Sailmaker's Apprentice

This book is well written and illustrated. Very interesting to read and learn the skills of a sailor. I would recommend this book.

Expert or what!?! This was absolutely excellent in every way. Great to have as a reference and well beyond my expectations. The author is a guru and dove deep into every area of the subject. I really enjoyed this book. It’s well written and very immersive, instructive and relevant to someone wanting to learn, to maintain, built or further their sail and canvas work. I didn’t expect to geek out so much over sewing, but this got me there.

Dad said that it was a good thing he didn't see this as a kid or he would have become a sail maker. That is high praise from someone with a lifetime of sailing and racing.

This book has everything a cruising sailor needs to know for doing his own canvas work, and then some. There is a good balance in the treatment of traditional and modern techniques and materials, although high-tech stuff is almost completely omitted. The illustrations are amazing and gorgeous, and the text is a pleasure to read. Along with Bowditch and "Ar Vag" (by Bernard Cadoret et al), this is one of the most prized treasures of my shipboard library. I only wish it were available in hardcover.

This is a very good resource. The language is a little old fashioned like the following quote from the introduction: “Nor will I risk offending you with pusillanimous platitudes, the jargon of the overbearing traditionalist.” Cracked me up! But, the content is excellent. I can not wait to order my tools so I can practice my stitches. I am an accomplished seamstress but this is going to be challenging!

This book is a rather well written, albeit long, how to book for sailors. It teaches the reader everything from proper sail design and finishing to how the sail really works. This book is one of two books that the do-it-yourself sailor should own. This book is an easy read an anyone with enough gumption would be able to successfully stitch together a long lasting sail.That does not mean the the book is only for those who sail. I read this book because I wanted to know how sails were built, not because I had an interest in constructing a sail. Read it, you will so much the wiser for it.

I initially bought the kindle edition of this book, but I had problems viewing all the charts and diagrams, but the information was great, so I purchased a used hard copy from Amazon.It is definitely a worth while addition for any sailor who wants to increase his or her self reliance. A lot of reviews have mentioned that the book does not reflect modern sail making methods, and that may be true, however, there is a great deal in there that is still valid, and the sections on how sails work, and sail shaping is valuable information not only for the sail maker, but for the sailor. I would recommend this for any sailing enthusiast, and certainly for a sailor who desires to be more self sufficient.

A great book for anyone with an interest in traditional maritime skills and wooden boats. It is written in a lively style with plenty of excellent drawings to illustrate points. It covers just about everything you need to know for small boat rigging and sailmaking. There is an excellent index at the back of the book as well as lists of resources and suppliers. Paired with The Arts of the Sailor by H.G. Smith, there is everything you need to know about rigging, canvasing and sailing traditional wooden boats.