All tote bags are not created equal. Just ask anyone who’s ever purchased a handcrafted, sturdy carryall from Hannah Kubiac. Kubiac owns Sea Bags, a one-of-a-kind shop in Portland’s Custom House Wharf area. Sea Bags produces tote bags made from old, retired sails. The bags can be trusted to lug around a hundred pounds of tools, or an old boat transmission, with as much ease as they can transport groceries and everyday beach paraphernalia. “I had friends who took one out to an island and packed it full of large rocks, until the sides were bulging,” says Kubiac.
Their workhorse reputation aside, Kubiac’s sea bags are cherished by some of their owners for their handmade quality, their use of recycled material, and because they are unique to Maine. “I get phone calls from all around the country,” says Kubiac. “Someone buys one of the bags while they’re on vacation in Maine, and it becomes like a treasure hunt for their friends, who want one just like it.”
Of course, that’s an impossible mission. No two bags are identical. Although predominantly white, some of Kubiac’s bags may contain remnants of blue or red or black fabric that had been pre-sewn into the original sail. Others may have bits and pieces of numbers or letters. Kubiac doesn’t wash the sails before she cuts and stitches them together, so they’re often streaked or studded with irregular markings. “It gives them that rugged, handmade look,” she says.
Different in appearance, the bags share a common trait in their strength and durability. Sailmakers make sails out of Dacron because the fabric doesn’t rot, and it can withstand harsh winds and pounding rain. Most Sea Bags customers don’t subject their totes to such severe conditions, but Kubiac constructs them to hold up under both weather and weight. She makes each bag by hand. To demonstrate, she reaches into a pile of old sails heaped in the middle of the floor of her shop, selects one she likes, then cuts it into two matching pieces. Next she grabs two pieces of rope from a large reel – potwarp used on lobster traps – and takes them over to one of the four industrial-style sewing machines. There she stitches the ropes between the two layers of sail, so that they wrap continuously down one side of the bag, underneath and back up the other side. Kubiac says it takes her about an hour to make one bag.
Although Sea Bags opened in 1999, the company traces its roots back to 1969. That’s when Kubiac’s father, Jeff Aumuller, opened a similar business in Kennebunkport. Aumuller, who lives on a sailboat behind his daughter’s shop, sold his company, Port Canvas, in 1973. Kubiac, 29, and her co-founder, Dorset Norby, decided to resurrect the concept in Portland. So far, they’re breaking even. “This is our busy season,” said Kubiac. “It’s hard to keep any bags on the shelf in summer.” She says there’s plenty of potential to grow. “The demand is there. It’s just a matter of whether or not I want to step up to it.”
Customers can spend $35, $45 or $55 for a small, medium or large bag. For another $7 per character, Kubiac will stitch in birth dates, initials or other custom details. She sews about four or five bags a day, and occasionally accommodates requests for bimini and sail cover repairs. She also does a fair amount of people watching. “We get all kinds of people wandering down here, curious about the area and wanting to see what we’re up to,” said Kubiac. “It’s a real mixed bag of customers.” During the busy season, Kubiac says she could easily work six days a week. But don’t be surprised if you head down there on a sunny day and nobody’s home. “If it’s really nice out, we go sailing,” she said.
For more information, call (207) 780-0744 or pay a visit to the Sea Bags website, found at www.seabags.com.