Covid-19 latest update.

As we all try to navigate the next few weeks and months, it is important that you know we are open for business and have put in place all reasonable measures to ensure we stay that way and open for business.

As usual, we continue to complete all manufacturing in-house, from templating, design, cutting, machining, finishing and installation to further reduce the risk of service interruption to all our clients and customers.

Our sales team are on hand to give you the same top quality professional advice we are known for. Please contact Paul or Barry for any assistance you may require to allow you to get onboard once you are able to get out and enjoy the peace and serenity whether in your favourite creek or open water!

Measuring, patterning and installation appointments will be completed Wherever possible without customers being present to help minimise risk. Other measures will be put in place if you wish to discuss your individual projects with us.

We remain vigilant but calm and positive.  All staff continue to follow government guidelines.  We are monitoring the situation closely and updating our team when we receive new information.

If you have any questions, or new sales queries or concerns regarding work placed our sales team will be pleased to discuss these with you.

Thank you again for your business and on-going support.

Best wishes

Matthew Kate and all the Dolphin Team both here in the UK and in Palma

September Update from Team Dolphin

After a slow start to the season we are now back on track and raring to go. Our production rate is back to normal and we are steadily working our way through a heavy order book at all of our lofts. With September’s Southampton Boat Show postponed until 2021, all the focus is now on the upcoming Boats 2020, taking place in Mayflower Park, Southampton. More details on this below.

You can stay in touch with us and see regular updates via our websiteFacebookTwitter and Instagram – be sure to follow us!

After the cancellation of Southampton Boat Show, British Marine have developed a smaller show which Dolphin are pleased to be attending. Based in Mayflower Park, one area of the previously larger show, Boats 2020 will take place from the 11th-20th September 2020. We will be exhibiting alongside over 60 other exhibitors and are looking forward to seeing all our customers, both old and new.

Come and chat to the team on stand B015 – next door to the RYA.

To comply with Covid-19 restrictions, tickets are limited so make sure you get yours now. We also have 50 FREE tickets exclusive for Dolphin customers, these are on a first come, first served basis and are limited to 5 per day. To claim one of our free tickets follow the link below and use our unique code DOL1.

We look forward to seeing you there!

 

CLAIM YOUR FREE TICKET

 

Place Your Order NOW!

As the sailing season draws to a close, the sailmaking season starts to rev up! The winter is our busiest time for new sail and cover orders, with January to April being almost full to capacity with orders going out. So, if you’re thinking about a new sail or cover, get your order in now to ensure it is ready in time for Spring! Not sure what sail or cover you might need? Have a look at our recent projects below, or get in touch with one of the team.
REQUEST A QUOTE

 

Recent Cover Projects

Some of our recent cover projects include two Discovery 57s, a Moody 31, a Moody 42, several Oyster 565s and an Oyster 745. We’ve made stackpacks, awnings, sprayhoods, pedestal covers, wheel covers and a whole range of small bag projects too! Take a look at our social media for regular updates including photos of our current and previous cover projects.
ENQUIRE ABOUT YOUR NEW COVER

 

Summer Sail Projects

This summer we have been working closely with Oyster Yachts on the latest Oyster 565’s sails. You may recognise the spinnaker below from our April newsletter, when we shared some photos of the amazing paintwork completed by Ocean Art.
TALK TO ONE OF OUR TEAM ABOUT YOUR NEW SAIL

 

Dolphin Sponsors the Landsail Tyres J-Cup

Taking place from the 3rd-5th September, we are pleased to hear that the Landsail Tyres J-Cup will be going ahead this year! After a vastly disrupted race calendar this season, it is great to see people getting out on the water and racing.

As before, Dolphin have sponsored the event with our in-house embroidered holdall bags. We are loving the yellow logo on our navy pockets and we hope all the winners do too! If you want one of our great holdalls for yourself and don’t fancy your chances of winning then these are available to buy online, or give us a call to place your order.

We would like to take this opportunity to wish the competitors fair winds and calm seas – a very good luck to all!

 


 

Our Hamble Loft Continues to Grow!

After a busy Spring, our Hamble loft recruited Sam to help them through the busy summer season and beyond! Sam has fitted in well with Oli and Paul, our Hamble team, and you will often see him out and about patterning or fitting covers in South Coast marinas.

