Withum Sailmakers

Withum Sails in Regatta News

admin — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 02:47:15 +0000

If you’ve been participating in regattas across New England as of late, you’ve probably seen Withum Sails in action.
Those boats on their ear or slogging along at the back of the pack? NOT running Withum sails.
Just been scorched by Bruce Brown & his J 37, the “Banzai”, at a PHRF Regatta ? He’s running a custom, plotter-cut spinnaker from Withum Sailmakers of Amesbury, Ma. ( 40 minutes north of Boston on the Mass., New Hampshire border ).
Of course, Bruce isn’t the only serious sailor getting all he deserves from a custom Withum sail. You’ll find our sails on the fast boats from Lake Champlain to Newport Harbor.
If you attended the Mayor’s Cup Regatta, you saw Withum Sails in action there, too, most notably on Andy Sajor’s MetalMast 30, the “Chaousarou”.

The Withum Difference:
Commitment to Quality and Service.
Tools + Materials + Knowledge = Craftsmanship
What’s the difference between Withum genoas, mains, spinnakers and other sails? It’s the Withum commitment to quality & service… we employ state-of-the-art technology, cutting edge materials and 30 years of sailing & sailmaking experience to custom craft sails that perform, whether you’re racing, cruising or day sailing.

Withum Sailmaking & Technology…

State-of-the-Art materials, cutting edge technology and a Master Sailmaker’s knowledge; the 3 key ingredients required to produce a modern suit of sails…

Dacron, Nylon, Kevlar & More…

Shown above, plotter-cut panels made of Bainbridge’s newest “AIRX” sailcloth painstakingly assembled for a racing spinnaker, at the Withum Sailmakers loft in Amesbury, Massachusetts.

Quality Materials…
Withum Sailmakers uses the highest quality materials in constructing your sails; whether you’re looking for conventionally constructed sails or need the newest, hottest composite sails. But, your material is only ONE aspect of a quality sail.

Quality Tooling…
Withum Sailmakers uses a wide variety of well-maintained equipment & tools to assemble your sails. Stop by our sail loft & you’ll see a serious sail loft, outfitted with serious sailmaking equipment, operated by true artisans, dedicated to producing the best sails possible.

Technical Expertise…
Withum Sailmakers creates superior sails to move you…not patchwork quilts or shipping blankets, so we employ the most advanced technologies available combined with an expertise attained from more than 30 years of experience, to take you where you want to go.

The Withum Sailmakers Difference
Commitment to Quality & Service!
Many sail lofts offer material, equipment & access to technology but without the passion to create
great sails, tailored to YOUR needs,
what can you expect to end up with?
Contact Withum Sailmakers, call us at (978) 388-0017 or stop by the Withum Sailmakers sail loft & talk with Bill; you’ll discover there’s no sailmaker, from Boston, Ma. to Burlington, Vt., Postland, Me. to Plattsburg, N.Y. with more passion to create great sails & committment to customer service.

Spring Sails Checkup!

admin — Mon, 03 May 2010 19:26:34 +0000

The sun has started shining & the temperatures are rising, from Newport to Boston to the waters of the Northeast Kingdom! You hop onboard, unfurl your mainsail or Genoa only to be greeted by an unpleasant surprise; a tattered sun cover, broken battens or some other sail issue.
Avoid those nasty surprises, make an appointment with Withum Sailmakers of Amesbury, Massachusetts ~ conveniently located at the nexus of the Massachusetts North Shore and the New Hampshire Seacoast ~ and have us give your sails the once over.

Complete Sail Checkup~ Mains, Genoas & More!

At Withum Sailmakers, we want you to enjoy your sailing experience and we understand how those “small details” can ruin a day on the water! Our complete sail checkup ensures you get the most enjoyment and use from your Mainsail, Genoa & Spinnaker, whether you’re cruising out of Boston or racing on Champlain.
Some of the points in our comprehensive check up are:

Inspection of Mainsail cover for rotten stitching, wear, the condition & proper fit of lazy jacks.

Inspection of Genoa sun covers, again for rotten stitching, tears and wear.

Spreader patch inspection.

Shredded luff tape.

Inspection of battens & batten pockets for missing or broken battens, holes around the pockets, etc.

Check for loose or damaged grommets.

Operating & condition of foot lines & leetch lines.

Missing/damaged telltales.

If we find an issue with your sail, we’ll advise you on the best way to resolve it and supply a reasonable quote for any necessary sail repairs.
All this and more, after we wash your sails! At $3.00/pound (a price we haven’t raised in 5 years), this is not only an excellent investment in your sails but also in your sailing experience.
We also offer free pick up and delivery.

And in the event your sail has seen it’s last day on the water, we can make you a new Genoa, Mainsail, Spinnaker or any other sail you might need or want, for cruising or racing.
With over 30 years experience, Withum Sailmakers can make sure your time on the water is free of any sail issues.
Call us at (978) 388-0017 to find out more or arrange an appointment.

