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Making Sails for Model Ships

December 3, 2017

On my Model Shipways Bluenose build , I debated whether or not to make the sails.  Many (most?) ship models do not include full sails.  The Model Shipways kit was designed with sails, and includes the sail cloth as part of the kit.  The inclusion of sails was actually one of the factors that led me to select this kit for my second build.

With the booms and gaffs rigged and installed, I would basically be finished with the build if I omit the sails.  The remaining rigging is all attached to sails, so I’d leave it off if I didn’t include sails.  However, the sails really do add something to the model, especially for a schooner like this.

So, I decided to make sails.  I’ve never made sails before, so this will be a learning experience.  Here’s how I ended up doing it…

Choosing How Sails are Displayed

An important decision to make before you start is how you’ll be displaying sails.  There are three different ways you can go:

• For Display

(I made those last two names up).

Furled sails are sails that are lowered.  Many modelers choose to do furled sails on their ships.  The advantage is that the sails don’t cover everything up and make a model look like a bunch of cloth.  When doing furled sails, you typically don’t make the full sail, instead making smaller version.  The sail is put in place, but is bunched up and tied to the appropriate boom or gaff.

Realistic sails try to show the sails rigged and set as they would be while the ship is actually at sea.  Ships adjusted their sails depending on the situation.  In most cases, some sails would be raised while others would be lowered.  Some sails might be set off to one side.  Realistic sails would try to show the ship in some kind of ‘real’ sailing state.

Making sails simply ‘for display’ is what I’m doing.  I’m making all the sails, and installing them all in their raised state.  I’m not going to set any sails off to the sides – everything is just going to be installed straight and even.  You’d probably never see a ship at sea actually set like this, but I think it works well for a model.

When to Make Sails

From what I can tell, the general practice is to make the sails  before rigging and installing the booms and gaffs.  Several of the sails need to be laced onto the booms and gaffs, and that is nearly impossible to do directly on the ship.

The standard process seems to be:

• Build the booms and gaffs.
• Make the sails based on the plans.
• Attach sails to the booms and gaffs as appropriate.
• Install and rig the booms and gaffs.
• Add the additional rigging for each sail.

I’m not confident that all my booms and gaffs are 100% accurately sized, and I suspect that the dimensions of my sails might need to be adjusted to fit my particular ship.  So, I intentionally put off making sails until I had installed all the booms and gaffs.

Once I had everything installed on the ship, I could make templates for the sails that take into account both the plans and the size/shape of my actual build.

Of course, this means that I had a bunch of rigging for the booms and gaffs that would need to be un-done so the booms and gaffs could be removed.  That was fine with me, because I had avoided the use of glue when securing the rigging.  Everything was either tied off (easy to un-tie), or attached with a hook or shackle (easy to remove).

So, my process is:

• Build the booms and gaffs .
• Install and rig the booms and gaffs .
• Make the sails based on the actual layout of my ship.
• De-rig the booms and gaffs, and remove them from the ship.
• Re-install the booms and gaffs, and their rigging.

For me, this approach (while more work) has several advantages:

• Initially, I’m able to focus on getting the booms and gaffs properly installed and rigged, without the sails getting in the way.
• I can start with sail templates based on the plans, and adjust as necessary to fit the exact size/shape of my ship.
• Once sails are ready to install, I can quickly get them rigged without spending any time on the other rigging for the booms and gaffs, since those runs are already done and just need to be re-tied/attached.

Paper Templates

Making the actual sails starts with making paper templates.  Some of the sails were too big to use normal paper, so I picked up a roll of white craft paper.

For each sail, I took a piece of paper and laid it over the plans.  I marked the corners of the sail, then used a ruler to draw lines between the marks, giving me the outline of the sail.  Some sails have curves that I had to hand-draw.

Once the shape was laid out on the paper, I cut the paper to shape.

A paper template for the jib sail.

Next I positioned the paper template on the actual ship in the correct spot.  I took note of anything that didn’t fit just right, and adjusted the template as necessary.  Some sails needed to be made slightly smaller, while some had to be made slightly larger.

To help me visualize the sail, I also marked where the hems on the edges will go, along with any other key elements of the sail.  For the edge hems, I’ll be folding the fabric over and sewing it.  I’ll be shooting for a 1/16″ hem, so I used that size for the markings on the template.

The actual sails on the ship were made from strips of cloth, not one big piece.  To simulate this, I’ll just be sewing lines onto the cloth.  For some of the sails, I went ahead and marked these lines on the template since they need to be oriented correctly according to the plans.

The main and fore sails also have  reef bands , which run horizontally along the lower portion of the sail.  These were marked as well.

Preparing the Sail Cloth

Once I was satisfied with the template, I got out the sail cloth.  Model Shipways includes sail cloth with the kit.  This cloth is a medium weight cotton cloth in an off-white color.  The kit includes enough to make all the sails, assuming you get everything right on the first try.  I knew that wasn’t going to work, so I ordered two more packages of sail cloth from them.  It was relatively inexpensive – about $7 for each package of cloth.

Sails on a ship were rarely bright white.  I’ve seen that many modelers will dye their sail cloth to get a desired shade.  There are many tricks for this, like dipping the material in coffee.  I felt that the off-white color of the Model Shipways cloth was fine, so I didn’t dye my cloth.

If you’re wanting to use other sail cloth, look for something lightweight.  Almost all fabric is going to be too thick and out of scale, so just do the best you can.  I actually used some fabric from a local hobby store for a few ‘test runs’, and learned a few things.  Look for fabric with a tight knit, so the fabric doesn’t start to come apart as you cut it.  Also look for something without too much stretch, as stretchy fabric can distort the shape of the sails as you sew them.

Ideally, you want to wash, dry, and iron the sail cloth before you start.  Most fabric will shrink a little during this process, so you want this out of the way before you start cutting things to size.  Doing this will also release any wrinkles in the fabric.  (I was too excited to get started, and didn’t do this.)

Once you’ve got your fabric ready and your template sized, you’re ready to cut some fabric.

I used a fabric marker to do all the markings on the fabric.  I picked this up at a local hobby store in the sewing section for a couple dollars.  This marker uses special ink that disappears as it evaporates.  This means I can draw all over the fabric, and within a few hours the ink is gone.  I found this to give much better results than using a pencil and trying to erase markings.

The paper template is used to mark up the fabric being used for the sail.

A note on marking fabric…since I’m going to be folding over the edges of the sail to create hems, one side of the sail is going to look better than the other.  Often, you pick a ‘display side’ of the ship, and put ugly stuff (like the worse sail side) so it isn’t visible from the display side.  I found that with the way I was marking, folding, and sewing the cloth, I wanted the markings on the display side.  Making sure I marked the display side ensured that I as I worked I ended up with all the ugly stuff on the back.

First the outline of the sail is marked on the fabric.  Be sure to leave extra space on all sides outside of the sail.

A second outline is made 1/16″  outside of the first outline.  This is the hem that I want to end up with on the finished sail.

A third outline is made 1/2″  outside of the second outline.  This one doesn’t have to be perfect…this is just a guide for cutting the fabric.