 

Online Chat

If you’ve got an enquiry don’t forget you can chat with us live on our website!
CHAT WITH US

 

Shop Online

And you can also shop online — take a look at our range of Dolphin items, all of which can also be made to measure and personalised with our in-house embroidery machine.
SHOP NOW

 

Winter Servicing & Repairs

As autumn starts to arrive it’s time to think about servicing your sails and covers over the winter season. We can wash, thoroughly check over and repair all your sails and covers – we even offer FREE storage once they are done until the season starts! Washing starts at £30 and is calculated on the item’s weight and number of washes needed.

Did you know that some insurance companies don’t cover your boat if sails and covers are left on over the winter? It’s worth checking the small print and if you’re not covered, just bring them to us for a winter wash and storage.


 

We hope you’ve managed to enjoy at least some of this year’s sailing season and are able to make the most of the remaining few weeks of summer! In the meantime, we shall look forward to seeing you at Boats 2020…

 

All the best to you and yours,

from the Dolphin team

An Update From Dolphin!

Here at Dolphin we’ve had a busy 2020 so far and thought we would share some of what we’ve been working on to give you a little distraction from the current situation surrounding Covid-19.

You can also stay in touch with us and see regular updates via our websiteFacebookTwitter and Instagram – be sure to follow us!

 


Recent Cover Projects

We have been working on a variety of cover projects recently, including a full enclosure for a Najad 373; two different Moody 31 sprayhoods; a full set of covers for a Discovery 58 and a Hallberg Rassy 57 companionway cover. As well as these we have produced the full collection of covers for the four newest Oyster 565’s!

Take a look at our social media and website for more examples of our cover projects.

TALK TO ONE OF OUR TEAM ABOUT YOUR NEW COVER

Sail Projects in 2020

So far this year we have made several sails for new and old Oyster yachts which have been shipped worldwide. As well as these, we’ve had lots of other projects coming in, such as the below mainsail for a Rustler 36. The owners of this boat are planning to circumnavigate the UK and Ireland as soon as the lockdown is over – we can’t wait to see some photos!

One of the most colourful sails to come through the loft in a while was this blue asymmetric, complete with two sea horses! Another great painting from Ocean Art — we love working with these guys to create some really fun branded sails!

 

TALK TO ONE OF OUR TEAM ABOUT YOUR NEW SAIL

**NEW** Online Shop and Live Chat

 

You can now chat to us live on the website!

We’ve been busy behind the scenes updating our website. One noticeable change is the option to Chat With Us. Whether you want to discuss a new quote, get an update on a current order or ask for some general advice, you can now talk to a member of the team through our live website chat. Open during office hours, it will give customers an alternative way of instantly contacting the team.

Having been up and running for only a week, we have already taken our first order following a live chat so we’re sure it will be a useful tool for our customers and team members alike!

If you have a sail or cover project you would like to discuss, why not give it a try?

CHAT WITH US

 

Or you can shop online!

Another update on our website has been the addition of our online shop. At the moment we are only selling our merchandise, such as holdalls and laptop bags, but in the future we may well add more Dolphin products to the shop.

As part of setting up our online shop we have also increased our product range. Take a look below at some of the items we now sell, or why not head over to the shop and have a browse?

SHOP NOW

You may have also seen that in October last year we took delivery of a brand new embroidery machine! This has enabled us to personalise all of our merchandise, either with a logo, initials or someone’s name. We often work with race events and regattas, so have been able to produce sponsored prizes entirely in-house. Check out an example of this below – they also make great gifts so if you are after a personalised birthday present, get in touch!

ENQUIRE NOW

Success At Our Hamble Loft

Our Hamble based loft has now been up and running for 6 months and oh what a busy time that has been! From day one Oli and Paul hit the ground running with boats to pattern, sails to fix and even a couple of caravan/trailer covers to make.

Having been based on the South Coast for 6 years Paul has found that the Hamble loft is a great hub of activity and he’s pleased to be flying the flag for Dolphin with a proper service loft. Previously he worked out of a van and everything was sent back to our Essex lofts to be worked on. The introduction of our Hamble loft has improved our turn around time for South Coast projects hugely. It’s great knowing we can be of help to fellow sailors and Paul is always on hand to offer great advice too!

Over the last 6 months, we’ve had lots of customers popping in as they pass through Hamble Point Marina: enquiring about new cover or sail projects; bringing items in for winter washing and servicing; or just stopping for a chat! It’s been great meeting all those customers and both Oli and Paul are looking forward to the many more they will work with.

