The sponsoon sleeves, part one

I decided to use the new method of making sponsoon sleeves that Tom has developed for his new double. With this method the sleeves are for 1/3 made out of PVC, and for 2/3 out of ripstop nylon.
The method is lighter and might result in less wrinkles. Tom is ethousiastic about it, but his wife Rita does the sewing. As I am quite handy with the sewing machine I decided to give it a try.

Today I started out making the banana-shaped PVC parts for the sleeves. Here I use a different PVC, a quite supple grey version of about 500 gr/m2. Main advantage above the black stuff is that it is easy to mark. For sewing I need proper and clear lines to make the sleeves exactly the right dimensions.

The marked skin is put on table with the grey stuff on top of it. I tape both skin and grey PVC to the table to prevent any movement.
Then I carelfully roll back the grey PVC and put small marks at the locations of the tape markings on the skin. This way I copy both gunwhale and chine lines onto the grey PVC.

I add markings for the cutting and sewing lines.
Again the kids help, this time to connect the small marks with long black lines. Both want to help, and that usually results in conflicts or disaster. So I let them help in turns, and let the other one take photographs. Lots of them...


After cutting the banana looks like this:

A really nice fit.
Luckily the banashape proves to fit both left and right on the skin (or should I say port and star?). So I can use the first one as a template for the second one.
Some more drawing and cutting yield two nice antisymmetric sleeve bananas:


Ready for sewing. But first I have to make the nylon parts.