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Amos kept track of his business with these brown 3.5" by 6" spiral notebooks. I have several from the 1930's and 40's telling a great deal about the variety of work he was doing. They document everything from lists of inventory, lists of tools, and customers owing him money. He also used these notebooks for estimating costs and measuring details for his projects. In 1939 he charged two dollars an hour for labor. |
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His sailplans from this period are very simple, noting only the perimeter dimensions. Sometimes the sailcloth used, battens, reefs, and prices are noted. The edge and seam shaping are not recorded, and I assume much of this design was rule of thumb. Here is a jib for the Schooner "LILLIAN". |
| Figurings for his awnings and other canvas work can be found throughout the notebooks. |
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| All of the sails that A.P. Lord made through the 1940's were made from cotton. There was a variety of sailcloth to choose from depending on the size of the project and the budget of the owner. The best fabric was made from the long staple Egyptian cotton. It was the high-tec performance sailcloth until the advent of synthetics in the 1950's. | While Wamsutta Mills wove some of the highest quality sailcloth, other fabric was available for less expensive sails. Amos makes notes on some of his sail plans refering to "boat drill", a cheap domestic cotton sailcloth for utility applications. While cotton sailcloth is no longer available, sailmakers today still choose from a variety of synthetic fabrics. |
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Amos made sails for Capt. Swifts "CLINTON". This staysail was likely made from number 4 cotton duck 24" wide. Canvas like this is still available, and is still quite inexpensive. It's woven in India and Pakistan however, and not the quality of the canvas 60 years ago. |
| Amos also kept close track of his personal expenses each day. It's interesting to see what some simple foods cost in 1946. I had been told that Amos enjoyed smoking a cigar, and his records prove it! |
© 2005 Grant Gambell