READ MORE ABOUT OUR HAMBLE LOFT HERE

Getting Involved

As we are all too aware, the current situation surrounding Covid-19 is very fraught and full of the unexpected. During this time we will be keeping our customers up to date via our website and social media, so be sure to keep an eye on these! Our sales team are also at the end of the phone or email should you have any queries and they are always happy to help.

One positive side to the Coronavirus epidemic is seeing communities getting involved and helping each other out. We are pleased to have done our bit out in Palma de Mallorca, with our Palma loft manufacturing masks.

Christophe our Service Manager, hearing of the shortage, contacted the local town hall and hospitals who then sent him instructions and materials. Once made the masks were sterilised and distributed between hospital staff, police and supermarket staff. A big thanks to Christophe for going in at the weekend to make the masks – a great effort and we are very proud that he is part of the Dolphin team!

For the latest update on our working practices during the Covid-19 epidemic, follow the link below.

COVID-19 UPDATE

Stay Tuned

As always, we are working our hardest to get your sails and covers made ready for the season and we join you in looking forward to getting on the water later in the year to enjoy some much needed tranquility.

We hope you stay safe and healthy during this unprecedented time and would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our customers for their on-going business and support.

Likewise, we are here to help and would like to support you in any way we can: from storing your sails until lockdown is over, to offering a friendly conversation on the phone, the Dolphin team are always happy to help as much as we can.

A polite reminder to anyone with an outstanding invoice for it to be paid within 30 days of the invoice date. Again, should there be any issues with this, do just give us a call and we can make alternative arrangements to suit.

As usual, we will continue to share our stories, recent projects, advice and new ideas throughout our various channels, so stay tuned for some light entertainment in the weeks to come.


All the best to you and yours,

from the Dolphin team

 


 

Success At Our Hamble Loft

Our Hamble based loft has now been up and running for 6 months and oh what a busy time that has been! From day one Oli and Paul hit the ground running with boats to pattern, sails to fix and even a couple of caravan/trailer covers to make.

Winch hats, fender blocks and J70 overall covers have all been manufactured in-house at the loft, with larger items going back to the Harwich or West Mersea lofts to be made. It couldn’t work better with the Hamble team creating patterns and sending all necessary info back to our Essex lofts – a truly symbiotic relationship.

Photo above: fender block

Photo above: J70 cover

As well as new items, Oli has been rushed off her feet doing last minute repairs to enable our customers to go sailing! From putting a quick patch on a cover to fixing a ripped sail that’s bigger than the loft itself, she has been inundated with projects and always gets them done in time for the customer’s sailing trip. Great job Oli!!

Photo above: inside the loft

Having been based on the South Coast for 6 years Paul has found that the Hamble loft is a great hub of activity and he’s pleased to be flying the flag for Dolphin with a proper service loft. Previously he worked out of a van and everything was sent back to our Essex lofts to be worked on. The introduction of our Hamble loft has improved our turn around time for South Coast projects hugely. It’s great knowing we can be of help to fellow sailors and Paul is always on hand to offer great advice too!

Over the last 6 months, we’ve had lots of customers popping in as they pass through Hamble Point Marina: enquiring about new cover or sail projects; bringing items in for winter washing and servicing; or just stopping for a chat! It’s been great meeting all those customers and both Oli and Paul are looking forward to the many more they will work with.

We’d like to thank all our customers, old and new for supporting Dolphin, not only in our Hamble loft, but also Harwich, West Mersea and Palma de Mallorca. Without you we wouldn’t be the business we are today!

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If you’re based on the South Coast and want to discuss a potential project with one of the team, give Paul a call or drop him an email.

paul.austin@dolphin-sails.com  |  07801 907458

Photo above: where to find us

 

Three Tensile Awnings Installed

Despite the current situation surrounding COVID-19, we’ve had a very busy week fitting these three tensile awnings… The first two are for Milsoms and Le Talbooth down in Dedham and the other is for Felixstowe Snooker Club – we hope you’ll agree they look fantastic!
A good job done by all involved and under difficult circumstances following the government guidelines/restrictions too!! Well done team Dolphin 💪

COVID-19 UPDATE … We are still open for business!

