Written by Ansleigh Coplin
About a week after our initial visit, a sunny September morning found Bosun school returning to the Michele Stevens sail loft to see the finished sails. The panels that were previously in pieces, mapped out and marked up with pencil now formed a full gaff rigged main sail and jib. By pulling the corners of the sail taut with marlinespikes in the corner grommets, Michele showed us the shape of the sail- some sections sewn taut, and others crafted with intentional belly for best trim. The loft was busy and alive with the last of the season’s rush, and sails, dodgers, and sail covers lie around in various stages of completion. The sewing machine’s whirring, Dacron sails crinkling and Michele’s busy footsteps filled the loft, and gave us a glimpse into the busy life of a sailmaker. But signaled by the changing colors of the trees dotting Second Peninsula, the Michele Stevens sail loft expects to soon be becalmed for the winter. Maybe some of these upcoming chilly October days will find Bosun school working on our own sails, trying our best to emulate all that we learned from Michele and her team. Captain Moreland told us that his sailmaking techniques parallel hers.
