Saturday, May 26, 2012

What do they do?




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Tom and Suzy Davies came up for a few days so we showed them around Port Townsend. With more than fifty turn of the century homes, this little town is a showcase of old world craftsmanship. Many of these large well kept homes were built for wealthy sea captains and merchants.
Everything here embraces what the town was originally; one of the most important sea ports on the west coast. The ghosts of old sailors from wooden ships with square sails anchored out from the beach are at home here, they are familiar with the old homes, buildings and seafaring work still being done in some of those old buildings.
We visited the sail loft where people were busy making sails for various vessels. How many sail makers do you know? Shoes were not allowed here, the wood floors are as smooth as glass, so as to not snag the fabric. We watched intently as they hand stitched ropes, gussets and all sorts of things I could not begin to describe. Everyone was so nice and patient with us as they explained the art of sail making; sails are not just flat, they have surfaces like wings on an airplane.

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