While we all try to navigate the next few weeks and months, it is important that you know we are still open for business and have put in place all reasonable measures to ensure we stay that way: we will continue to be open for the benefit of all our customers and staff.
As usual we will be completing all manufacturing in-house to further reduce the risk of disruption to our customers: all templating, design, cutting, machining, finishing and installation will continue to be carried out throughout our lofts and rest assured that the necessary precautions are in place for our staff and any visiting customers.
Measuring, patterning and installation appointments will be completed, wherever possible, without customers present to help minimise the risk. Where customers are needed to discuss the details of the project, we will maintain a suitable distance as per the Government’s guidelines. Also, please don’t be offended if we don’t shake your hand!
Our sales team are, as always, on hand to give you the same professional advice and high end customer service we are known for. Please contact Paul, Stef, Christophe or Barry for any assistance you may require. Our continued aim is that as soon as you are able, you will be onboard and enjoying the peace and serenity of your favourite creek or open water!
We remain vigilant but calm and positive.  All staff continue to follow government guidelines: we are monitoring the situation closely and updating our team when we receive new information. Please keep an eye on our social media and website for further updates as we continue through this challenge together.
If you have any questions, new sales queries or concerns regarding orders you have already placed, our sales team will be more than happy to discuss these with you.
We’d like to take this opportunity to thank you once again for your business and on-going support.
Best Wishes,
Matthew, Kate and all the Dolphin Team (both here in the UK and in Palma)

 

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CLICK HERE TO CONTACT ONE OF THE TEAM

*NEW* We Now Offer Embroidery

Late in October we took delivery of our brand new embroidery machine. After the whole team had played around with it and several of the Harwich machinists had been properly trained on it, we are now able to offer a bespoke embroidery service. Whether you want your name, initials, crew position, company name or boat logo to personalise one of our bags, we can do it. It’s a great gift idea too!

We will also be offering crew shirts in the new year — so if you need to kit out your crew with a holdall, laptop bag and polo shirts, why not get it all done together at Dolphin?

We can embroidery your own products as well as supply a range of items… Perhaps you’re a sports team or school that is in need of branded clothing, we can do that too, so get in touch!

Sail Maintenance

From past experience our sails do not need a loft visit very often, but it is always wise to check over your sails to keep abreast of any potential issues. If there’s something that’s concerning you why not give us a call, drop us an email or ask The Pod?
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We would suggest it is a good idea to have your sails professionally washed a minimum of every 2 years. It may not be necessary to have them done every year and ideally, they wouldn’t go beyond 3 years, but this is very dependent on what conditions they are used in. The importance of washing your sails is not just about getting the sails cleaner and preventing the build-up of mildew. It is essential to remove any salt as this is very abrasive and will create unnecessary wear to the sails.
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As for webbings and lines, we exclusively use Spectra/Dyneema webbing in the corners, which has the best chance to resist UV weathering and maintain strength. Of course, like any ‘working’ item an occasional check is wise, especially before a long passage. This should not be necessary in the first 2 years, but we would recommend checking every other year after that. It might be that the corner webbings need a bit of re-stitching, it is unlikely with Dolphin’s high standard of production that they will need replacing, but it can happen.
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As we all know, conditions can change drastically whilst sailing and issues do occur. If your sails get ripped or a small hole appears, it is always best to get it repaired sooner rather than later. Depending on the structure of the fabric, rips can get bigger very quickly in the wrong conditions, but if it has been patched over, this should be prevented. For smaller, more insignificant rips or holes, we can provide you with a patch to stick on that will get you by until you are able to get the sail to a nearby loft.
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If you are unable to get your sails washed as regularly as you’d like, it is still a good idea to rinse off any metal components to remove the salt and prevent rust. This will also help stop rust marks on the sail once it has been folded and stored. For hanked storm sails, or hanked sails that you are unlikely to use on a regular basis, it is a good idea to rub vaseline onto the brass hanks. Use a good amount and leave it on, then wrap a plastic sandwich bag (or similar) around the hank and seal it with an elastic band. This will stop the hanks from ceasing whilst they are stored. You can fold the sail with the hanks bagged like this.
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One thing people are often surprised by is the build-up of mildew on their sails when they haven’t been sailing. This happens because if the sails aren’t used, once they are wet, they will remain damp which allows mould and mildew to develop. Essentially, the sail hasn’t had a chance to dry out. So, even if you haven’t got time to go sailing, it is a good idea to get your sails out every so often to air them, let them dry and generally check them over for any build-up of damp.
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When folding sails to get them to a sail loft or off the boat, try to have as many hands involved as possible: this should ensure as neat a fold as possible and ideally will follow the original fold lines. This prevents excess wear in the fabric by not having multiple folds. If at all possible, fold them on a flat area such as a dock or boat yard, but be careful not to get dirt wrapped up in the sails, as this may cause mildew build up or abrasion.
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Overall, sails are fairly easy to look after and if care is taken they should last you well. Obviously cruising and racing sails differ significantly, but if you regularly check your sails over, have them washed every couple of years and keep on top of any repairs they can last between 3 and 10 years!

