Finding Replacement Parts for Your Sailboat
Upon aquiring their first boat, many new sailors will seek to restore their boat to "factory new" condition and try to find contact information to the manufacturer and / or look for brocures about their boat to make her just like new. The big catch here is that majority companies that make small boats are long out of business - mostly because used fiberglass boats are SO DURABLE and easily repairable, that a prospective buyer would have a tough time justifying buying a new boat, rather than get a much cheaper used boat and fix it up. So what can a new boat owner do?

The Manufacturer just makes the HULL, not the hardware
First off you have to understand the way the marine industry works. The manufacturer probably only made one custom thing, and that is molding the fiberglass hull. All of the other parts like blocks, cleats, rails etc were all made by other manufactueres which make standard parts, of which multiple manufacturers make duplicates. Look at the hardware that came on your boat and you will see their names -- such as Harkin, Race Lite, Schaefer, Sea Dog etc.

Why do you want to make Factory New?
I used to be a sailboat dealer and have represented new boat manufacturers before so have an intimate view of how they operate. They have a really tough job, and most of them do it because they love sailboats, not making money. It is a very tough market and they end up creating their own worst enemy, used sailboats. Plus most sailors are fairly picky and cheap, so the choices that the factory makes in configuring the sailboat they offer for sale has many factors, and sailing performance isn't always the top priority. Furthermore all of us picky sailors like to setup our boats in different ways, so if you are not trying to get your boat configured within racing rules, you should setup your boat in a way that suits YOUR needs. And trust me when I say, there are MANY ways to setup your boat, which are different than how it came from the factory.

Where to get parts
For hardware, my favorite place to get parts is Duckworks Boat Builders Supply The online store is owned by Chuck and Sandra, who are friends of mine. They offer most of the hardware you will ever need at really great prices. If you need something custom built like a rudder, daggerboard, sail, canvas cover or anything else, then contact another friend of mine Bill Tosh at TCBoats.com He does custom work, everything from small parts all the way up to building complete custom boats for people.

Misc Links
Want a little motivation to restoring your boat? See my sailboats back from the dead page: [click here]
Here are my tips for finding the manufacturer & other owners: [click here]



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