Sails and the Way They Work

All the information a boatowner needs to fully understand how sails work, and how to design, make, repair and modify them. The second edition of this book is an absolute gem. Derek Harvey describes the origins of the different shapes of sail, the way they work, and the practical differences between the various rigs in their handling and performance out on the water. Next he explains the principles of sail design, advises on choice of sailcloth, and shows how a basic home computer can be used to plot the panel shapes so that DIY sailmakers can save as much as three-quarters of the cost of small boat sails by making them or recutting old ones. Guidance on lofting, sewing, and hand-finishing follow, and finally advice on sail care. A computer aided design programme is available free of charge with this book. 'Workable sails can be made out of just about any old bits of material, so long as they are sufficiently strong and durable. Cotton and flax served us well enough for hundreds of years and occasionally still do, although nowadays synthetic cloths are much to be preferred. Another of the great attractions of home sailmaking is that is requires no special talents, just some advice and guidance before attempting it for the first time.