Showing posts with label Sails. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sails. Show all posts
Monday, March 25, 2013
Friday, March 22, 2013
Sunday, April 22, 2012
easychair
A fun little job that puts several skills to work.
little light carpentry
start with some sailmaking
little light carpentry
et voir là!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Natural Fiber
n. derived from plants or animals.
I am just graced with the awareness that 2009 is the International Year of Natural Fibers! To me this is pretty exciting. I have become a pretty strong advocate to the use of clean, well grown, natural fibers, over their polluting, carbon dioxide expelling opposites.
I imagine that probably all of you who are reading this have at least some plastic in your wardrobe. Most shoes contain a form of plastic. Materials like Polyester, Polypropylene, Nylon, Gore-Tex, etc., are are synthetics found in every-day clothing. Do you use paper towels, wet napkins, feminine hygiene products, diapers, or anything else disposable? Check closely, these items may be plastic or part plastic, and are probably at least packaged in plastic.
What is our obsession with plastic!?
There are many ways we can help nurture the environment, as well as our own lives and health; switch to natural fibers as much as possible. If you want to help, check the labels the next time you are to buy a new shirt, pants, socks, underwear, and shoes. Use wool garments instead of fleece to keep you dry when wet, hemp, flax, or cotton canvas for heavy working pants, cotton undershirts, and silk for that new bra or sexy chemise. Get dirty. Check the items you by everyday and replace those paper towels and Swiffer products with rags. Think about what is disposable, where it is going, and what impact it has on the environment. What plants are being used, how are they farmed, and is it sustainable?
So many boats out there are plastic on plastic. Plastic sails in the form of Dacron, Polyester, and Polypropelene, and many others, plastic running rigging and other small stuff like sail ties that just blow away into the sea. Why not use natural rope and sails again? On the East Indiaman Gothenburg we have been reproving that flax and hemp is an excellent material for sail making ever since 2005. Our rigging is made of hemp rope, super durable, and extremely UV resistant. We use linseed oil on our wood for preservation.
It seems as if some synthetics last longer than natural fibers. If you are unwilling to swap out to natural for everything, try just the small things. That small stuff, the stops used to furl your sails, the ones that often blow overboard and get lost to davy jones, go natural. Sail covers are just to protect your sail from the UV damage, why not a sexy hand stitched hemp, flax, or cotton cover? What about your colors? Most likely Nylon, go cotton. Like all natural fibers, dry and store them properly and it's no problem.
I appreciate every little thing you may do when going to natural fibers. Thank you.
I am just graced with the awareness that 2009 is the International Year of Natural Fibers! To me this is pretty exciting. I have become a pretty strong advocate to the use of clean, well grown, natural fibers, over their polluting, carbon dioxide expelling opposites.
I imagine that probably all of you who are reading this have at least some plastic in your wardrobe. Most shoes contain a form of plastic. Materials like Polyester, Polypropylene, Nylon, Gore-Tex, etc., are are synthetics found in every-day clothing. Do you use paper towels, wet napkins, feminine hygiene products, diapers, or anything else disposable? Check closely, these items may be plastic or part plastic, and are probably at least packaged in plastic.
What is our obsession with plastic!?
There are many ways we can help nurture the environment, as well as our own lives and health; switch to natural fibers as much as possible. If you want to help, check the labels the next time you are to buy a new shirt, pants, socks, underwear, and shoes. Use wool garments instead of fleece to keep you dry when wet, hemp, flax, or cotton canvas for heavy working pants, cotton undershirts, and silk for that new bra or sexy chemise. Get dirty. Check the items you by everyday and replace those paper towels and Swiffer products with rags. Think about what is disposable, where it is going, and what impact it has on the environment. What plants are being used, how are they farmed, and is it sustainable?
So many boats out there are plastic on plastic. Plastic sails in the form of Dacron, Polyester, and Polypropelene, and many others, plastic running rigging and other small stuff like sail ties that just blow away into the sea. Why not use natural rope and sails again? On the East Indiaman Gothenburg we have been reproving that flax and hemp is an excellent material for sail making ever since 2005. Our rigging is made of hemp rope, super durable, and extremely UV resistant. We use linseed oil on our wood for preservation.
It seems as if some synthetics last longer than natural fibers. If you are unwilling to swap out to natural for everything, try just the small things. That small stuff, the stops used to furl your sails, the ones that often blow overboard and get lost to davy jones, go natural. Sail covers are just to protect your sail from the UV damage, why not a sexy hand stitched hemp, flax, or cotton cover? What about your colors? Most likely Nylon, go cotton. Like all natural fibers, dry and store them properly and it's no problem.
I appreciate every little thing you may do when going to natural fibers. Thank you.
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