Tag Archive: sails

Sailmaker on Board

If you had asked me, “When did the Age of Sail end?” I would have thought about it a while, guessing that since steamboats were invented about 1803, sailing ships must have been… Continue reading

A Compendium of Sail Information

The most interesting thing to me about the Age of Sail is the textiles used to make the sails.  But as I have tried to find out more about them, I have been… Continue reading

Even More Sail History

Source: Sailcloth – National Maritime Museum Ahoy, maties!  After 3 years and 3 months, I have finally found an example of real sail cloth to share with you!  This is from the National… Continue reading

Following up on Viking Sails

 Back in 2013, I visited the Maritime Museum in San Diego, California, and aboard one of the historic ships I saw a huge storage area set aside for extra rigging and sails, and… Continue reading

On the Trail of Sail History – the Vikings

We left off somewhere around 1350 BC, when the Mycenaean kings may or may not have been requiring plain linen cloth to be woven as a tax or tribute intended for sail use. … Continue reading

On the Trail of Sail History – the Mycenaeans

When I demonstrate weaving at historic festivals, I try to get people to see how societies have relied on textiles to do so much more than just clothe them fashionably.  One example that… Continue reading