Just picked up 2,000 yards of 13oz Oceanus Natural cloth for the SEA Education Association of Woods Hole, Massachusetts.
I have served as 1st Mate aboard SEA's vessel Corwith Cramer twice and now look forward to making sails for them.
SEA's vessels Corwith Cramer and Robert C. Seamans are training vessels that teach seamanship and oceanographic research to college students across the globe.
Both vessels are fully operational research vessels that conduct their research undersail. The first sail I will be making is a jib topsail for the Corwith Cramer.
These sails will be made in the same way as sails were made 100 years ago. They will be handroped around the edges and have cringles in the corners.
By making the sails out of Oceanus and constructing them like this it will make them much easier to repair while the vessel is underway which also will teach crew and students about sail repair which is an aspect of seamanship that is not taught frequently. Students and crew will have a great feeling of accomplishment when they can look up at the sail and know that they repaired that themselves.
SEA's platform for teaching mixes modern science and centuries old seamanship and I'm excited to help continue doing this.
Update:
The new jib topsail is done!
The sail came out beautifully and will serve the Corwith Cramer for many years to come.
Like all my sails this has been built using the time honored methods which make a very strong sail. It will withstand sailing in the North Atlantic for years to come.
This sail is built out of Oceanus which acts much like cotton sailcloth does. It will make handling the sail while trying to furl it much easier because it is not as stiff. I look forward to sailing with SEA again and putting this sail to use.