Kerry County Council approached McWilliam Sailmakers in Crosshaven to build and design new windmill sails for the Blennerville Windmill on Tralee Bay.

Restoration works on the windmill have already seen new wing frames built by Cedarlan Ltd, which has its own sailing connections through director Martin Lane who sails out of Schull with his Oceanis 331, Chatterbox. 

The new windmill sails are 16 square metres each, made from Tanbark Dacron cloth and specially designed to fit the new wings.

A closer view of one of the Tanbark Dacron cloth sail — note the twist towards the inside of the wing

Each sail is designed to be hoisted and dropped independently from the deck without going aloft, which is safer and quicker to do.

This commission has been a very specific project in how the sails will be used.

They are left on the wings resting against the whip (mast) of the wing, rolled up. And when they are out fully working, you need to use each opposite side to balance the windmill when opening and closing.

The windmill with reefed sails, with Barry Hayes of McWilliam Sailmakers beneath

You can also reef each sail for specific wind conditions, taking one, two or three reefs in each sail or just having two sails out if get to 15 knots. Again you can reef these last two sails down as well depending on the wind you want the windmill working in. 

The windmill has a brake which allows you to stop each wing at deck level when you want to work on each sail.

All in all, it's been a highly interesting technical project for the Cork Harbour sailmakers, learning something very different in how working sails are used on a windmill.