Just in case anyone was interested, I am making a 5.6m 4 Battened wave sail.

Started with some cloth then, made the sections, sewed them up, shaped the seams and put it together, just putting the re-enforcement on and crash stripes.

Not selling them but anyone wants to come and build one for themselves and pay for the cloth etc then get in touch, only thing I cant really make is the mast sleeve as cant buy that cloth. Am going to make my daughter one next.

Cool stuff dude, good luck with it and show us some rigged completed pics when it's done. Why can't you get the luff sleeve cloth, it can't be that rare?

Well done!! I remember back in the late 80's and early 90's there were quite a few guys making their own sails, this seism to not be the case any longer. I assume it is more difficult to get quality materials now days???

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aus301 said...
I assume it is more difficult to get quality materials now days???

or maybe it's actually easier to make a quality board than a quality sail. Hats off to Mattstocks!

how much did the materials cost you and where do you source them from?

Got bits and pieces from various jobs in the past.

I am a sailmaker by trade but rarely did anything with windsurfing sails, was all yacht stuff.

The mast sleeve cloth is quite expensive and you have to use it on the bias, at 45 degrees to the way it runs so you get a lot of wastage when you only make one at a time, when the big lofts do it they make loads at one time and is more efficient, that and theres actually as much work making a luff tube as the rest of the sail.

Have stolen a tack ring from an old sail too. Made it flatter than I originally wanted but am going to put slightly more rotation in it with luff curve and projecting the battens.

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mattstocks said...


only thing I cant really make is the mast sleeve as cant buy that cloth.

I can send you some sleeve cloth - anything else you need?
Gotta post it today though, as we're off chasing wind & waves tomorrow.

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Ben Severne said...

mattstocks said...


only thing I cant really make is the mast sleeve as cant buy that cloth.

I can send you some sleeve cloth - anything else you need?
Gotta post it today though, as we're off chasing wind & waves tomorrow.

Can you send me some sleeve cloth too... oh and about 5.5m2 of x-ply, 5 batterns, a downhaul pulley, a fair bit of stitching, a sh!t load of sail making knowledge. then roll it all up and pop it into a sail bag.

cheers

Thanks Ben,

I am Ok, got an old Ka that I will un-pick etc.

Nothing wrong with your sails, have got a few just wanted to make something, haven't made myself a sail since I worked at Gaastra in Holland in the late 80's.

Now I just make shade sails which dont have any shape what so ever.

I put some vertical negative shape in the leech seams, not sure yet if it will work.

Have got some good ideas though on some race stuff if you are interested.....

Hey Dunk,

If you want to make one for yourself then pop around some time, just south of Toowoon.......

Just done clew patch and put re-enforcement up leech and some bits on batten ends.










not sure about clew patch, looks a bit agricultural but am sticking with it, will be covered but a cover patch anyway, just trying to keep weight down...

Have put a single 3.8oz Dacron panel up the luff to give it some bounce in the mid section rather than a PVC window...

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mattstocks said...

Hey Dunk,

If you want to make one for yourself then pop around some time, just south of Toowoon.......

cheers for the invite, i'll send the missus she does all the sewing

i do believe in DIY as it develops skills, gives knowledge of how things work and gives you an appreciation of what is really involved.

I'd be interested, however am a bit far away. I've been toying with the idea of making a sail (every man and his dog seems to make a board).
I don't suppose you could post a more detailed description, especially about the seam shaping and matching the luff curve to the mast bend of an existing mast and any other info that might help.
thanks

Lungs,

I am currently writing up how one is made and will post soon.

It depends on what type of sail and how technical you really want to go, best is to start with an all mono film sail and then do another a bit more complicated once you have the idea of things.

Might not be able to work on mine for a few days as have a lot on....

here is a timelapse of a sail build - with some pub and windsurf action thrown in too

Great to see !
Inspired me to keep going with my project.
Hope to see some pics on the water.

Wow... Ben must be very busy if he makes all those Severne sails himself! I wonder how he finds time to go sailing.

they are all hand made by Ben - thats why they feel a little bit magic. And the local coffee shop does very well.

Very good footage.

Not quite that easy for us mere mortals who have to draw it out on the garage floor, cut it all out without the use of a plotter to draw out every panel.

