Customer Experiences
Barry Baker
S/V EOS
Pacific Seacraft Dana 24
“With the replacement of a tired, off-brand mainsail this spring, EOS now sports a full set of fore and aft Port Townsend Sails. The previous owner had purchased the genoa and staysail some 20 years ago from PTS and they provided me with a complete review of the condition of the sails, free of charge. Following the review, PTS completed replacement of the UV cover and minor repairs to the genoa. That is all that was needed. Now the new main, repaired genoa, and staysail all exhibit the same great workmanship and attention to detail and will provide years of sailing. I am confident the sails will take me anywhere I dare to go.”
Brandt Fatz
S/V Chloe, Nordic Folkboat
S/V Priya, Ericson 38
“I've been a client of Port Townsend Sails for many years and have purchased a total of seven sails from the loft. These sails give flight to the cruising dream, carrying my friends and me up the Inside Passage and down the coast to Mexico. The Ericson 38, Priya, has her main, genoa, #3 jib, drifter, and spindrifter from the loft, and the Nordic Folkboat, Chloe, has a main, genoa, and spindrifter. Chloe had still-serviceable 30+ year old Hasse & Petrich sails when I purchased her in 2019, and got her new main and genoa in 2024. Priya's main and genoa are more than 15 years old, including four years in the tropics. Her spindrifter is more than ten years old. They're all still going strong. The sails are extremely durable and of the highest quality. I especially appreciate the handwork, which is both beautiful and stout. The reinforcements at the corners and load points are strong, and the attention to detail is flawless. I appreciate PTS’s expert, collaborative approach to specifying the sails, taking into account the boat's characteristics and the captain's sailing style. I've also had great experience with service, including reconditioning Priya's main and genoa after the first ten years. All in all, it's a great relationship.”
Simon & Lisa Lilley
S/V Capricorn
Hallberg-Rassy 42F
“My wife and I have been planning to sail from Seattle down the coast to Mexico on our Hallberg-Rassy 42F Capricorn and thereafter lose ourselves in the Pacific islands. As such, we were looking for a robust set of long-lived cruising sails to fit our program and be possible to repair in the field. I was very impressed with the sailmaking philosophy at Port Townsend Sails, from the consultative design and wardrobe planning, the customization of each sail to our boat, and the close work with our riggers, their control of the process from design to cutting to assembly, and the many hand-crafted details. Even after delivery of our sails, we received assistance with bending each sail onto the boat and found the loft to be very responsive to our several queries as we started enjoying our new sails out cruising. At the time of writing, we have made it as far as San Francisco and thus far the sails have performed extremely well and have been a joy to use at all points of sail as well as easy to reef and stow. Altogether we are extremely happy with our sails and look forward to a long-term relationship with PTS.”
Don Woodhouse
S/V Thin Ice
Tartan 37
“When I purchased my boat in 2017, it came with Hasse sails: a well used but still serviceable main and genoa. Built, I believe, in 2002 and a hank-on drifter that had never been out of the bag.
I wanted to travel with my 1982 Tartan 37 to Glacier Bay, Hawaii, and Mexico. After the Covid shutdown of Canada, I went south, then west, sailing from Stuart Island in the San Juan Islands to Ventura, California, then on to Hilo, Hawaii (Big Island), Maui, Lanai, Oahu, and back to Port Townsend. All on my 20-year-old Hasse sails.
When it was time to get new sails there was no doubt in my mind that I would return to Port Townsend Sails. I also had to recut the drifter to run on a Code Zero furler.
This summer my journey to the ice was completed with stops in Princess Louisa, Desolation, Ketchikan, Wrangel, Petersburg, Juneau, Hoonah, and finally GBNP. But that wasn’t the end. I sailed (solo) outside of Chichagof and Baranof Islands, Sitka, and Haida Gwaii before heading for home.
I was proud to fly my new(er) PTS sails and they proved to be the reliable and sturdy performers that I have relied on for seven years now.
Here’s to another 20 years of sailing! (I’m only 69 and the boat is only 43.)”
Christoph Wildisen
S/V Maggie
BCC 28 #100
“I am very happy with the new sails. This summer, I sailed more than 1,500 miles in a wide variety of wind conditions, from strong winds to calm seas. The different sails perform very well in all conditions. It always makes me happy to see how well the sails are positioned and how they push the ship forward. I wish Port Townsend Sails all the best—you deserve it.”
Chuck Raby
S/V Aurora
Valiant 40
“Just wanted to share this photo of Aurora, wing on wing under headsails. Yesterday was the first opportunity for me to set the sails this way and, other than the trial and error of setting it up, it worked very well. We didn’t have a lot of wind but it performed much better than a broad reach under main and genny. Given the sea state it would work better with two poles but we found a point of sail where the boat stabilized and the unpoled sail stayed full. I am delighted with the performance of all the sails under the various conditions I have encountered.”