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! 💡 SUPPORT THE CHANNEL If you’d like to support the work I do and help keep these craft traditions alive, you can: 👉 Give this video a thumbs up 👍 👉 Subscribe to the channel & turn on notifications 🔔 👉 Join me over on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/nomadboatbuilding 👉 Or send a Super Thanks under the video! 🧵 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 My website: https://www.nomadboatbuilding.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nomadboatbuilding/