You can also mark the reef lines and strips at this point if desired.  I typically didn’t mark the strips, since I was able to position those accurately using my sewing machine.

The fabric is trimmed, leaving excess material around the edges.

Once everything is marked, I cut the fabric along the outer-most outline.  I used a rotary cutter (like a pizza cutter), which gave much better results than scissors.

To make sails you have to do a lot of sewing.  I have no experience sewing.  Doing all this by hand with a needle and thread was not practical, so I bought a cheap little ‘hobby’ sewing machine.  That machine was junk, and broke within the first 20 minutes.  Since I’m hoping to keep this hobby going for a few decades, I decided to go ahead and invest in a real sewing machine.

At my local hobby store, the staff helped me select a good quality machine.  I got it for under $200.  The advantages of a real machine include:

• It won’t jam.
• Variable speeds.
• Selectable stitch length and width (critical for trying to get the stitching remotely close to ‘scale’).
• Many different computer-controlled stitch types, so you can do more than just a simple straight stitch.  This would end up making the reef bands much better.

It took me a few hours to get the hang of using the machine, but my skill level increased quickly.  While I certainly couldn’t sew a shirt or a pair of pants, by the second or third sail I was flying along like a pro.

Since you’ll be sewing, you’ll need thread.  There are three main considerations with the thread.

First is the color.  This is a matter of personal preference.  I’ve seen some models where the stitching on the sails was very high-contrast (dark brown thread on white cloth).  I’ve also seen some where the thread was the same color as the cloth.  I felt like the stitching shouldn’t stand out  too much , and I wanted to rely on the texture of the thread to define the lines rather than the color.  So, I went with a ‘natural’ color thread that ended up being really close to the color of the cloth.

The second consideration is the thread material.  A hobby store will likely have hundreds of different kinds of thread.  There are synthetic materials and natural materials.  I went with a cotton thread.  Why?  No really good reason except that all my rigging lines are cotton and the sail cloth is cotton, so it seemed like a good idea.

The final consideration is quantity.  I have no idea how to predict the amount of thread that will be needed (there may be some ‘trick’ to it that the pros know).  Initially I bought one spool of the thread.  That only made two sails.  When I went back to by more, they were out of that exact thread, so I had to order more online.  That caused a week delay in making sails.  Obviously you wan the thread to be the same on all the sails, so buy a lot of  the same thread up front.  Thread is cheap, and it is better to have some leftover than to run out.

Sewing the Edges

On to sewing.

The first step is to sew the hems on the edges.  I start with the longest edge first, then do the opposite edge, continuing on until all edges are sewn.  The cloth is folded over at the first outline (the line that defines the actual edge of the sail) and pinned into place.  The 1/16″ line that indicates the edge of the hem should be inside the sail.  Since the cloth was cut 1/2″ past that line (on that third outline), there is some extra material here that makes pinning easier.  I’ll cut that off later.

The edges are folded over to create a hem and pinned in place.

The hem is sewn on the edge.

The cloth then goes into the machine and gets stitched up.  I used the machine’s reverse feature to double-stitch the first couple stitches to secure the thread, then just ran a straight stitch down the edge, staying between the edge of the sail and the 1/16″ hem marking.  I used a small stitch length so things weren’t  too out of scale.

My machine lets me set the position of the needle, allowing me to get really close to the edge.

Once the stitch was complete, the extra thread was clipped off.  I used a pair of sharp scissors to carefully cut off the extra cloth along the 1/16″ hem line.

A completed edge hem, about 1/16″ wide.

This was repeated for each edge.

Two edges meet in a corner.

Adding ‘Strips’

To simulate the strips of material, some modelers simply draw lines on the cloth.  I decided to run a stitch for each strip instead.  It is more work, but it goes pretty fast

The ‘strips’ of sail sail cloth are simulated with stitches.  Each sail has a unique strip layout shown on the plans.

The width of the strips is indicated on the plans, as well as the layout of the strips.  It turned out that the width of the strips matched with space between the needle on my sewing machine and the edge of the ‘foot’.  So I didn’t need to mark the strips on the fabric – I just positioned the fabric under the foot and ran the material through the machine.

Reef Bands and Points

The large lower sails (main sail and fore sail) have  reef bands .  These are horizontal bands across the sails.  My sewing machine has a setting that creates a stitch that looks like a ladder (or railroad tracks?).  I adjusted the stitch length and width to get the desired size, then ran this stitch across the sail to create the reef bands.

I ran this right  over the strip lines.  This is easier than doing the reef bands first and trying to start/stop the strip lines at the bands, and you can’t really tell the difference.

Reef bands were sewn in using a different stitch pattern on my machine.

At each point where a strip line crosses the reef band, there is a short rope that goes through the sail.  These ropes were used to secure the sail when it was lowered and bundled up.  I cut a bunch of 1″ long pieces of 0.008″ tan rigging line and punched them through at the appropriate spots.  I used a small bit of fabric glue on each side to keep these ropes flat against the sail instead of sticking out.

Corner Attachment Points

The sails typically have rigging lines attached to the corners of the sails.  This means you need something in each corner to attach a rigging line to.  From my research, it looks like most sails had a rope that ran around the outside edge of the sail, and that rope would form an eye at the sail corners to create the attachment points.

I decided not to add this rope.  I wasn’t confident I could make it look good, and I thought the tan line would stand out too much.

So, I simply sewed brass rings (made from wire) into each corner.  This was done manually with a needle and thread.

Anchor points in the corners were made from brass wire and sewn in.

Finishing Up

Once everything is sewn and I’m happy with the results, there are a few final steps.

I do a final pass to trim anything that looks bad (edges of hems, loose threads, etc.).

After all my disappearing fabric markings have evaporated and disappeared, I iron the sail to flatten it out and remove any remaining wrinkles.

Finally, I use some fabric glue along any exposed fabric edges (like the hems) to keep them from fraying.  I also use a little fabric glue on the ends of stitches to ensure they don’t come loose.

Then the sail is ready to install!

A few completed sails on the ship.

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• About EH? Sails

Star 45 Class

Soling 1m class, canterbury j class, 10 rater class, 36/600 class, columbia 42 class, infinity 54 class, santa barbara class, wheeler class, vintage classes, we offer both sails and building in any class you are interested. there are too many to list them all. please visit the amya site by clicking on this link., click on the images below to enlarge view., ec12 cpm505.

J Class Polymax

Sail Prices All sails are designed and built to meet AMYA class specifications. Depending on class or make of model, sails are equipped with:

• Draft stripes $5
• Jib luff wire (where specified)
• Main luff slugs, tie points or jackwire
• Class insignia
• Sail numbers (main only)
• Country Designation on Main $10
• Jib numbers $10 (2 digits), add $5 per number if want 3 or 4 digit
• Colored corner patches in either Star or Oval shapes (black, white, kevlar, red, green or blue) Other colors available upon request.

Note: Sail numbers, draft stripes and class insignia - Either Insignia fabric or inked on style.

