Roy is a fantastic sailmaker and innovator. If you want custom sails that are made for how you sail your boat and you want to talk to someone about dreams for your next adventure... he is the right guy. Roy uses cutting edge materials for sails and canvas work... this means his work lasts for a long time. Looking for canvas work as well? He's got that covered too! He built a beautiful dodger for me as well as a Mainsail-pack. We spent lots of time on the boat figuring out how each of these would be used and I'me really pleased with the result. read more

I work in the boat business and have known Roy for 40 years. He is absolutely inflexible about using the best cloth, fine handwork, and immaculate stitching. The designs are all done in a computer and drawn out by a plotter- so the shape is not old fashioned guesswork. The result is fast sails that retain their shape and last for many, many years. This is true craftsmanship- there are no short cuts. The sails aren't made in some offshore sweat shop. You can feel proud that you made the decision to go with high quality, locally made sails that will breath new life into your boat. read more

Spare yourself the grief and don't go to sailmaker Roy Downs for service. I left two sails at his loft over the winter for restitching. He did the job and I paid him. When I threaded the mainsail onto the boom earlier this week, I discovered all the battens were missing. I called Roy. He totally dismissed my complaint. He told me "there aren't any battens here. The place is pretty well cleaned out." I reminded him that he was responsible for my property. He simply didn't respond and has since avoided my calls. Four battens for a mainsail on my boat can run close to $100. So, would i recommend Roy Downs? Absolutely not. If you live near Boston, you're better off going to Doyle Sailmakers in Salem. read more

Roy is the best. Knowledgable, practical, custom builds quality products, and stands fully behind his work. Forget the mail order sail sites, big marketing names, et cetera, and go talk to Roy about what you really need and want on your boat. read more