Jami Jokinen wrote:

Erik and Evi Menzel Ivey wrote:

I have samples of WeatherMax, Topgun, and Odessy and prefer them in that order.

Erik

There seems to be more than one type of Weathermax: 80 coated, uncoated and Weathermax 65.

The last one is a bit lighter than the 80.

Is the coating important, and why? 

The maker's website says that the coating is "Hydromax", and it will be to make the fabric waterproof but still breathable. We don't need that property, but it doesn't do any harm except that the sail will retain rainwater and give you a shower when you hoist it. I believe that it's the higher amount of coating versus the amount of woven cloth in OdysseyIII that is the cause of early failure. Weathermax seems to have less coating, and more woven cloth, which is better for our use. Weathermax 65 would appear to be a good choice for small sails.

Sorry - WeatherMax80, no coating.  There is also a lighter version and a FR (fire resistant version that I am not considering.  Our sails are likely somewhere between 40 and 50 sq. meters.

e

I have samples of WeatherMax, Topgun, and Odessy and prefer them in that order.

Erik

I'd forgotten until I saw your JT's link, that there is another Canadian source for Top Gun and Odyssey.  When David was here we also looked at J Ennis fabrics in Richmond.  Their website seems to be down today, but the link to this PDF seems to work (their address is at the bottom of PDF).  They have Top Gun and Odyssey.  I can't remember why David didn't source from them.  It might have been price or maybe they were only wholesale?  The dollar was at parity then, and David might even have been buying in Pounds. 

I'm in the Vancouver area.  I think you'll find that most local suppliers are going to be more expensive with less choice.  I ordered my fabric when some other JRA members had found a good deal on Hayward Clipper Canvas from EnglishSeadog on Ebay.  

When David Tyler was here making sails in Coquitlam he ordered his Top Gun from Rockford Supply.  Their prices are good, but be careful to account for shipping costs which can be significant.  Most notably, there is a wide range of brokerage fees depending on which shipping company and even what shipping mode you use.  You'll probably get dinged for GST and PST when it comes over the border and you'd have to check on duty (I don't think I paid duty on my cloth).

If you find a good source for cloth locally, I'd love to hear about it.