Materials available

• CPM505 - Mylar/scrim laminate
• PX75 Mylar film both sides with reinforcing threads
• 1.4 Mil Mylar
• 2.0 Mil Mylar
• 3.0 Mil Mylar
• 2.5 Polykote - PU Coated Woven Polyester Fabric (Midrange > J-Class)
• 2.1 Polymax - PU Coated Woven Polyester Fabric (Light to Midrange J-Class)
• Icarex - lightweight Polyester colored fabric.
• Other weights and materials available upon request

Sail Prices Note: Prices on the most common boats for which we have made sails. If you have other fabric suggestions you want us to consider, depending on availability, we can supply prices based on fabric cost.

• "A", "B" or "C" Suit of CPM505, PX75, or 2 mil Mylar fabric $180
• Main only 505, PX75, Mylar $120
• Jib only 505, PX75, Mylar $90
• Suit 2.1 Polymax $395
• Suit 2.5 Polykote $485
• Suit ODLO4 black Mylar $530
• Main only 2.1 Polymax $227, 2.5 Polykote $285
• Jib only 2.1 Polymax $145, 2.5 Polykote $190
• Suit Mylar dependent on choice of film discussed $???
• "B" Main for heavier winds 2.5 Polykote $285
• Note: Polymax vs Polykote - Since Polymax is not as firm as Polykote, it will respond and show wind changes along the luff line sooner than Polykote. We recommend Polykote for winds above 8 to 10 knots. Polymax can be used up to 12 to 15 knots if you want to keep that traditional look.
• CPM505 Suit $170
• PX75 "B" suit $175
• 2mil, 3mil or 1.4mil suit $140
• "B" suit PX75 $140
• "C" suit 3mil with reinforced seams $140
• Note: Rule change 6.1 - 2020, no thickness is required. Any woven polyester fabric $120
• Columbia 42 (C42) (A or B suit) Per class rules Suit $120. If only "B" main $65  

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Sails, rigs, boat stands, accessories and fittings, including the new range of DF65 and DF95 complete packages.

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the history of the future

At the age of fifteen David Potter started sailing model boats at the world famous Birkenhead Model Yacht Club.

In 2012 he decided to turn his passionate hobby into a business and launched Potter Solutions.

As a qualified engineer, with a good eye for detail, he produces a range of equipment for the majority of radio controlled model yacht classes.

David has competed in this thrilling sport for over Thirty years at both national and international events and is fully aware of the need for products that can deliver in the field at a competitive price.

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Eyelets - small - 100/pack

Product code: 078

Eyelets - small - 100/pack. Sail eyelets, nickel plated brass, 1.5 mm ID, 2.0 mm OD, 3.5 mm flange OD, 3.3 mm overall length, 3.0 mm under flange, 100/pack.

Clench using eyelet punch, ref. 090 . Look in the tools section.

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Washers - small - 100/pack

Product code: 079

Washers - small- 100/pack, nickel plated brass, 2.2 mm ID, 4.8 mm OD. Use with sail eyelet ref. 078-030 . Use one per eyelet. 100/pack

Eyelets - medium - 100/pack

Product code: 080

Eyelets - medium - 100/pack. Sail eyelets, nickel plated brass, 3.2 mm ID, 3.8 mm OD, 5.5 mm flange OD, 3.3 mm long, 100/pack.

Clench using eyelet punch, ref. 091 . Look under tools.

Washers - medium - 100/pack

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Tamping tool - for medium washers

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Product code: 090

Punch - for small sail eyelets, ref. 078-030.

Use with eyelets, ref. 078-030 , and washers, ref. 079 .

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Making Model Yacht Sails - Larry Robinson's method of building in shape

Product code: BK-38

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Product code: BSET-THIN-IOM

Deck patch material - 0.1 m^2

Product code: DP-MAT-0.1

140 g/metre², black self adhesive Dacron, for cutting your own marks, 315 x 315 mm, 0.1 m2.

Deck patch material - 0.5 m^2

Product code: DP-MAT-0.5

140 g/metre2, self adhesive Dacron, also suitable for sail reinforcement, 1370 x 375 mm, 0.5m2.

OTHER SIZES to suit your cutter are possible - contact the SAILSetc office for prices.

Set of deck patches for SAILSetc boat

Product code: DP-SET-65

Mylar film - 35 micron - 320 mm x 10 metre roll

Product code: FILM-035

Mylar film - 35 micron - 320 mm x 10 metre roll, translucent. 52 grams per square metre. Suitable for sails on 65 Class, Footy and similar. Suggested use: No 1 suit and No 2 headsails. Use 50 micron for No 2 mainsails and lower sails.

Mylar film - 50 micron - 500 mm x 10 metre roll

Product code: FILM-050

Mylar film - 50 micron - 500 mm x 10 metre roll, translucent. 72 grams per square metre. Suitable for No 1 sails on IOM, M, 10R and similar.

Mylar film - 75 micron - 625 mm x 10 metre roll

Product code: FILM-075

Mylar film - 75 micron - 625 mm x 10 metre roll, translucent. 108 grams per square metre. Suitable for No 2 and lower sails on IOM, M, 10R and similar.

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Product code: HB-10

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Product code: HL-25

Discs - 20 mm Ø self adhesive discs x 50

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Discs - 20 mm Ø, sets of 50 self adhesive white Dacron discs.

Sail reinforcement/repair material, for repairs and reinforcement of sails especially over the end of battens, at the luff where eyelets will be added, and at the tack and head of foresails/mainsails over the ends of the luff tape.

Sail reinforcement - self adhesive discs & strips

Product code: S-REIN

Self adhesive discs & strips - sail reinforcement/repair material in a handy sheet. For repairs and reinforcement of sails - and also useful to keep in your tool box for use on hull and rigging.

Deck patch material tape - 25 mm wide. Self adhesive.

Product code: TDP-25

Choose from dark blue, blue, white, yellow, pink, orange, red.

Mylar tape - 50 metre rolls - various widths

Product code: TM

Mylar tape - 50 metre rolls - various widths. Ultra-thin, transparent, self adhesive, 50 micron, for sail edge and seam reinforcement. 50 metre roll.

Use 2 and 4 mm wide for leech tapes of sails for very small, medium and large boats. Use 10 and 12 mm wide for luff tapes for small and medium boats. Use 12 and 20 mm wide for adding reinforcement to panel seams.

Luff tape - 18 mm wide

Product code: TP-18

Luff tape - 18 mm wide. Icarex Polyester headsail luff tape, 18 mm wide. Choice of lengths and colours.

Apply using double sided tape ref. TS-06 .

Luff tape - 18, 30 or 40 mm - white

Product code: TP-WHITE

Luff tape - 18, 30 or 40 mm. Polyester headsail luff tape, 18, 30 or 40 mm wide. White only. For coloured tapes please see ref. TP-20 .

The wider tapes are useful for forming the luff of pocket luff mainsails.

Apply using doubled sided tape ref. TS-06 .

Double sided tape - 6 mm x 100 metre roll

Product code: TS-06

Double sided tape - 6 mm x 100 metre roll. Double sided self adhesive tape for sail seams and luff tapes. Per 100 metre/roll.

This super thin double sided tape is only 50 microns thick including both thicknesses of adhesive. This makes it the best product for use with the thicknesses of sail film that are used on rc yachts. Double sided tapes available from sail maker suppliers and from other sources are typically twice or more times thicker.

