Surprisingly there are a lot of sailcloth options for us who prefer a classic look and a softer hand.Lately most people have been requesting Oceanus made by North Cloth. I like it. It lasts well doesn't stretch too badly, and seems to really hold up to UV. Duradon made in Scotland is another choice, really for the big boats. This cloth has a good hand, but doesn't hold up as well in the sun and initially some of the finish will rub off. Clipper Cloth is nice, I haven't used it as much, but really enjoyed working with it, and the customer was happy with the result. These cloths all are trying to emulate cotton for a traditional look and feel.
Now a note about the above cloths. For some reason, in all of the cloths listed above, the color lots can vary drastically. So if you think you want a full suit, buy all the cloth of the same weight at once. I have seen cream colors look pink, green, latte(my favorite) and yellow.
In the type of modern sailcloths more people are familiar with, the typical woven Dacron polyester, (the above traditional sailcloth materials are woven polyesters too) cream, tanbark and white are available and other colors by special order. My current favorite supplier is Contender. The hand is nice and the weave is tight. I have seen sailcloths that were over finished cut themselves going through a sewing machine. Let me tell you the woman sewing that sail was pretty upset!
You probably would have some idea of what you would want. Your sailmaker should have samples of everything. When I quote on sails, I try to send an example of all the sailcloths that I would be happy using.
Lots more to follow about cloth.
Fair Winds and Following Seas,
Heidi Sawyer