Hallmark of Quality; The Well-Equipped Sail Loft

admin — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 04:34:57 +0000

One sign that you’re dealing with a quality sailmaker is a well-equipped sail loft, with properly maintained equipment.
Over the years, and millions of miles of thread, Withum Sailmakers has grown from a Singer107 in a garage, to an impressive array of sail making equipment running at peak performance in our Amesbury, Massachusetts sail loft.
Here’s some of the gear we use to provide you with high-quality, handcrafted sails….

The Singer 107w1 Zig Zag

Every sail loft in America has at least one of these(or they should). We run a number of these high quality, sturdy units.

Consew_XKZ6 Zig Zag
Extra heavy duty zig zag machine.
Good for corners, sewing thick webbings, heavy duty canvas & sail work.

Who Keeps These Beauties Humming?Withum Sailmakers is fortunate to have Sal Parisi of Parisi Sewing on North Putnam St. in Danvers, Massachusetts, as a resource.
Sal is renowned for his expertise in singer industrial sewing machines, especially the Singer 107 zigzag, an important machine in the sailmaking & canvas business.
We employ a number of singer 107s at any given time & count on Sal & his expert service to keep these machines running, and running well.

Singer 107 ~ Stretched

Custom stretched to 20″, this Singer features a 3 step attachment and Joseph, top-drive puller, which pulls fabric evenly, more consistently & gives your sails smoother, flatter seams.

Thanks, Sal!!!
Below is a Consew 206, stretched out to 25 inches. Walking foot, good for heavy duty canvas work. Sal did a killer job reconditioning & rebuilding this machine & thanks to Sals’ expertise, this machine stitches like a beast & runs like a top!

This is just a sample of the equipment that we use to create a high quality Withum Sailmakers Genoa, main, spinnaker or any other sail you might need for cruising or racing.
If you’re looking for a custom sail or need some sail repairs, call or stop by the Withum Sailmakers sail loft & take a look around. You’ll see we have what it takes to get your job done, quickly & properly.

Happy New Year & Thanks!

admin — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 00:01:07 +0000

Withum Sailmakers would like to express our thanks to everyone that made 2009 a successful one and we look forward to serving your sailmaking & sail repair needs in 2010.
In 2009 we saw some significant changes, including our new website, which has improved our contact with, and service to, customers from Massachusetts to the North east Kingdom of Vermont, down to Newport, R.I. and all over New England.
Withum Sailmakers also added more equipment & machines to increase our quality sailmaking, sail recutting and sail repair capabilities.

Composite Sail Making Projects

We completed a number of composite sailmaking projects in our Massachusetts sailmaking facility this past year.
Kevlar, mylar, carbon and other fibers were produced on a Carlson plotter and the CAD-engineered components stitched together to produce fast, quality sails you may have seen sail past you last season. Are you going to watch them fly past you again?
We’re looking forward to completing a number of exciting composite sail projects in 2010. Stop by our Amesbury, Massachusetts sail making facility to see what we have going on & what we can make for you. We custom stitch Genoas, mains, spinnakers and any type of sail you might need, whether you’re racing or cruising.

Sail recutting

As always, we can recut your sails as necessary. To the left you’ll see an “in process” photo as we recut a sail for a 38′ Swan, last season. A fresh season is nearly upon us so don’t wait for the last minute to have those sail alterations performed. We already have a number of sail-cutting projects underway & we’ll be happy to provide you with the quality sailmaking/sail repair services you deserve.

From Plattsburg to Newport & Back Again!

admin — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 18:24:04 +0000

It was a slow start to the season with all those June rains but when you finally made out on the water, if you aren’t flying a Withum sail yourself, you may well have seen a Withum Sailmakers spinnaker, genoa or mainsail in passing.
We’re pleased many of our clients saw success with their sails, and Withum sails are flown in regattas from Plattsburg, N.Y. to Newport, R.I. and everywhere in between.
And, of course, our canvas work is seen throughout New England, cruising on Tartan 30s, Hinckley 50s and all manner of vessels.
Watch for Jeff & Joyce Stoehrs’ “Ayacucho” on the waters. This beautifully restored Tartan 30 proudly flies a new, custom mainsail from our shop.
(If you want to see more on the “Ayacucho”, you can find it on the Jeff & Joyces’ site, T30makeover.com.)
If you’ve been by DefianceSailCharters or cruising the waters around Gloucester, Ma., you’ve seen a full set of Withum sails ~Main, mizzen & genoa~ flying from Captain Raffis’ 49′ Hinckley. Really a beautiful boat, well-cared for and well-handled. Ask Captain Kassabian about the quality and service afforded by Withum Sailmakers(and make sure to tell him we sent you)!
As for racing, Withum sails have indeed been making the regatta circuit this season, as they have for many seasons now. Did you see one fly by?!?
That may have been the spinnaker on Bruce Browns’ J-37 “Banzai”. A New England PHRF competitor, Bruce & the Banzai had a pretty successful season, from what we understand, and it’s quite possible you saw him sail past.
Don’t take it from us; ask around. Chances are you’ll find a neighbor, happily, cruising or racing with sails from Withum Sailmakers.

It’s getting to be that time of the year…
Wash, Check and Repair ~$3.00/lb. ~Free pick-up & Delivery
(and we’ve maintained that same price for 5 years!)