Double sided tape - 10 mm x 100 metre roll

Product code: TS-10

Double sided tape - 10 mm x 100 metre roll. Double sided self adhesive tape for sail seams and luff tapes.

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Nylet. Fine Sails & Quality Products ~ 92 Years

Welcome to the 2024 nylet website: everything for the model yachtsman. world-wide mail order service since 1958., welcome to the 2024 nylet website. nylet 92 years . the oldest established international master sailmakers, since 1932. everything for the model yachtsman. creating the very finest sails. tradition - craftsmanship - innovation. established 1932. 92 years since our firm's founding ethos "fine products, quality first". nylet racing sails are used the world over. makers of model sails to the national maritime museum cornwall. sails made by special commission for collectors & museums. every sail suit carefully made to your special order either in synthetic sailcloth, or for the vintage or classic yacht we make fine sails in cotton. large range of yacht fittings, wires, screws, tools etc. our fast world-wide mail order service (since 1958) is open for business. scroll down for more, or go to top toolbar to click on other pages. thank you for visiting our website, we hope you will find our product listings useful. iom sail rig kits, plus other class rig kits. replacement kit sails such as fairwind, seawind, victoria, etc. sails made for 200 different designs (see the "150 sails" list) and which include the classic - vic smeed's starlet and star baby, also wild duck (plan sold by sarik hobbies) and the recent eventide. prompt despatch from stock of large range of mast & deck fittings, aluminium tubing (incl stiffer 7075), wires & cordage, screws, tools, booklets & other quality products for model yachts, see price list (over 500 items). nylet racing sails with our "wind catching" shape - all sails cut specially to order and designed to enable your yacht to respond to varying *wind conditions, sails you can be proud of to compliment your model racing or cruising yacht. the very finest cotton sails manufactured for sailing yachts and display models. sails with wind catching shape and that extra sparkle. cross-reference listings of fittings in section e of our price list with the online "fittings & photos" page. full size sailmakers and contractors to the admiralty 1932-1966. 1772. silk mercers established in high holborn, london - 8 generations - 252 years of working with fine cloths. model & miniature makers spanning 4 centuries and 12 generations, with an example of our early 18th century work held in the british museum, london. slide & click on any of the 7 links below, or click any link on top bar. this is just one of 35 pages on our website., product & price list.

PRICE LIST - your first stop - approx. 500 items (fully searchable pdf file).

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Our Sailmaking Service in detail

Fine 'vintage' style cotton sails.

Creating the Finest Sails for Vintage & pond model yachts, Nylet cotton sails are specially made to order.

IOM rig carry bags & IOM carbon-fibre fin sets, ballast.

Sail rig carry/stowage bags; lead ballast; high quality c.f. fins/rudders.

Nylet 'How To' booklets

A range of 'How to' booklets, the BB3 aspects of fitting out model yachts.

Rig & deck fittings, wires etc.

Prompt despatch on our large range of quality rig & deck fittings (see photos), cordage, wires, stainless steel screws & nuts, brass wood screws, tools, etc.

Vintage yacht restoration

Your vintage model yacht can be carefully restored in our workshop.

Mast & boom tubing

Range of aluminium mast & boom tubing (incl 7075 grade).

Yacht sail winches

Sail winches to suit 36 inch, IOM, Marblehead, 6M, 10R & A-class.

Nylet. Master Sailmakers - Quality First. Established 1932. Click the "contact us" button to email your enquiry and for phone numbers/email/business hours & other/holiday dates.

View more photos of nylet sails, download our order form here., welcome - accueil, bienvenido, velkommen, welkom, tervetuloa, willkommen, benvenuto, velkommen, bem-vindo., nylet ~ master sailmakers ~ "quality first". 2 generations, 108 years of experience. 92 years of model sailmaking (including 35 years full size sailmaking). at nylet we don't just 'make' sails, we create sails, we breathe life into the sailcloth in order that they might be shaped by the wind. using technological advances in materials coupled with innovation, expertise and tradition over 92 years to bring you the very finest model sails. all sails are made specially to your order; please phone us and/or email sail plan, drawing for a quotation. see price list for 'standard' racing sails, iom sails and replacement kit sails (plus three sail pages with full info)., everything for the model racing yachtsman since 1932. world-wide mail order service since 1958. prompt despatch on fittings and stock items. quality mast & deck fittings, sails of all types, screws & nuts etc. accessories, aluminium tubing, iom rig bags and more. fast world-wide mail order service. please click on our price list before enquiring (500 items). over 200 sail designs available. makers of model sails to the national maritime museum cornwall., a warm welcome to our customers and new visitors to our website. if you have logged on recently then please refresh your browser to enable updated pages to be displayed correctly. this website contains approx 35 pages including help/info/tips files. clickable links also on top bar. we are working to bring you nylet products via our long established prompt world-wide mail order service. full details on our dedicated mail order page. we wish all our customers good health and happy sailing., about us; also making your order..

We hope you will find our services and products useful in your model yachting hobby. Our mail order service commenced in 1958 and we have been despatching our products world-wide since then.

Our PRICE LIST gives you instant access to almost 500 items so please refer to this firstly before enquiring. And please note there is no VAT tax (we do not charge VAT). Having firstly visited the list of products to see what we offer, the other dedicated pages on this site are to assist you with further info on sails, aluminium mast/boom tubing, rig & deck fittings (with photos), wires & cordage, screws & bolts etc., sail winches, tools & accessories. To access all other pages and products as well as our "help" pages either click on the individual (sliding) carousel links "read more" or via the top bar. There are some 35 pages on this website (including help files with useful tips). All other pages can be accessed using the drop down menus at the very top of each page.

Nylet are the longest established professional model sailmakers in the world, manufacturing full size sails from 1932 to 1965, and also model yacht sails in cotton from the early 1930's onward. 108 years of experience - 2 generations. We have been exporting our products world-wide since 1958 and offer a comprehensive model sailmaking service including yacht sails made in white Dacron, also racing scrim, and IOM sail rig kits, plus replacement kit sails, also Dacron Heritage sewn sails in 1950's/60's style. For some 35 plus years we have again manufactured finely finished Premium 'vintage' style cotton sails. We offer a large range of rig & deck fittings, wires & cordage, a huge selection of screws, nuts etc, sail numerals, accessories and hardware for modern racing yachts. Also sail winches, and much, much more. For products and prices click on (top bar) "all pages" and select from the drop down list. Please also see customers comments on the various pages. News - Range of sail winches for most yachts, see dedicated winch page; for prices refer to our products & price list in section M (prices start at around £100). Just a note about our sails. As it says on the "sail" pages Nylet sails are finished and are complete with batten stiffeners (where necessary) and all eyelets etc etc. A few customers ask if they are complete - seems some Chinese "kit" sails are not fully finished (I use the word "sails" loosely here!). We are Master Sailmakers and have been for 92 years , so you are purchasing the best. Please read our 3 sail pages for fuller details.

