last a long time. However it is heavy and as such hard to pull around in light winds. But then again, my Mac isn't good in any wind, so I doubt the sail is going to make a huge difference here. I fire up the iron genny when winds are too low.
I'm sure you will other opinions. For me, when I roll up my headsail, it's done. I don't need to go up on deck again. With the sock, I had to wait to get back to port to haul it up. I would never do that on a bouncing sea.
--Russ
