Where to buy Solo spares and upgrades?

Need a new pulley, shackle, rope for something? Tis the season for boat maintenance and the big marine retailers will be tempting you with their seasonal sales.

Those guys provide a great service and for Solo sailors you could do worse than try these retailers:

Rooster
Pinnell & Bax
Trident
Force4
Sailboats.co.uk

I think I have got stuff from all of them over the years.

Specialist Suppliers

There are some smaller suppliers though who don't always get the attention they deserve, so I wanted to mention some other places you can look if you are finding it difficult to get a particular part or you just like to shop around.

Firstly, Solo specialist and top Solo sailor Chris Brown is worth talking to. He supplies boats, masts, sails, trailers and spares. As Chris knows more than most about Solos, you might want to get in touch with him for some of the big stuff. His company is:

CB Trailer & Cover Store

and he is based in the Midlands, so if you need Solo gear and live up that way it could save you a trip or some courier costs if you need something bulky.

Next is Kevin Butler at KBR Sailing. I spoke to Kevin when I needed a new forestay - he does a lot of rigging as well as supplying other dinghy gear. If you need new shrouds/stays he is not quite the cheapest, but he uses high quality wire and accessories so he is well-worth a call. His website is here:

KBR Sailing

And finally I was looking for some blue sail numbers recently and ended up having a long chat with Richard Eisler at Cygnus Sails. Richard also provides an excellent rigging service so he can supply new shrouds or control lines as well as a wide range of other spares. You can find Cygnus Sails here:

Cygnus Sails

Oh, and if you just like to wander around looking for a bargain, there are lots of retailers, sailmakers and boat builders at the RYA Dinghy Exhibition early in the year. These days it is held in Farnborough so if you live in the area (I do!) you can get plenty of shopping done there.

Hope that helps you get your boat sorted for next season ⛵