NYLET, a family business (since 1832), has moved with the times over 3 centuries and for many years been run on a mail order basis. We are thus able to focus on orders from home and abroad enabling us to effect a brisk turnaround on stock items. On a personal note, a milestone - in 2024 I celebrate 58 years of model sailmaking (taking over from my late father in 1981) and am pleased to say that I take great pleasure in my work, every sail I make is given equal attention to detail. Our skills represent some 108 years of sailmaking experience when taken together with my late father, who taught me most of what I know. It might actually be 118 years if I reckon his early years working for his father (a keen yachtsman) and making sails for the dinghy he constructed in the mid 1920's (before making sails commercially). Our family firm (originally known as J.Parsons) was established in 1832, 5 generations ago and originally being chandlery supplies and manufacturing canvas goods, sheeting, tilts etc. for narrowboat hauliers as well as farmers, then later in the marquee trade and in turn manufacturing full size sails as well as model sails from the early 1930's. We are proud that in our family business we can say this is some 192 years of manufacturing.

How to order and pay . VISA, MASTERCARD & PayPal accepted, or electronic bank transfer (BACS). Please email or phone with your order. FOR DELIVERY times and making/putting up your order please see relevant info pages.

Les visiteurs de la France s'il vous plait cliquer sur "bienvenue". Los visitantes procedentes de Espana, por favor haga clic en "bienvenue".

Today - Racing sails in scrim and film, Dacron sails & Heritage sewn Dacron sails. Nylet Finest 'Premium' cotton sails, fittings etc. 2016 - Frank Parsons marked his 50th year of model sailmaking. 1966 - Coloured Terylene racing sails. 1932 - Commencement of full size and model sailmaking. 1834 - Founding of the family firm, J.Parsons (canvas goods manufacturers). 1772 - My 4th gt grandfather, Michael, a Silk Mercer in High Holborn, London, working with fine cloths. 1738 - My 5th gt grandfather, Michael Compigné, Goldsmith, London, a specialist miniature maker for private customers, items made in gold & silver. 1620 - My 8th, 7th & 6th gt grandfathers, Clockmakers in Normany, London, and Winchester. From 1620 to 2022, over 400 years of the finest craftsmanship. 400 Plus Years of Tradition

Sails made by Special Commission for Collectors & Museums. Nylet IOM racing sails finely manufactured in racing scrim, white Dacron and satin film. Also replacement kit sails; Classic Varnished Terylene sails, also "Heritage" 1960's style sewn white Dacron sails made exclusively by Nylet. Also Premium 'Vintage' style cotton sails. Any size sails, of any type, made to your drawings or templates. Just a note, sail suits are often wrongly referred to as "sets". In nautical parlance sails are a "suit" whether that be 2, 3 or 4 sails (or more) for a yacht or a working boat, or a ship of the line such as HMS Victory where a dozen or more sails may be involved. All our sails are priced as a suit.

Makers of model sails to the National Maritime Museum Cornwall.

*Note: Wind conditions within sail type & design parameters.

Please note, we are not a "shop" (we have been asked). Phone us to chat, always happy to help.

The Nylet website is often updated weekly; updated April 2024

SOME Testimonials

Thank you for the BB3 booklet - a mine of information.

Thank you for such excellent service again, quality goods sent at lightning speed. A credit to how things should be done.

I had various recommendations of who to get sails from but the other day I saw a yacht with your sails and it just shone out, the shape looked beautiful, so I decided there and then to contact you.

Thanks Frank, sails arrived, what a work of art! They are incredible!

The fittings arrived in record time and I am really grateful to you for such a superb service.

I was pleased to receive my new IOM sails today, they are very good indeed just what I wanted, possibly the best I have ever had, good workmanship.

Many thanks for the superb Seawind sails that arrived this morning. I really appreciate the speed of processing of the order, and the precision of the finished sails.

Sails received with thanks. Great quality and great fit!

The M-class sails arrived and absolutely fantastic, really pleased and more than happy to recommend your workmanship.

The Voyager sails arrived in perfect condition and look beautiful. Thank you very much for the nice work!

Just to let you know that the new IOM sails work very well, thank you. I had 2x1st, 2x2nds,2x3rds, and 1 fourth. So I came first overall after 7 races.

I live on the coast of NSW in Australia. Some time ago I bought Spirit No.2751 (the one featured on your site). I am currently racing the boat here in Australia in several IOM fleets. The elliptical rudder works perfectly and the boat is at full potential now, points higher than the TS2 and the Topiko. Neither are faster off the wind.... Thanks for a great boat, I have never felt another IOM that glides to windward like the Spirit 3. All your efforts are appreciated here.

I just wanted to say a really big thank you for the lovely suit of Dacron Heritage (sewn) sails you have made for my vintage 4 foot model J Class sloop. I have put the sails on the spars and they look superb! They are beautifully made as I expected them to be, but in all fairness it is actually better than I had even hoped for.

Sails have arrived safely and look fantastic. Very many thanks.

Many thanks, order arrived today, superb service as always.

Just a note to thank you for phoning me with the expected delivery of the Dragon sails. They came the same day! I have to say that they look stunning and beautifully made with lovely details.

Safely received! Thanks for the great service.

Hope you are doing well, again, thank you for the (cotton) sails. They turned out beautifully.

I immediately rigged my 36"-class and was happy about the perfect fit of the (cotton) sails. They are wonderful and I am happy. Thank you very much!

Sails arrived this morning, as promised; they are a work of art - the real thing! Whatever else people say about the barge, they will say "who made her sails?"

Sails have arrived safely. But what a superb job, my old girl will be the best dressed yacht at any of our VMYG meetings. Wonderful work of the very highest standard as always from you, I cannot thank you enough.

I've never won anything before with my One metre (IOM) yacht but with your sails newly fitted I won the series of races. An excellent job, marvellous, thank you.

Hi. Sails arrived today, very impressed. Thank you.

I received my sails today....PERFECT...arrives safely. Perfect fit and I look forward to sailing with the new sails!!!!!! THANKS,

Received the sails, many thanks - as usual, quality better than expected!

Hi Frank, The One Metre sails are looking great.

Hi Frank thanks for another great (sail) job.

Thank you for your most attentive service, my best regards.

Dear Frank, the sails arrived safely on time, as promised. Superb quality and workmanship, as ever.

more comments from satisfied customers

Just a quick email to let you know the J class sails arrived in perfect condition and look amazing. I will of course send you some pictures when the boat is finished.

Hi Frank. The sails arrived today - they look great. I very much look forward to getting them rigged and tried out. I've already taken trophies with the sails you made for my 10 rater so hoping for more of the same.

The (Seawind) sails have arrived, the only thing I can say is - WOW. What a difference compared with the standard sails.

Absolutely magnificent (cotton) sails!

Congratulations for your sails! They look perfect and the belly looks fine and regular. Many thanks for the high quality of your work.

Many thanks for the most efficient service.

Sails received with thanks. You are a true craftsman.

Looking forwards to receiving the (Mascotte) sails, your workmanship always gives me pleasure.

Many thanks for the first class service you always give, items arrived this morning so that's my bank holiday weekend sorted!

Sails arrived this morning, superb as usual, thanks again.

