We're making sails

Construction is now underway! We have done the first layout on the sprits'l and the mizzen and mizzen bonnet. The sprits'l is the smallest square sail on this boat. It measures 22' by 13' and the layout is quite simple. The mizzen (sometimes called a spanker) and its bonnet are a triangular lug type sail that fly from an angled yard on the aft mast. A bonnet is an extension that is laced to the foot of a sail to increase its area for light air. On this ship both of the courses and the mizzen have bonnets.
The picture at right shows the mizzen and bonnet being layed out together. The bonnet will be cut off after the combined sail is seamed. They will then have tablings cut and sewn along their edges and roped. The tablings are strips of cloth cut from the edge to which they will be applied. The tabling and sail edge are turned under so there are no raw edges and then they are sewn together. Luckily we are able to do all of this initial sewing of seams and tablings with a machine. On modern sail we use seperate strip or tape of dacron to finish the dge rather than using a turned or cut tabling.

Lance and Stuart can be seen walking across the mizzen with a section of the sprits'l that is about to have the seams sewn. Hopefully their shoes are clean. Tomorrow we'll get the mizzen and bonnet cut around and the tablings applied(and hopefully catch up on some service work).