Matt Sharman and Ralph Roberts will use their combined knowledge from nearly 100 years of sailing/cruising experience to upgrade and enhance any dinghy for cruising or day sailing purposes.Boats can be upgraded with both genoa and mainsail reefing systems.Sail controls and anchoring systems adapted for maximum simplicity.Main and genoa sheeting systems modified for increased efficiency.Rudder and outboard bracket systems fitted to maximise ease of use.Work is nominally charged for at an hourly rate, though as a high standard of workmanship is more important to us than finishing a job to a certain time, more hours are usually spent working on a boat than is charged for. |
TestimonialsLiving in Norway and wishing to buy a cruising Wayfarer, I enlisted the International Rep, Ralph Roberts’ assistance and advice, and decided on a racing +S version. Planning to do mostly single-handed cruising, the boat needed refitting before taking it back to Norway, and during a short but hectic period, Ralph tailored the boat to my needs. In spite of extreme time pressure due to the need to catch a ferry, the work delivered was outstanding.
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Sailing conditions can change rapidly in Finland, and the flexible Aero spar offers a quick way to reduce sail area whenever the wind picks up. It's also really helpful during rigging, launching and beaching the boat on one of the lake’s many islands. Getting Ralph to fit the Aero Reefing system to our boat has made family dinghy sailing a safer and more enjoyable experience for us. Timo Saarinen W 8188 |
"Matt and Ralph re-fitted our ex-racing woodie Wayfarer with both an Aero Luffspar and a Main reefing system. Their experience and expertise was so valuable in re-rigging the boat to ensure everything was set up correctly. Since we've had the new system we are able to get in and out of some pretty tight waterways under sail, feel more confident in increasing wind conditions, and are able to reef underway at sea with ease. It has made our sailing safer, more professional and more adventurous all in one. Thanks Ralph and Matt" Ben and Julia (or Ben White) W 7878 |
It has been a joy to have a decent centre board, kicker and reefing genoa; in fact the whole rig has set so much better after the treatment you gave it. Although an old boat, we have held our own with much newer Wayfarers in the few races we have participated in, which is particularly satisfying because the boat is basically set up for cruising. Thanks again for all your hard work. We look forward to many years of fun with the boat. Sean Moore W 5521 |
We left our boat with Ralph and Matt to improve its usability, which is important to us as we have one less-able crew member. They made several enhancements, including an Aero Reefing Spar and new McNamara sail, which has improved the boat's pointing ability and everything now works fantastically. The work was done to a high standard and I can highly recommend Ralph and ALS Ltd for any work on upgrading a sailing dinghy. James McCartney W 11086 |
I first met up with Ralph and Matt at Brancaster on a Tidal Training weekend. Over subsequent years they have transformed my boat so that she was far easier to sail, particularly either single-handed or with small children/novice sailors. Since then, I have completed a cruise off the West Coast of Scotland, two circumnavigations of the Isle of Wight and took part in the 59th Three Rivers Race on the Norfolk Broads. Thank you to ALS Ltd for such great work making Curlew a pleasure to sail." Rob Windsor W 9405 |
ALS Ltd has supplied many items and services over the last few years that has changed my boat into the sea worthy cruising vessel that it now is.
Simon Gray W 8796 |
Aero Luff Spars provided me with new cruising sails; installed effective reefing systems; and carried out a variety of minor upgrades. The ability to reef with ease gave me the confidence to venture out on large open water spaces without the company of other boats, particularly when sailing with family. Doug Young W 8819 |
Ralph and Matt used their vast experience to fine tune my boat to make a considerable improvement to its speed. Apart from fitting one of their Aero Reefing Spars, giving me better flexibility especially when sailing on my own, they also optimised the existing equipment, and the result has greatly increased the enjoyment of sailing my Wayfarer. Nigel Kippen W 10262 |
The Aero fitting out service ideally upgraded and equipped the boat for the cruising I planned in my newly acquired Wayfarer before it was shipped out to Greece. Nikoloas Ioannidis W 7277 |
W7277 'KAPXAPINI III' lying at anchor on the island of Patroklos, a mile off the mainland, and using the Aero furling/reefing system to cruise the Greek Attica coastline between Saronic Gulf and Aegean Sea. |