Beautiful suit of sails arrived safe this morning, thank you.

Hello Frank, the sails arrived yesterday and are super thanks. I attach a photo of them fitted to my yacht.

Thanks for the BEAUTIFUL (cotton) SAILS which arrived today. What fantastic work. Amazing. Well worth the wait! I've fitted the sails to the spars. Fantastic. My goodness you are a skilled and talented man. I saw the shape you had made before fitting and understood why you did so, but only when rigged did it all make sense. Amazing. And those tiny brass eyelets... I took the yacht to my sister this morning. What a thing of beauty, was the unanimous cry. Forgot to get a picture for you in all the excitement... watch this space. I am so grateful to you, and will be coming back for more!

Thanks for your great service and friendly advice.

Order arrived this morning (next day), all OK, excellent service.

Just arrived, perfect delivery! Thank you Frank, and have a nice Weekend!

Many thanks for the prompt reply (directing me to the price list). Lots of goodies there!

The items arrived in the post today, all Ok. Thank you for the quick and excellent service, its nice to know that small orders like mine are given the same service as larger orders.

Hi Frank, (cotton) sails have arrived, they are perfect, you did a lovely job, will send you a pic when on the boat.

Just received my glorious suit! Magnificent! The tablings..... marvellous!!!... the stitching lines, the overall shape, every detail, all very beautiful indeed! I can't tell you how delighted I am. You must understand, the wind has always held a magical place in my heart and the thin membrane with which we apply our feeble human attempts to have it do our way over an equally mysterious sea..... alchemy indeed. I hold this suit in my hands and it all comes alive again. You sir, are a Wizard of Dacron. Thank you for your brilliant work, I raise a glass to you Sir,

Really thanks again for your great products and service!

The sails arrived safely yesterday and look amazing. I am very pleased with the result and they will make the yacht look smarter than she has ever done.

Hello Frank. Thank you for all your help, the sails, mast and fittings are all first class and Starlet is sailing beautifully.

Amazing. I wish all British businesses ran on your lines!

Hi Frank, sails (Nottingham J) arived safely this morning, very pleased, they are very well made and look beautiful. Merry Christmas.

Thanks Frank, wonderful service.

I have rearranged the information into separate web pages.  The one page was getting too large was slow to load and difficult then to navigate.  Hopefully by dividing the information into separate areas navigation will be easier.

There are many resources which offer all sorts of assistance to the beginner model sail maker.  I have used as many as I could find including the following and would like to share some of my findings.  I'm sure some will find fault with my ideas and I am only too happy to receive feedback.  E-mail me on [email protected]

Lester Gilbert's one metre site

Larry Robinson's book on 'How To' make sails advertised in Radio Yacht Supplies Australia ; Radio Sailing Shop

While not specifically for models this program the ' SailCut CAD ' program allows plotting of panels etc for sails.  Its discussions and examples are very useful.  This is a free download but does require some computer knowledge to set up

An excellent article by Paul Bogataj on " How do sails work " - essential reading!

In all of this literature there appears to be two common themes

1. To achieve a truly efficient sail it must be constructed with separate panels with built in shape or curvature.

2. Some means has to be used to hold the edges of the panels to the correct shape while joining them.

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• Masting, rigging and sails

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Your best sail cloth and technique

By steven sturgis March 11, 2015 in Masting, rigging and sails

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Steven sturgis.

Hi every one. I have been looking for the best sail cloth for my Flying Fish build. I would like to get a lot of suggestions that I can look at. Please include where the cloth can be bought.  Do you change the color with dyes? do you age the cloth some how? How do you add detail to the sails? All sail makers are welcome to post their designs I know a lot of you don't put on sail because it covers the rigging so anyone that does would be a great asset to the topic. Looking forward to seeing your tricks and designs. 

sail techniques     http://modelshipworl...-and-technique/

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Share on other sites.

Click on the Nautical Research Guild Home Page straight up to the top of the page, then, click on Ship Modeling Resources, then, click on Ship Modeling Database of Articles, Then click Rigging and Sails, then click the pdf "Making and forming sails for your model."

I could have pasted the direct link, but thought it better for you to see everything that was available here on MSW.

You can go to a Joanne's or any yard goods store and buy Egyptian cotton, almost silk like.  Coffee and/or tea make good stains, very controllable.

I'm certain there will be other suggestions to follow....

• LFrankCPA and tasmanian

Thank you twintrow. I did look at that but some one needs to go back and up date the links. About 80% don't work any more. I was going for full rigged full sails. Can you do that in paper? 1/8 scale

Im sure this is old hat to the expert modelers but passing on that knowledge is needed by the next generation of builders

• JerseyCity Frankie

I make sails for models in scale 1:75 with seams of the cloths sewing marked with single thread ( courtesy of Admiral ). For models in scale 1:100 I use computer printing of cloths lines and reef bands on thermal transferring paper for ironing on to sails fabric . Sails leech, head and foot ropes are fixed in its place with use of textile adhesive .

Material for sails I prefer is old bed linen many, many times washed .

Work step by step

1.Make paper stencil for each sail and check it’s dimensions on your model.

2.With soft pencil transfer all lines in to fabric – add stripe 5-7 mm around

sail edges.

3.Make all necessary lines on fabric using sewing machine and thin thread with light brown or beige color.

For sails with thermal transferring of line any sewing is not necessary.

Cut of sail shape.

4. Fold the edges stripe to reverse side of sail and apply textile adhesive

5. Put sail on flat surface protected against glue adhesion ( wax paper )

and fix it with pins and nails for forming clews.

Using textile adhesive attach thread around sail and form clews and cringles as necessary.

After adhesive excess removal from sail surface and final ironing your sail is ready.

Foto 1-10 Sail making Step by Step

Foto 11 HMS Speedy   - printed sails

Foto 12 HMS Warrior - printed sails

Foto 13 Patern for printing sails for S/S Savannah

• IgorSky , Landlubber Mike , CaptainSteve and 9 others

I wouldn't use paper.  If you don't want to use cloth, use silkspan from a hobby shop that deals with the RC guys/gals.  It comes in various weights and you'd probably need to acquire small amounts of several sizes to find which one works best for you.

• Elia and Canute

Mark "The shipwright is slow, but the wood is patient." - me Current Build:                                                                                              Past Builds:   La Belle Poule 1765 - French Frigate from ANCRE plans  - ON HOLD            Tri ton Cross-Section    

  NRG Hallf Hull Planking Kit                                                                             HMS Sphinx 1775 - Vanguard Models - 1:64                

Non-Ship Model:                                                                                           On hold, maybe forever:           

CH-53 Sikorsky - 1:48 - Revell - Completed                                                      Licorne - 1755 from Hahn Plans (Scratch) Version 2.0  (Abandoned)           

Good stuff.

I have seen some members using silkspan and modelspan. Any thought on this material. I'm not familiar with  thermal transferring paper. can you elaborate. How do you use  textile adhesive with out making a mess? Is it diluted in any way?

The adhesive is not diluted ,   unwanted stains of adhesive on sails can be easily removed by scraping .

