What are Collection Connections?
Have you ever looked at one of our programs and thought to yourself, “That looks interesting, but what does that have to do with maritime history?” All our programs at the Maritime Museum of British Columbia are inspired by the artefacts and stories held in our collections.
Feature Program: Paper Weaving
Paper Weaving is one of our free Salty Sunday programs. Participants will practice the first step to make a sail- weaving! The sail making process has many steps. Weaving the cloth, measuring then cutting the fabric, stitching together panels, and supporting the edges are just some of the steps involved. These skills have been developed and passed down by sailmakers for centuries.
Although archeologists are not certain on the exact date of invention, there is evidence of vessels that have harnessed the wind using sails from around 6000 years ago. Early civilizations in Egypt and the Mediterranean used sails to travel on water.
The earliest sails were likely made of animal skins, but eventually woven material made from flax became common. During the age of sail, most European sailing ships used sailcloth made from flax. Cotton sails did not gain international popularity until after 1851, when British racing yachts were defeated by Americans using cotton sails. Cotton can be more tightly woven than flax, allowing it to capture more wind. Today, sails are often made of synthetic fibers which last longer in the elements than traditional materials.
Sailmakers were very important during the age of sail. They provided constant maintenance, upkeep, and production of materials. Creating sails requires strict attention to detail. The calculations must be exact, to ensure that sails are properly sized for the mast, and fit the requirements to effectively catch the wind. In addition, they created specialized sails for different conditions. Sailmakers had a variety of tools at their disposal.
From the Collection
A palm protects the hands and helps to sew. The metal thimble embedded in the leather palm allows sailmakers to push the needle through heavy fabric with more force, without damaging their hands. MMBC Collection, 2024.001.0004.
A needle, and special twine were used to sew together sails. When used with sailcloth made from natural fibers, it will mesh with the fabric. MMBC Collection, Needle, Sailmaker’s, 2024.001.0046
An arch punch was used to create holes in the fabric. This is where ropes would be attached to raise and secure the sails. MMBC Collection, Punch, Arch, 2024.001.0043.
A heaving mallet is used to pull stitches tight. This particular artefact was likely used with large dimension rope. MMBC Collection, Mallet, Heaving, 2024.001.0007
A marlinespike is a tool used for splicing. This is a type of rope work where the strands of twos ropes are separated, then woven into each other. Rope work was very important to the sail making, and rigging process. MMBC Collection, Marlinespike, 2024.001.0036.
New technologies, and the popularization of steamships and powered vessels has led to the decline of traditional sail making. However, there are still some individuals and organizations worldwide that have the skills to make sails by hand!
In this video, we talk about the technology that made historical travel at sea possible- sails! The craft of sail making was important to the success of sailing vessels at the peak of their popularity.
The very first step of the sail making process is weaving. Try it out at one of our Salty Sunday workshops, Paper Weaving! Can’t make this one? Check out our fall schedule.
Artefacts (In order of appearance):
MMBC #Collections 2024.001.0004, 2024.001.0033, 2024.001.0043, 2024.001.0007.
What’s Next?
There’s more to do and see every day at the MMBC–check out the links to the right for your next maritime adventure.
