Main Sail Ties

Making your own Sail Ties is a good first sewing project.  It will not save you a ton of money but it will get your feet wet and it is quite rewarding to build your own equipment.  It builds confidence and pride in your sailing vessel.

Here is the basic plan.  You'll need a small parachute snap and a short length of nylon webbing, both of which can be purchased at a fabric store like Joann Fabrics & Crafts.  I also recommend using polyester sail thread available from SailRite.

Loop one end of the webbing around the snap half with the single opening.  Then simply secure it in place with a box and criss cross stich.

Loop the other end of the webbing through the snap half with the douple openings, following the proper directions as indicated on the package.  This is the adjustable end of the snap.  Now simply fold over about 1/4 inch of the webbing and sew it down with a straight stitch.  Remember not to sew this to the webbing behind it as this is the adjustable end of the Sail Tie and needs to be adjusted to fit snuggly.

To keep the stitching from coming undune start about 1/2 inch from where you actuall want to start the stitch and then back up to it using the reverse on your sewing machine.  The release the reverse switch and continue in the intended direction.  To finish a stitch, sew up to your finish mark then engage the reverse switch and sew backwards about a 1/2 inch.

Snip off all the loose ends and you've got yourself a neat little Sail Tie that you made yourselt!

Be proud of your work and try to keep you seams neat and straight.  Loose ends tend to get caught up in the stitching so try to keep them out of the way as you work.  It things get too bugger up just pull out your handy seam ripper, tear out the mess and start over again.

Two to three Sail Ties should do the trick.  I used different color for each Sail Tie for each length as length depends on the amount of sail that it will be holding in place.  Red, White, and Blue are easy to remember.  Red closes to the mast and work your way back. 

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