A little job:

Out recently I looked aloft and spotted a wee problem developing to a batten pocket on Whimbrel’s mainsail. I’d gazed upwards to check the sail’s set –  a little after putting a reef in the main on the day we sailed across the Thames to watch some of the Medway Barge Match. I was sure it hadn’t happened then, and during a couple more squalls nothing more untoward was seen to be happening so we let it be, but no matter it clearly needed attention…

Later that day we goose winged across the last of the Thames ebb, down off Shoebury, and edged over from the Richard Montgomery to Southend Pier then up the Ray to a spot along the sands clear of a group of basking seals. Once anchored out came the needle, twine and palm.

The inner end of the batten pocket had clearly caught on something and he stitching had broken out, fortunately the cloth wasn’t damaged … just a case of following the machine stitching holes. Within a few minutes the job was done – ready for tea!

A stitch in time…

This is one of the skills I was taught by my mother when a mere child: it soon became my job to help and finally make repairs to May Flower’s heavy flax sails – see, The May Flower A Barging Childhood…