I had to shape every seam, guess the shape too, use bits and pieces of cloth etc.

And to make life a bit harder haven't used my scissors in a year or two and they are as blunt as.......

Have also just run out of white tape for the backs of the batten pockets so am using black now....Still looking OK and am quite happy with the shape so far....

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lungs said...

I'd be interested, however am a bit far away. I've been toying with the idea of making a sail (every man and his dog seems to make a board).

The good thing about making boards is you can just sneak down to the water if it's Fugly, once on the water nobody really sees it (unless you keep randomly slipping off the Extra-skid). Also because they are practically inanimate, you can get the right wrong shape, right from the start.

You can't hide your sail in the same way. They are always on show. Sails are also a living, breathing piece of kit, so there has gotta be a greater chance of missing the mark..

Props Matt, very admirable.

i thought they used a laser cutter or something like it to cut out the pieces instead of using scissors and a little asian lady to sew them together

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choco said...

i thought they used a laser cutter or something like it to cut out the pieces instead of using scissors and a little asian lady to sew them together

I will guess over the years Ben (like us all) has been called all manner of things, but I think it unlikely he has ever been called a "little asian lady"

I have visited the North Factory in Sri Lanka, its massive, they have a water fall system where a lady on top sews one seam, and a bloke in between each level checks it, cuts any threads and rolls it for the next sewer.

Think they employ something like 3000 people.

They have batten factory and foam shaping for mast pads etc.

Lot of people dont realise a lot of other brands come out of that place too.

Their sail bags for yachts are unreal too, I asked one bloke how long it takes someone to make one, he said sometimes all day but they aren't paid the same so it doesn't matter how long they take really.

Lots of sail lofts including severne have cloth made just for them too which is great, their S1 is super light and still fairly strong all due to exotic materials.

I can only get what the whole sales people sell which although is still good for sailmaking isn't the best.

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mattstocks said...

Lungs,

I am currently writing up how one is made and will post soon.

It depends on what type of sail and how technical you really want to go, best is to start with an all mono film sail and then do another a bit more complicated once you have the idea of things.

Might not be able to work on mine for a few days as have a lot on....

Sounds good, I'll keep an eye out for it, and put me on your mailing list for Sailmaking for dummies.

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barn said...

lungs said...

I'd be interested, however am a bit far away. I've been toying with the idea of making a sail (every man and his dog seems to make a board).

The good thing about making boards is you can just sneak down to the water if it's Fugly, once on the water nobody really sees it (unless you keep randomly slipping off the Extra-skid). Also because they are practically inanimate, you can get the right wrong shape, right from the start.

You can't hide your sail in the same way. They are always on show. Sails are also a living, breathing piece of kit, so there has gotta be a greater chance of missing the mark..

Props Matt, very admirable.

An Ezzy or NP sticker strategically placed would easily hide a DIY dog.

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lungs said...



An Ezzy or NP sticker strategically placed would easily hide a DIY dog.

"Ohhh see that guys sail? Looks like Ezzy has released a new line, geez, whadda ya reckon Bruce?"

"Looks like some drunkard stitched it in his shed, Bruce"


"That's the Ezzy Ideology. Been that way since '92 Bruce"

"Yarp, they sure get points for persistance, don't they Bruce"

Hey Mattstock, sail looks good, good feeling making a sail from scratch.

Not sure if you knew this already but you can use dacron for the luff sleave, they use it on the rsx sails, not the most durable but lite..

Not putting any other lofts stickers on it.

Actually, if anyone has a logo idea then I will put this on.....

I was thinking of a red kangeroo.......

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mattstocks said...

Not putting any other lofts stickers on it.

Actually, if anyone has a logo idea then I will put this on.....

I was thinking of a red kangeroo.......

red kangaroo should be ok, the company using that logo probably won't be needing it in the future if things keep going as they are. you might pick up the rights to it real cheap.

forgot about them using that logo....

Any other ideas....?????????????????

I have got lots of little off cuts so if anyone wants to practice making a sail then I can put some double sided tape and some bits and pieces of cloth in an envelope and send it to you withsome instructions and you can even put shape in it etc.

Anyway got to my profile and email me your address and I will send the bits out to you.

Hope to see lots of little sails about 0.0025m2 soon.....