Thanks for outlining the step by step process you use.  In my opinion, the thermal transfer is brilliant.  I have been hesitating to start my sails for quite a while because I don't want to sew the seam lines (I think they would look too bulky) and I don't trust myself to be able to draw them evenly using pencil.  You have certainly given me something to think about!  I imagine transfer will be more durable than pencil - another plus for the technique.

Current build -- MS Bluenose

Future build - MS Flying Fish

"A ship is safe in harbor, but that's not what ships are for." - William G. T. Shedd

Guest Tim I.

Good stuff. I have seen some members using silkspan and modelspan. Any thought on this material. I'm not familiar with thermal transferring paper. can you elaborate. How do you use  textile adhesive with out making a mess? Is it diluted in any way?

Silk span is easy to work with. PVA glue works well and any glue that moves outside what you are trying to glue will dry clear. Also Rubber Cement works well, if applied sparingly. Here are some sails I have done using silk span. Nothing to write home about, but my first attempts at sail making.

I use strips of silk span to simulate seams and sail detail and work them up in layers. You can also add bolt ropes and reef points to add more detail. I did not go into a lot of detail with these, rather kept them simple to work on my technique. Also if you use PVA a good idea is to press the sails between some parchment paper and heavy books while drying to prevent buckling or bubbling of the thin strips of silk span.

I hope this helps.

I like the look of the silkspan and the layering of the cloth details. What weight silkspan do you use?

Not quite sure on the weight. I just bought what my local hobby store has. This Silk Span in my pictures is the "SGM White".

Hope this helps,

A question about silkspan.  Can it achieve the draped and folded look of clewed up sails? Or will it be too stiff?  I want to show my ship in the process of reducing to battle sail.

Laissez le bon temps rouler !  

Current Build:  Le Soleil Royal

Completed Build :  Amerigo Vespucci

Just saw this while looking for a source for Sig Silkspan, source of quote is the Stuntbarn an RC Forum:

"Title: Silk Span Covering

Post by: ericrule on October 22, 2012, 12:10:29 PM I just got off the telephone with Sig Mfg where they informed me that they will no longer have silk span available. At the present time they have only OO (Light) in stock and when that is gone they will no longer be able to obtain it.

According to the person I spoke to the company that supplied the silk span is out of business and they can not find any other supplier. Mike is searching for a new source but it does not look like he is having any luck."

So not sure if real or not....?  But if true silkspan may not be around loong??

Just saw this while looking for a source for Sig Silkspan, source of quote is the Stuntbarn an RC Forum:   "Title: Silk Span Covering Post by: ericrule on October 22, 2012, 12:10:29 PM I just got off the telephone with Sig Mfg where they informed me that they will no longer have silk span available. At the present time they have only OO (Light) in stock and when that is gone they will no longer be able to obtain it. According to the person I spoke to the company that supplied the silk span is out of business and they can not find any other supplier. Mike is searching for a new source but it does not look like he is having any luck."   So not sure if real or not....?  But if true silkspan may not be around loong?? Tom

That is what my local hobby store told me as well. That is why I bought out everything they had, for stock.

Oh noooooooooooooooooooooooooo !!!!! Say it ain't so.

Thank you all this is good stuff. I hope I can still get silk span I would like to try it out.

Landlubber Mike

Is there a difference between silk span and model span?  I have a roll of model span, but haven't tried using it yet.

Current Wooden builds:   Amati/Victory Pegasus   MS Charles W. Morgan    Euromodel La Renommèe   

Plastic builds:     SB2U-1 Vindicator 1/48    Five Star Yaeyama 1/700    Pit Road Asashio and Akashi 1/700 diorama    Walrus 1/48 and Albatross 1/700   Special Hobby Buffalo 1/32    Eduard Sikorsky JRS-1 1/72    IJN Notoro 1/700    Akitsu Maru 1/700

Completed builds :   Caldercraft Brig Badger     Amati Hannah - Ship in Bottle   Pit Road Hatsuzakura 1/700     Hasegawa Shimakaze 1:350

F4B-4 and P-6E 1/72    Accurate Miniatures F3F-1/F3F-2 1/48    Tamiya F4F-4 Wildcat built as FM-1 1/48    Special Hobby Buffalo 1/48

Citroen 2CV 1/24 - Airfix and Tamiya    Entex Morgan 3-wheeler 1/16

Terminated build:   HMS Lyme (based on Corel Unicorn)   

On the shelf:  Euromodel Friedrich Wilhelm zu Pferde; Caldercraft Victory; too many plastic ship, plane and car kits

Future potential scratch builds:  HMS Lyme (from NMM plans); Le Gros Ventre (from Ancre monographs), Dutch ship from Ab  Hoving book, HMS Sussex from McCardle book, Philadelphia gunboat (Smithsonian plans)

I believe its just a different brand butt lets let the experts handle that question.

For what it's worth I got a big roll of model span last year from CornwallModelBoats.

Steven, if you're interested in furled sails, I shared my techniques that I used on my Badger in a separate thread:

http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/3944-landlubber-mikes-technique-for-furled-sails/

• 2 months later...

jablackwell

Those looking for SilkSpan can still find it at the Guillow model airplane homepage. It can be found under the spare parts section. Each model plane has a spare parts assortment, and the wing covering is an option for most. 

U.S. Brig Syren - 1803 - Model Shipways - First PoB Build

Sopwith Camel F.1 - 1916 - Model Airways - Not a Ship! , Completed

Kate Cory - 1856 - Model Shipways - Second Build, completed

Sultana - 1767 - Model Shipways - First shipbuild, completed

There's more on using SilkSpan for sails  in a new booklet by SeaWatchBooks, or as a new chapter in a new edition of Swan IV.

• EricWilliamMarshall

Be sure to sign up for an epic Nelson/Trafalgar project if you would like to see it made into a TV series    http://trafalgar.tv

• 1 month later...

Jolley Roger

For what it's worth I got a big roll of model span last year from CornwallModelBoats.   Steven, if you're interested in furled sails, I shared my techniques that I used on my Badger in a separate thread:   http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/3944-landlubber-mikes-technique-for-furled-sails/

Can you recall under what product name CMB was selling the model span?

I've been unable to find it on their site.

Samuel Pepys notes in his diary on 19 July 1667: "the Dutch fleets being in so many places, that Sir W. Batten at table cried,  By God , says he, I think the Devil shits Dutchmen."

I can't find it on the website either.  I'm fairly certain it was under building materials or something and listed as Modelspan.  I looked at the packaging, and it had the Mantua name/emblem on it, but I don't see it under the Mantua fittings.  Maybe email them and ask?

Thanks Mike, i'll send them a mail.

 I am a passionate advocate of including sails on models so I am pleased you are making the decision to include them on your model.

I had a look at your Victory build log, those sails looks fantastic!

I think I will follow your method when I get to that part on my build.

Richard Griffith

Bluejacket Shipcrafters ran out of silkspan recently but they substituted model span which to me is the same material.  I used it to added furled sails to Le Superbe.  I am a very happy customer of BJ, not an employee.  

