Sail Making?

[CJDaley]

A recent project at work has me repairing sails for some historic ships. I've never worked on anything this large before and working on sails isn't
anything I've ever done before. (and I've got the blisters to prove it :( )

I'm working along side an expert in historic century sail making and we got to talking about Civil War sails today. He's worked on the Vasa the Constitution, the Constellation and the Lady Washington. He's served as consultant on Pirates of the Caribbean, Master and Commander, John Adams, The New World, Horatio Hornblower and Amistad However, he's never worked on mid-19th century sails.

Does anyone have any primary source material on making or repairing mid-19th Century sails? This is more out of curiosity as the sails we're working on are an earlier style.

Thanks for any help the AC membership can shed on this topic.

[Vuhginyuh]

Re: Sail Making?

Chris, I can't image that you can find better resources than where you are now or at the Mariners' Museum. Ask around for Simon Spaulding, we taught my father how to repair the sails on our Shackleford deadrise Spritsail skiff. I'll dig some things out and forward them to you.

[Marc29thGA]

Re: Sail Making?

Coastal Maine has lots of sail makers that may be able to help - here's one place:

http://www.gambellandhunter.net/index.html

[Bill]

Re: Sail Making?

Chris,

This has almost nothing to do with your question, but in looking for some information on the subject of sail making in the mid 19th, Century I found this interesting information. At the beginning of the War, most of the tents used by the Federal Army were made by sail making companies. The state of New York contracted for 5,200 Common tents and 600 wall tents. They paid $13.00dollars for the Common tents and $26.00 dollars for the wall tents. In 1861, a Common tent cost as much a Rifle-Musket. Today, a rifle costs us at least four times what a Common tent costs.

This really shows the difference in the manufacturing process. The tents were made by hand in small sail lofts, while the rifles were made by machine in big factories.

Sorry for getting off subject.

[jchristiansen]

Re: Sail Making?

Mystic Seaport in Conneticut might be another resource; www.mysticseaport.org.

[Bob 125th NYSVI]

Re: Sail Making?

Or the South Street Seaport Museum in NYC might alos help.

In HS my father volunteered me to help repaint a Glouster (sic) fishing schoonerr that came from the early 1800s. Bet their maintenance department could refer you to some material.

[CJDaley]

Re: Sail Making?

Thanks everyone, I was looking for primary source information. Something similar to what Bill Rodman posted. Period accounts, diaries, newspaper ads, offical naval reports and the like.

[Vuhginyuh]

Re: Sail Making?

Chris, I'll go through some chandlers logs and letterbooks for you next week and forward anything of interest that I find.

[CJDaley]

Re: Sail Making?

Special thanks to Robert Gregory who sent me this link. http://www.pbenyon.plus.com/B_S_M/Edition.html

This is exactly the kind of info I was looking for. This is a great training manual from the British Navy during the Civil War era.

Of particular note is that the commands, terminology, definitions, methods, traditions, procedures, punishments, rules and regulations change very little in a 1/2 a millennium.

I'd encourage all you land lubbers to take a gander at this manual!

[JohnTaylorCW]

Re: Sail Making?

Hi Chris,

You might also want to look at "The Kedge-Anchor." First published in 1847, the link below is for the 1864 edition on Google books. Similar subject matter, written by an American.

http://books.google.ca/books?id=XiM9nGvE7L4C&printsec=frontcover&dq=Kedge-Anchor#PPA2,M1

Also, have a look at "Spars and Rigging from Nautical Routine, 1849." Preview on Google here: http://books.google.ca/books?id=lgropOIYVDQC

[Silas]

The Kedge Anchor

The previous link was to a partial copy of the Kedge Anchor. Here's a link to a complete version of the the Kedge Anchor on google :

http://books.google.ca/books?id=wQxqa5K_zcgC&printsec=frontcover&dq=editions:LCCN13010798&as_brr=1#PPP6,M1

[celtfiddler]

Re: Sail Making?

You might want to try contacting the US Navy Historical Center in DC.

http://www.history.navy.mil/

Although the museum at the Naval Academy is currently closed for renovations, it might be worth contacting them to see if they have anything in their holdings that might help.

http://www.usna.edu/Museum/#