How to become a sailmaker

The business of sailmaking has changed. Enter one of the big brand sail lofts and you’d once be among the leading edge of people, production, and ideas. But then production moved offshore and paid crew increased… the rock stars aren’t all sailmakers anymore.

But even with this change, there is no better place to improve sailing skills than working at a sail loft. Aside from the typical employee benefits of health care and retirement savings, working with sails and sailors keeps the mind ticking and opportunities flowing.

In this report by Quantum Sails, Global Director of Customer Care Charles Saville provides an update on the job roles and the approach for employment:

Charles Saville explains that no matter the sailmaking position you aspire to, it is helpful to begin by gaining experience in sail repair and service, as it will give you a solid foundation to build on. Look for a position as a service technician or apprentice at a loft to get a sense for the lay of the land in a sailmaking facility.

While it could take up to a year for this initial training, traditional sailmaking continues to evolve with service technicians rapidly expanding their skillset to include outdoor, client facing engagement and selling.

From traditional sails to cruising, racing, and mega-yacht sails, sails are vast and varied, and it takes time and dedication for an aspiring sailmaker to learn all the intricacies and skills required. Anyone new to the profession should be prepared to spend time familiarizing themselves with the products both on and off the water.

If this sounds like a large investment of time and energy, that’s because it is. “Be aware that you’re not going to walk into a loft and become a sailmaker right out of the gate,” says Saville. “While you can pick up the basic concepts and skills within a few months, it takes years to master the profession, but if you stick with it, you’ll be rewarded with a fulfilling lifelong career.”

Apprentices and service technicians will be exposed to many facets of sailmaking, from repairing existing sails to building new sails. As opposed to working in sail production facilities, service facilities offer the best opportunity for beginning sailmakers to work on the greatest variety of sails and build their foundational understanding of sailmaking more quickly.

Following this experience, service technicians and apprentices are well-equipped to select their area of interest and pursue training in specialized areas.

Sailmaking encompasses far more than crawling around on your hands and knees with scissors, cutting and sewing sails together. There are a variety of career paths within sailmaking that build off the skills learned during apprenticeship. Here are a few examples: click here.