Preview: Sails for Blue Water Cruising with Carol Hasse of Port Townsend Sails
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February 5, 2013
Email this Video to a FriendCarol Hasse of Port Townsend Sails has been building “Cape Horn ready” sails for many years. Whether you dream of high latitude cruising yourself or are simply curious about what goes into a sail built to last several circumnavigations, we trust you will enjoy her thought process and her skillfullness.
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Comments, Thoughts or Suggestions?You can leave a comment or question for OCH and members below. Here are the comments so far…
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18 Responses So Far to “Sails for Blue Water Cruising with Carol Hasse of Port Townsend Sails”
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David Green says:
Wow. What a wealth of knowledge!! Watching this video is an education.
Eric Pederson says:
Beautiful work. Amazing!
Question on the main reef points. Does the deepest reef point at “60%” mean that a main sail with a 100′ luff would have it’s deepest reef point 60 feet up from the foot? Or 40 feet up from the foot?
Timothy Grady says:
Wow. I need to look at my sails again…
dave nederhood says:
Enjoyed your video of Carol’s construction of sails. Definitely taught me to be more discriminating when inspecting mine and when working with a maker on what I would like my sails to look like. Just went to PT sails site and Carol is retiring in 2021 and the company is currently not accepting any new orders until a buyer for the company is found. thnks
Don McMillan says:
Dear Carol you do a beautiful job making sails you maintain the art of sailmaking . I have sailed all the major ocean races in the world i.e. Two Fastnet Races, the Sydney Hobart . The Transpack 9 SORC’S 22 Mackinaw Races.3 One Ton World Championships. You make some of the nicest cruising sails I have ever seen you truly are an artist. Yours Truly Don McMillan.
Raymond Morgan says:
Wow! Wow! Wow! What an incredible teacher and crafts person. Thank you for showing me what I did not and need to know. Great video.Thank you,
Morgan
William Gehring says:
What a wonderful convergence of old world craftsmanship, technology, and hard earned experience. So laudable that this heritage is being passed on to the next generation. Kudos!!
Stu Fyfe says:
Bravo Carol. You are an inspiration.
Carol Hasse says:
Thank you Off Center Harbor for the opportunity to share about a type of sailmaking that still has importance in our modern world. Too often, OEM or “production” sails do not match the structural integrity or aesthetic detail of the vessels they grace. Thanks also to those who have commented to your video–thank you for your kind acknowledgement and encouragement! Fair Winds~Carol Hasse
Ted Crocker says:
My 1976 Westsail 43′ originally came with extremely well made Watts sails out of Torrance, CA. Although the headsails have been modified for roller furling, and the mainsail shortened for better balance, they are still in service today. I recently took the time to compare my Watts sails with production Catalina sails. OMG! The difference is scary! Unfortunately, Ken Watts has passed on and I have been worried about replacing my sails with comparable sails made by someone with the skill and knowledge of Watts. After watching this video, my fears have now been allayed. So many of the details are the same or better. Thank you for carrying on the craft. For the day I will need new offshore sails, Port Townsend Sails will no doubt be my first call!
Helge von der Linden says:
Thank you Carol, nice to watch, how you point out the crucial details of long lasting sails. Great craftsmenship!
Colin Sarsfield says:
Great video. We had a new mainsail made by Roy Downs (Downs Sails) out of Danvers, MA. They are another great loft that will build cruising sails to a similar standard as Carol. Mimi Rose still has a 20 year old staysail they made for her that’s going strong after about a dozen years of getting pretty substantial seasonal use. Barely any repairs have been required.
Erik Sayce says:
And here I was thinking that I had quality sails all along. Thank you so much for showing me what I’ve been been missing Carol, this and Loraine are both some of my favorite videos.
Douglas Tate says:
What a fantastic video! Thank you for sharing such invaluable information. It is easy to appreciate not only a trade artist, but a true treasure of our sailing community. Your sails are the GOLD standard for sure!
Steve Stone says:
Thanks for your kind words Douglas.
Lansing Hays says:
Wow. Sailmaking has always been more than a little mysterious to me. Even after forty thousand miles out there using sails that had no way even close to this level of craft. I have converted to power recently; this video makes me nostalgic for sailing craftspeople. Thank you!
Chris Cournoyer says:
Thanks Carol. The video and written reference materials you have produced are thoughtful, thorough and just masterfully informative. I also loved being aboard Lorraine with you as you took us on a tour of your pride and joy in another video. On the West Coast you are known as the best there is at what you do. There is no mistaking any sail your loft has made with work from another loft. Your video shows us the standard and your loft consistently meets or exceeds that standard. I had no idea you were also such a good teacher. Quite the package and OffCenterHarbor is lucky to have the benefit of your wise counsel.
David Carper says:
Absolutely Awesome info. I want NEW sails. Thank U :)