Traditionelles Segelmacherhandwerk vom 17. ins 20. Jahrhundert - Teil 1

Abstract

This two-part article examines the fundamental craftsmanship techniques of traditional sailmaking in the seventeenth to twentieth centuries as illustrated by the simple square sail. Within this context, it focuses particularly on the continuities as well as the changes in various sailmaking techniques. The different steps in the sailmaking process are described in the order in which they are carried out in the production of a sail. Regional variations and their designations, which were quite common in the sailmaking trade, are not discussed. Instead, the archaeological sail finds of the MARY ROSE, the VASA, the JEANNE-ÉLISABETH and the VICTORY are at the disposal of the investigation as source material. They provide insights into the technical principles of sailmaking from the sixteenth century onward. The first part of the article, appearing in this volume, serves as an introduction to the theme by explaining and defining the most important and recurring terms and presenting the source material to which both parts of the article refer. Then it goes on to describe the traditional steps in the production of sails: the cutting of the sailcloth, the sewing together of the strips, the hemming of the sails, the production of the sail corners, the production of grommets and the mounting of cringles. Part 2 of the article, which will appear in the next edition of the Deutsches Schiffahrtsarchiv, will pick up where part 1 left off and describe the production of reefs and bonnets, bolt ropes, and the sail bolting process. In the second part, special attention will be paid to the aerodynamic streamlining of sails and the craftsmanship techniques at the disposal of traditional sailmaking. The tools, working steps and techniques will be introduced and explained in detail. The date from which sails were made with aerodynamically advantageous profiles will also be considered. Finally, part 2 will summarize both parts of the article and provide a complete glossary and the entire bibliography.