The Sailmaker's Apprentice
The author covers both traditional and modern sail materials and sailmaking skills. He's not so much about design as technique. I particularly liked the associations with the history and self-sufficiency aspects of learning a skill like sailmaking. The book talks you through a simple version of making a ditty bag while giving you the skills to do it up to your liking. I've made two. One's served me well everywhere including at the top of my boat's mast. Get the book and then buy the materials and tools from SailRite.com and make your own.
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Holding the needle.
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In a crosscut sail the first panel, or cloth, is laid along the tack seam, which is the perpendicular from tack to leech.
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Let gravity help feed a large sticky-taped sail through the sewing machine. Building a temporary chute can be a fun challenge. Tables, boards, cloth--in the door, out the window, up the stairs, whatever it takes to get a big enough run on both sides of the machine. The less friction there is, and the fewer bumps, the more smoothly the cloth will slide.
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Pass the twine repeatedly back and forth through thimble and ring.
Favorite (15)
Gurduloo
Excellent! I've been wanting to put a sail on top of my car for some time, but can't afford to buy a pre-made one.
Davey
I have no interest in sailing, but this book looks like a great resource for doing all kinds of things with heavy cloth. I may buy this book anyway and see if it helps me get over a lifelong incompetency at all things sewing.
Tim
It is a wonderful book. I used it as a reference when providing a sailmaker with information about how I wanted some sails made. It gave me a much better understanding of how sails work and how differences in their construction can change sail performance; and it helped me seem like I knew what I was talking about. Even if you never plan to sail, it's a delightful read, written with style and humor.