The weaver

The weaver

The weaver is putting the finishing touches to a square sail for a boat. It is just as costly as the boat itself. The process from sheep to mast is long and laborious.

First the sheep must be shorn, the wool sorted and spun, before the sail can be woven and stitched together. A woollen sail must also be treated with an extract of oak bark. The bark is boiled in water, which turns a deep brown from the tannins. The dark brown water is then spread over the sail, which must afterwards be left to dry.