Visiting the Last Traditional Sailmaker in Copenhagen — A Dying Art Lives On

Howdy folks — Mark here from Nomad Boatbuilding!
In today’s video, I’m in Copenhagen, Denmark, spending the day inside the last and only traditional sailmaking workshop still operating in the city — A. Hansen Sailmakers, founded back in 1934.

Join me as I meet Frida, one of Denmark’s few remaining traditional sailmakers, who graciously lets me step behind the sewing machine to help craft a new square-rigged sail for a tall ship. Together we talk about:

The 91-year history of this tiny yet legendary workshop

The craft of hand-sewn sails and the tools that make it possible

Working with Duradon sailcloth, traditional ropes, and vintage machines

The challenges of handling massive sails in a workshop the size of a small kitchen

Preserving maritime craftsmanship in the modern age

This visit is a rare glimpse into a vanishing world of handmade sails, ropework, and Danish maritime heritage — all kept alive by passion, skill, and tradition.

If you love traditional boatbuilding, wooden boats, or old-world crafts, you’ll love this one.

⚓️ Watch till the end to see how I (sort of) manage to sew a straight line on Freda’s machine without making a mess of her sail!

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🧵 CHAPTERS

0:00 Introduction — Visiting Copenhagen’s last sailmaker
1:10 Inside the Selma Hensen sail loft
3:45 Sewing a 6x12m square sail
7:00 Talking tools, canvas, and stitching
12:40 Ropework and the “crown cringle”
18:00 Traditional materials — flax, synthetic rope, and beeswax
24:30 Trying my hand at sail sewing
30:00 Reflections on preserving maritime craft

⚓️ HASHTAGS

#Boatbuilding #Sailmaking #TraditionalCraftsmanship #MaritimeHeritage #Copenhagen #Denmark #WoodenBoats #Sailing #Craftsmanship #NomadBoatbuilding #Handmade #Sailmaker #TallShip #TraditionalSkills #SailingCulture

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