• Canute , MrBlueJacket and Landlubber Mike

I'm just using old worn bed sheets for my 1/100 scale HMS Victory. Check out my build log which is really not much at all about building the kit and mostly focussing on how I am making the sails. I bet if you searched through all my comments on MSW you would find 1/2 of all my posts are having to do with sails or rigging. I am a passionate advocate of including sails on models so I am pleased you are making the decision to include them on your model. I don't think the thickness of the material is that big a deal as long as the texture of the weave is fine enough not to draw attention to itself. Many very convincing ship model sails have actually been carved out of wood.  My build log goes into a lot of detail on these points but I will just set them out here again: Don't use pure white sails, this will look too stark and in fact actual sails were cream colored or very light grey.(staining with coffee is super easy and very effective) Don't sew the boltropes on, no matter how fine a thread you use, it will look out of scale. Just glue them on. Do include sail construction details like reef bands and reinforcing patches, these give a good texture and are realistic. Look at all the photos you can find of reproduction ships that resemble your ship and try to duplicate that look.

JCFrankie, thanks so much for your detailed log on your sail techniques.  I went with furled sails on my Badger, but was planning on doing a mixture of furled and unfurled on my Pegasus and future builds.  Your results are fantastic, and I will certainly bookmark your log for when I get to that point!  I experimented with tissue and a few other materials as well, but ended up with cloth as well.  

Once again, a big thank you!

• 3 years later...

Hi I am making sails for a large pond yacht which will of course become very wet ,  if I chose a material that becomes too wet and heavy that will cause problems, 

what is the best material to use

for a large expanse of sail. 

My pond yacht is 5ft long not inc

bow sprit. 

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If you enjoy building ship models that are historically accurate as well as beautiful, then The Nautical Research Guild (NRG) is just right for you.

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Sirius Sails

Starting on 11/1/23, I will be refunding all current orders, in the order they were placed.  I plan on refunding these over the next 3 months.  I apologize for not doing this earlier.  For those who wish to continue with their order, please send an email.  I don't know when these will be processed due to my health, but they will be done in in placement order.

Don 11/1/23

Why Are Sirius Sails Different

Due to the small size of model yacht sails, the design and broad seaming techniques used by full sized yacht sailmakers were previously impossible to duplicate. Sail blocks and sail boards were developed to enable small model yacht panels to be seamed together in such a way that produced a cambered shape. This very practical technique overcame the shaping limitations of single flat paneled sails, which could only be shaped by cutting curved edges (primarily on the luff) on the model yacht's sail. While sail blocks or boards can produce a cambered seam, the shape of the seam, and therefore the shape of the sail produced, is a  circular arc . This shape is less than optimal for high performance racing sails.  No full sized yacht racing sails are designed, seamed, or shaped in this manner .

Sirius Sails, with Distributed Camber™

Sirius Sails, with Distributed Camber™, are the next generation in sailmaking for model yachts. They are the only model sails made that can duplicate the design, the broad seaming techniques, and airfoil shapes used on full sized racing sails. This is accomplished by designing the sails, using custom 3D sail CAD software, and then using proprietary tools to broad seam the panels to produce the design shape. This exactly replicates full sized sailmaker techniques. Precise control of maximum camber, its location, luff entry, leech exit angles, and twist are possible using the proprietary software and seaming tools developed by Sirius Sails.

Since the designed shape is built in, Sirius Sails are much easier to trim and have a much wider appropriate trim range. They respond to wind loading, trimming, and shaping techniques identically to full sized yacht sails. Sail trimming, learned on full sized boats, is directly transferable to Sirius Sails.

Further, Sirius Sails, with Distributed Camber™, are designed to accommodate the influence and interaction of the main and jib. Like full sized sails, Sirius Sails employ strategic camber distribution to achieve elliptical loading and to help maximize the efficiency of the slot effect and improve the performance of both sails. Other differences can be seen on the water. Powerful shapes, flat leeches, high pointing, less heel and impressive boat acceleration are obvious in all conditions.

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For North Sails, building high quality sails has always meant using the best materials. Since inception, we have consistently delivered industry-changing advances and innovations in sailmaking technology, developing materials and processes to fit the needs of a wide range of boats and types of sailing.

3Di MOLDED COMPOSITE SAILS

3Di is a unique, patented sailmaking technology that produces the world’s fastest and most reliable sails. 3Di sails mirror the balanced load bearing and shape holding of a rigid airfoil wing. They are constructed from spread filament tapes, contain no Mylar film, and are 3D molded into a one-piece, flexible composite sail structure.

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3di endurance, 3di downwind, north panel laminate.

North Panel Laminate (NPL) sailcloth is produced using the most advanced laminator in the world. Our machine was designed by North Sails material engineers and is purpose-built for laminating sailcloth. North Sails has been manufacturing exclusive cloth in our Sri Lanka facility since 2010.

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North Sails has a long tradition of making dacron sails since the fiber was first introduced as a sailcloth in the 1950’s. Today we control every aspect of the cloth manufacturing processes – using our experience to ensure the highest quality products for both cruising and racing.

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Sail Making Articles

We have several articles related to sails and sailmaking.

• The first  is a short discussion of theory: The Design of Model Yacht Sails by A.M.Ballantyne .
• We then move on to the most complete set of instructions on how to sew a set of sails from cotton: “Sails” by Walter K. Moss from The Modelmaker , 1940 .
• The next article discusses the one thing that is possible on a freesailing boat and difficult in R/C: spinnaker: The Spinnaker .
• Finally there is a treatise on proportions of sails for the Marblehead class of boats: Sail Plans: Dimensioned and Balanced for the Marblehead Class Racing Yacht .

These articles represent the state of the art of 50 years ago or more. The modern expert on model sails, and a good source if you want to have a suit made, is Rod Carr .

Rod Carr’s Observations

After reading these pages, Rod offered the following observations on the difference between the freesailing designs of the 40s and the R/C sails of today:

Modern panel joint tapers produce a vertical camber distribution that is the opposite of what the 1940 texts say. I do believe that it was likely that the flat headed vintage sails were the result of two requirements: a) As the cloth was asked to carry more load near the head, it would deform more, hence cutting hollow in the luff would remove some of that unwanted camber. b)The camber was defined as unwanted, because camber high in the sail can result in excessive heel, and as the boat heeled in a puff, it seems logical that the vane skipper would opt for the sail to be flatter up there to release the wind and reduce the heel. We all know that balance changes as a function of heel angle, and without a rudder to counteract things in real time like we R/C types, an automatic means of controlling heeling episodes with a flat section in the top of the sail seems sensible.

The concern with heeling is reinforced by the fact that freesailing models, because they had to be able to sail anywhere in a pond, have substantially less draft than modern R/C boats, which can be steered to the deeper parts.

Cotton Sailcloth

We have not found any cotton sailcloth completely suitable for sailing on the water. The instructions contained here are, however, suitable for constructing an accurate set of reproduction sails for display of a vintage or antique boat. The closest material we have located is called “long staple down cambric.” This is a tightly woven cotton material used in down pillows, quilts, and comforters.

If you need a set of display sails made, the best approach is to locate a quilter. Quilting clubs can be found by going to your local fabric supply store such as JoAnne or Hobby Lobby. They generally have bulletin boards giving club contact information.