mainsail cover

[Spartan]

Anyone purchase a mainsail cover / jib fordeck bag that they like? any reccomendations ?

Thanks

[rdcvsmith]

I had all new covers made from Lee Sail Covers

http://www.leesailcovers.com/

Becky is wonderful to talk to, she'll work with you for anything you need.
I felt the prices were very reasonable.

She uses a material called WeatherMax, I know that the Sunbrella materials have been around a while and are good so Im certainly not going to say anything bad about it. Lee Sail Covers has several charts comparing many materials, so check it out:

http://www.leesailcovers.com/Weathermax80.php

After I did my initial order, she made some custom covers for some lifeline cushions I made ....thought I had pics of the whole package, but just some up close ones of the cushion covers:

[gabi]

i also ordered from leesailcovers, the material is really good and i orderd the captain navy color,
they will send you a sample if you ask,

[Spartan]

Thanks Ray and Gabi looks like a good source

[jkat]

Ray,

     My wife and I have considered some sailcovers just like yours, but I'm curious, do you bend on the mainsail with a bolt rope or do you have sail slugs?  I'm thinking that if we kept the boltrope we may not use the mainsail cover as much since the bolt rope in the mainsail would have to be removed from the track as the sail is doused.  If we converted to slugs I thought that dousing the main might be so much easier.  With sail slugs in the track I imagine that my wife and I could just release the mainsail halyard, let the sail and slugs drop down the track (keeping them in the track), and then zip up the mainsail cover and we'd be ready to sail later that day or the next time we head out. 

     Is this oversimplified, or is this similar to what you have found to work?  I'm always wanting to simplify the amount of effort it takes to get out on the water.  I'm just not sure that converting to sail slugs could be worthwhile.  There's of course the monetary expense, but I'm also concerned that I'd expend the effort to get it done right, only to find out that sail slugs were more of a pain than I realized.   

     I read an article about bolt rope to sail slug conversions in a Small Craft Advisor issue sometime last year and it still makes me wonder. 

Jeff

[Pacman]

My Contessa 26 has slugs on the mainsail and I keep it on the boom under a sail cover.  The sail is too large to remove and reinstall each time we go out.

However, my C 16 is so small and so easily rigged that I simply remove the sail and boom as a single unit when I am done sailing.

The foot stays in the track on the boom and I wrap the mainsail around the boom for storage.

I think I can do that faster than I could flake the sail on the boom, install sail ties, and install a sail cover.

That way my sails are stored inside out of the elements so there is no worry about the cover blowing off or UV damage to the sheets, etc.

[skip1930]

The bag that came with my factory Johnson sail is fine.
I do have a line that I encircle the bag and sail with and I tie a mule skinner hitch looks like this.

skip.

[Spartan]

Ray, Gabi

Do you guys know what size/measurements your mainsail cover is?

[gabi]

i dont recall the exact measurements, but at leesail they will do a custom cut based on your mainsail
mine is new/crisp and i had the cover cut with quite a bit of bulge to it, that way i dont have to fold too tight

http://www.newjsi.com/maincover1.aspx

you  wold need to send your mesurements taken like this

[rdcvsmith]

I did a custom cover with Lee Sail Cover.

She has you take 5 measurements, seen on this page:

http://www.leesailcovers.com/Mainsail_Covers.php

She also has a you tube video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVKb2Hsc3GI&feature=youtube_gdata_player

-Ray[/list]

[Shawn]

I bought my mainsail cover and jib bag from "boat-top-guy" on ebay.

http://stores.ebay.com/THE-SAIL-COVER-STORE?_trksid=p4340.l2563

Made with Sunbrella and is nice quality. I bought both bags on sale for about $110.

Shawn

[Spartan]

Thanks everyone- I was hoping there was a "stock size" guess I'll have to measure next time I'm up at the lake, hopefully tomorrow.