to pull the cloth, and
especially not along the edges that run across the
threads. You then hem the backs and also the foot
of the jib. The batten sleeves (which should be of
white satin ribbon about 3/8 inch in width) should
now be sewn on by stitching down along the extreme
edge to the line drawn, and then down the other
edge, the ends being left open. A strip of narrow
tape is sewn across the foot of the jib-sail to
take the strain of the pull, the part of the jib
contained by the curve of the foot and the tape
being known as the bonnet of the jib.

To prevent the edges of the sails (other than
those hemmed) being stretched, you bind them with
good tape. The tape is first folded and creased
by rubbing over an edge. The end of the tape is
then turned in. Take a corner of the sail and
place it inside the fold of the tape, care being
taken to get the raw edge right up against the
crease. The needle of the machine should then be
lowered through it as near to the edge of the tape
as practicable, taking care that it goes through
both edges. Keeping a slight pull on the binding,
arrange the cloth in it without pulling the edge.
Put the foot of the machine down and sew it,
afterward raising the foot again and proceeding as
before right around the raw edges of the sail,
leaving the needle down each time the foot is
raised. Do not sew where a batten sleeve passes
under the binding, as you will require the former
left open to allow the batten to pass into the
fold of the binding. The rings for putting up the
luffs of the jib- and main-sail are made by
winding a piece of thin brass or German silver
wire around a steel rod (the spokes used in the
keel being suitable for the latter) and sawing
down to divide them. A small eyelet should be put
in each corner of the sails, and others spaced
evenly at about 2-1/2 inches apart along the boom
and about 5 inches apart along the mast, for
lacing on. An extra row of stitching may be run
down the outer edge of the binding to smooth it
down.

The simpler the f