We are in the Business of People Pleasing

We are a close-knit bunch of people working on Custom House Wharf. We are proud to make high quality tote bags and home accessories from recycled sails.

We strive for superior customer service in every step of the manufacturing process. We carefully and efficiently cut the sail for its highest and best use. We prepare the sail panels to reflect the original character of the sail and strategically stitch reinforcement points for product longevity. We hand splice each rope handle and quality check each Maine made product before we ship.

It is important for you to love your bag. And it is equally important that if you are giving Sea Bags as a gift, the recipient knows that you - as the gift giver - made a thoughtful choice.

Each Sea Bag is as unique as the person carrying it. Here are photos of some of the fun customers I have had the pleasure to encounter:

These friends from Germany showed off their international shopping prowess.

Michael from North Carolina proved that dudes do Sea Bags.

>

Paul was pleased to receive his wallet as a holiday gift from Sea Bags.

Jennifer introduced her friend Deborah to Sea Bags.

These gals bought bracelets to commemorate their friendship and their summer biking riding tour.

Julie had her posse with her to help decide on which bag to purchase.

The family that shops in the rain together -stays together.

Greetings from Custom House Wharf. Happy Holidays. Enjoy your bag.

 Traditionally there is time on the agenda during our fall strategic planning retreat dedicated to brainstorming products for holiday. The Staff Picks section on our website showcases diverse ideas from the people who work everyday in the workshop. Click the staff's name to see their pick.

Lisa: The Moon and The Star

Lisa is creative by nature and credits Maxfield Parrish as influencing her painting. When presented with the opportunity for her staff pick, she decided on the festive flair of combining two metallics with objects not usually seen on the totes. As a skilled seamstress with Sea Bags for three years, she has seen plenty of stars but wanted to pair it with a crescent moon. 

This Christmas, Lisa is beginning a new holiday tradition with her daughters. She and her youngest daughter will depart Portland for Boston where they will connect with her middle daughter. Then the three of them will drive to the home of the eldest daughter, who lives in Brooklyn with her husband and 11 month old son Owen. It is there where Lisa will partake in quality “grammy time” with her grandson.

Rob: White on White Wristlet

It was Rob’s mom who sparked the inspiration for his staff pick. She visited the Custom House Wharf store where Rob works in customer service and production. Among the wristlets displayed by the cash register, the white whale tail stitched on the white wristlet caught her eye. So Rob suggested an anchor stitched with navy thread for a clean look and to offer a nice alternative to a tote.

Shhh….! Don’t tell his mom that this might be one of the gifts she finds under the Christmas tree at their family home in Boothbay. Rob will spend Christmas there with his parents, sister and her family traveling from NYC and with his twin brother, Peter, who lives in Boulder, Co. By the fireplace, Rob says his father will revisit the lapsed family tradition of reading “The Night Before Christmas” for his three month old nephew.

Jessica: It is a tanbark-thing

Jessica has been waiting for the opportunity to showcase her favorite sailcloth. She began with Sea Bags nearly seven years ago and after making gifts for her immediate family (sister, who lives in Florida; brother and mother who both reside in the greater Portland area), Jessica made herself a bag in 2010. She chose tanbark because of its unique leather-like look for the fall/winter months. After many compliments and realizing that tanbark transcends the seasons, she chose rustic hemp rope handles and suggested it for her employee pick.

Each Christmas, Jessica embraces the shared family tradition of watching “A Christmas Story” over and over again. She smiles when she reluctantly admits that she knows all the lines.

We are in the business of recycling old sails. We think and talk about the dynamics and properties of sailcloth all the time when developing products and designs.

The heritage of sailcloth began with being made from linen (strong) and then cotton (light). But natural fibers don’t resist rot, UV light and become heavy when wet. In the late 20^th century natural fibers were replaced with synthetics for common use.

Primarily we work with sails made from Dacron. But we also receive plenty of composite (also referred to as laminated) sails. For example, Kevlar, an aramid fiber introduced in 1971 that has become predominate in racing sails, is used in some of our shaving kits.

The laminate sails are extremely strong. Woven fibers embedded into film or laminate give Kevlar a higher strength-to-weight ratio than steel. The process allows fibers to be placed in straight, uninterrupted paths.

Light shining through the bag above shows the balanced weave of the fibers.

Carbon fiber (as used in the bag above) is a synthetic fiber made from carbon atoms. It is virtually unaffected by UV and provides low stretch.

Engineers design patterns (coincidentally resembling preppy argyle) for greatest strength depending on the purpose of the sail.

Another construction style inserts fiber strands sandwiched between layers of film.

Each bag is as unique as the person carrying it. Check out this video on how these types of sails are manufactured.

Big news from the West Coast!

  We have a new office space, and it's in a beautiful spot!   While our Portland workshop, offices and headquarters boast some of the finest waterfront character you can find - on either coast - we think our San Diego offices are not too shabby!

  We're in a great space, up above Shelter Cove Marina, in the heart of the maritime district of San Diego.   

There won't be the magic of sewing machines whirring in the background, but we have seagulls, ocean breezes, and boats all around.  Bonus - palm trees and spectacular flowers!

This is going to be a great spot to drop sails off for our trade-in program, check out some bags on occassion, and chat with me, Christa!  (Email christa@seabags.com first, since I'll be collecting sails and running up and down docks from California to Seattle on any given day!)

We're sharing office space with JWorld, a distinguished sailing school for adults.  If you want to race faster and sail safer, they're a great resource.  

Stay tuned for more news from our West Coast waterfront office. Doesn't that patio look just perfect for a lunch meeting or a sunset cocktail!?!  

2240 Shelter Island Drive, Suite 202, San Diego CA 92106

Authenticity is great inspiration!

Since 1999, Sea Bags has been making fun, functional and stylish handmade bags and now a diverse line of accessories from recycled sails in the historic Old Port district of Portland, Maine.   

Our location on the working waterfront of Custom House Wharf is unrivaled.  We are off the beaten path.  Visitors who venture down the brick alley to our workshop are greeted with humming sewing machines accentuated by music from someone’s iPod or satellite radio (ongoing battles between 80s and 90s tunes).

It may be uncommon to equate manufacturing with creative work. But we embrace the liberty to create, design, and produce functionally unique recycled products. Not to mention, it is super easy to find inspiration in the maritime authenticity –impossible to imitate -that surrounds us.

I-Spy: Patriotic floats on the dock

I Spy: Crazed seagull peering in the conference room window

I Spy: Who knew that lobster traps came in these cool colors?