a sail maker
There’s one thing for certain in life, if you need to propel yourself by the power of the wind, then you’re going to need some sort of sail to do it. Thats where Jossie comes in. One of Cornwalls leading sail makers.
Our career paths and ideas as to what we wish to do in life often go to plan but Jossie’s future life plans are so far removed as to where we find him today. By his own admission, Jossie never struggled on the academic front and in his early days Geology was something he wished to presue. That didnt go to plan though. He finished his degree a year , clever man, and was offered to do a masters over in New Zealand. A matter a weeks later he was there, he gave it a go but when he found out it was many further years studying, it just wasn’t for him so he quit and left New Zealand.
Like most of us who live here in Cornwall and are surrounded by the sea, water is the draw that does it for us. In Jossie’s case that connection with the sea was windsurfing. Jossie told me “I was part of a local gang who got into windsurfing when it first started in the late 70s” One of those mates he windsurfed with rocked up one day with a wave riding board under his arm from Hawaii. “We all had a go with his kit and we had copy’s of his board made by local surfboard manufacturers within a month or two”
So, the boards Jossie was using were great but sails were the issue. Only available in Hawaii and super expensive. Then the light bulb moment came. One of his mates acquired a sewing machine and some sailcloth and a tried to make a sail. His attempt was crap so Jossie gave it a go himself and so he entered in the world of sail making. If you cant afford it, have a go and try and make it yourself. And that what he did and still does today.
His remit remains the same today but perhaps with a slightly different approach to the making of sails. These days Jossie makes and repairs all manner of sails just yards away from the beach himself and his mates windsurfed out of all those decades ago.
I had a great time at Jossie’s workshop documenting what he does best and chatting about all sorts or current issues and the past with a laugh along the way. Whislt we were gassing away I notice a collection of Jossie’s tools. I have to say they looked more at home in a horror movie, ouch! Cheers Jossie
