It’s no surprise to learn that
86-year-old Mike Putt has many stories to tell. After all, he’s been
a sailmaker most of his life and
a lengthy list of customers has included: the Emir of Dubai, Warner Bros. Pictures, HMS Belfast, the Cutty Sark, the NHS, Post Office and even funeral directors. Pointing at what looks like a massive
canvas bag on a table of the Sailmakers workshop in Dagenham, he says: “We repair body bags for funeral directors, they’re used to move someone after they've passed away. We work on all sorts of things here. People find it hard to believe.
“We do straps, used by the NHS to

hoist patients and bags for the Post Office. But our most well-known work has been for the likes of the Cutty Sark and HMS Belfast.”
The Sailmakers team are currently working on covers for rangefinders on the Belfast. And they’ve recently

fitted covers for sections of the legendary tea clipper in dry dock at Greenwich.
"For as long as I can remember I wanted to work on boats and I’ve