16 May 2024
Skilled Work
Aesthetics, Sailing Ships, Sails, Sewing, Technology
This is the corner of a hand sewn sail made in the 1800s. The craftsmanship and quality of the work is amazing. This is a lost art.
The canvas sails were made of hemp along with clothing, ropes, and the caulking used to fill gaps between planks among other things. Hemp is 3 times stronger than jute and was preferred because it was unaffected by salt water.
The work done by sail makers was demanding and left no room for error as their sails would be what brings fishermen home safely.”
— Archaeology & Civilizations by Lori Michael Malone.