Making the sail

  On Limerock Street in Camden, Maine there's a house with a sail loft, the home of a sail maker.  Amos Perkins Lord used to live here from his birth in 1896 until his 1957 death.  Mr. Lord made some of the new sails for "Old Ironsides" the USS Constitution.
  In 1976 Grant Gambell bought the house and loft, he is also a sail maker, he uses a lot of Mr. Perkins tools.  Oh sure, there is some machine work, but fine sails need fine finishing touches.  Tools like a large lump of beeswax to make the needle slide smooth, or a Roping Palm a sort of "thimble" for the hand that pushes the needle through several layers of canvas.

Sample seam of a handmade canvas sail - click to enlarge
Photo: Maine Historical Society via www.mainememory.net

A sail makers needle, there are different sizes. - click to enlarge
Photo: Maine Historical Society via www.mainememory.net

A Roping Palm - click to enlarge
Photo: Maine Historical Society via www.mainememory.net