Once upon a time, sails were made of canvas. We still talk about boat canvas, in much the same way that we describe music MP3s as "records" and digital mobile phones as "cell phones." But the word is a relic. Right after World War II, sailmakers started to adopt synthetics such as nylon and polyester. And they've never looked back. These days, even historic tall ships, with their billowing white "canvas" sails, are not what they seem. "We do a spun polyester for vintage-type ships," says Hal Bates, marketing manager at Glen Raven Technical Fabrics, Glen Raven, N.C. "They don't put the cotton sails on them anymore, because cotton doesn't dry when you roll it up, and it stretches. It is something that looks like cotton, instead."
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