400th Anniversary of the Mayflower

In preparation for next year’s 400th anniversary of the Mayflower’s departure to the new world, the Historic Harwich Society have put together a guide for visitors to Harwich and Dovercourt Bay. We have been included in the directory as our head office and cover loft is based on Harwich’s Main Road – free copies of the guide can be found at either of our Essex lofts.

Take a look at the website for more information about the 400th anniversary and to see what events are on to celebrate!

www.historicharwich.co.uk/mayflower-400/

 

 

 

-2019-

It’s been a busy year here at Dolphin with the expansion of our Palma loft, new team members joining us, internal promotions and opening up a new loft in Hamble! After a very successful Southampton Boat Show the Hamble loft is in at the deep end and extremely busy. The rest of the team have also had lots to do and with the changes in staff this year we’ve got a few new faces around. Why not take a look at our Meet The Team page to see who is part of team Dolphin?

Whilst Dolphin goes from strength to strength with new ideas and ventures in discussion, we’ve still been working away on the usual sails and covers and have had some great projects come through this year. Take a look at the photos of some of the best 2019 jobs and see what else we’ve been up to this year…

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Dolphin’s Union Flag Kite Goes Under Tower Bridge

One of the most notable projects from 2019 was the Union Flag asymmetric that we made for Oyster Yachts. A big thanks goes to Ocean Art for the paint work — we think it looks brilliant and are sure you’ll agree! This photo was taken of the new Oyster Yacht’s ‘Pocket Superyacht’ just after it sailed under Tower Bridge earlier in the year.

Now an award winning boat -Bluewater Cruiser of the Year- we are extremely proud to have been involved in the whole project and have supplied her with a full set of sails and covers, including one of our stunning tensile awnings. Having also kitted out the second in the series, we are now working closely with Oyster on hull number three and hope to be able to share more with you in 2020!

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*NEW* We Now Offer Embroidery

Late in October we took delivery of our brand new embroidery machine. After the whole team had played around with it and several of the Harwich machinists had been properly trained on it, we are now able to offer a bespoke embroidery service. Whether you want your name, initials, crew position, company name or boat logo to personalise one of our bags, we can do it. It’s a great gift idea too!

We will also be offering crew shirts in the new year — so if you need to kit out your crew with a holdall, laptop bag and polo shirts, why not get it all done together at Dolphin?

We can embroidery your own products as well as supply a range of items… Perhaps you’re a sports team or school that is in need of branded clothing, we can do that too, so get in touch!

Looking for Christmas presents? Check out our sail bag range, starting at £30!

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Still Old School!

Whilst sail and cover design is moving into a much more digital production, we still like revisiting the old methods for certain projects. This year we made several sails for the West Mersea MFOB fleet and donated some prizes for their Turkey race held in November. Many winkle brigs and smacks took part despite the chilly weather!

During the summer we also made a new “whoomper” and topsail for Kismet, Richard Matthew’s classic Fife. She was raced at the Panerai Classic Regatta towards the end of the season and won one of the races! Kismet is often seen at classic events and we are pleased to be continually involved with such a beautiful yacht.

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We were pleased to sponsor the Cleanwave Water Rocket at this year’s Oyster Palma Regatta, helping Oyster gain GOLD status in their effort to be ‘A Clean Regatta’!

Something we’ve been particularly keen to be involved in is the #cleanwavemovement and their pledge to reduce single use plastic and keep our oceans clean. Alongside this we have worked with other charities, through donations and raffles. The Bradwell Cruising Club recently raised £1400 by holding an auction for which one of the lots was a ‘Wash & Service’ voucher we had donated. In 2020 we hope to do more for these worthwhile causes and are always pleased if our customers and colleagues get involved!

The Harwich team really got into the festive spirit when we took part in Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day on Friday 13th December! They even enjoyed some hot chocolate and mince pies at tea break.

Thanks to all who donated!

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We will be open until lunchtime on Christmas Eve and then closed through to the 2nd January. During this time emails and phone calls may not be monitored, but we will endeavour to get back to you promptly once the offices open again in the new year.

We wish all our staff, customers and suppliers an enjoyable Christmas break and look forward to a great 2020!