free sailboat knitting pattern

• Free Washcloth and Afghan Square Knitting Patterns
• Free Knitting Patterns
• Free Amigurumi Patterns
• Free Crochet Applique
• Privacy Policy

Free Sailboat Dishcloth or Afghan Square Knitting Pattern

Our latest creation is a free knitting pattern for a sailboat afghan square or washcloth square!  This square would work great as a washcloth or dishcloth, or you could put it together with some of the other squares  to make an afghan or blanket (all my squares are the same size). Finished square approximately 22 cm x 22 cm (8.5 inches x 8.5 inches)

If you would prefer a PDF version of this pattern or you would like to help support Daisy and Storm to continue to make free patterns, you can purchase a PDF version of this pattern from ETSY by clicking here

If you would like to be updated every time we post a new pattern, please fill in the form ‘Subscribe to blog via email’ (on the right hand side on desktop view or scroll down on mobile)

Size and Materials

Size depends on yarn and needle size used – with DK/Light Worsted Weight yarn and 4 mm (US 6, UK 8) knitting needles, finished squares are approximately 22 cm x 22 cm (8.5 inches x 8.5 inches)

Any sized needle and yarn can be used (please refer to yarn label for recommended needle size), however different needle and yarn sizes will produce different sized squares, so if you plan to make an afghan or a set of these it is best to use the same needle size and yarn for each square.

Chart Instructions

On Right Side: Knit white squares and purl black dots

On Wrong Side: Purl white squares and knit black dots

Cast on 45 stitches and start at bottom left hand corner of chart with a wrong side row.

Written Instructions

Work 7 rows of (K1,P1) to last stitch, K1

Row 8: K1, P1, K1, P1, K37, P1, K1, P1, K1

Row 9 and all odd numbed rows: K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P35, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1

Row 10: K1, P1, K1, P1, K37, P1, K1, P1, K1

Row 12: K1, P1, K1, P1, K7, P23, K7, P1, K1, P1, K1

Row 14: K1, P1, K1, P1, K6, P25, K6, P1, K1, P1, K1

Row 16: K1, P1, K1, P1, K4, P29, K4, P1, K1, P1, K1

Row 18: K1, P1, K1, P1, K19, P1, K17, P1, K1, P1, K1

Row 20: K1, P1, K1, P1, K4, P14, K1, P1, K1, P12, K4, P1, K1, P1, K1

Row 22: K1, P1, K1, P1, K5, P13, K1, P1, K1, P11, K5, P1, K1, P1, K1

Row 24: K1, P1, K1, P1, K6, P12, K1, P1, K1, P10, K6, P1, K1, P1, K1

Row 26: K1, P1, K1, P1, K7, P11, K1, P1, K1, P9, K7, P1, K1, P1, K1

Row 28: K1, P1, K1, P1, K8, P10, K1, P1, K1, P8, K8, P1, K1, P1, K1

Row 30: K1, P1, K1, P1, K9, P9, K1, P1, K1, P7, K9, P1, K1, P1, K1

Row 32: K1, P1, K1, P1, K10, P8, K1, P1, K1, P6, K10, P1, K1, P1, K1

Row 34: K1, P1, K1, P1, K11, P7, K1, P1, K1, P5, K11, P1, K1, P1, K1

Row 36: K1, P1, K1, P1, K12, P6, K1, P1, K1, P4, K12, P1, K1, P1, K1

Row 38: K1, P1, K1, P1, K13, P5, K1, P1, K1, P3, K13, P1, K1, P1, K1

Row 40: K1, P1, K1, P1, K14, P4, K1, P1, K1, P2, K14, P1, K1, P1, K1

Row 42: K1, P1, K1, P1, K15, P3, K1, P1, K1, P1, K15, P1, K1, P1, K1

Row 44: K1, P1, K1, P1, K16, P2, K1, P1, K17, P1, K1, P1, K1

Row 46: K1, P1, K1, P1, K17, P1, K1, P1, K17, P1, K1, P1, K1

Row 48: K1, P1, K1, P1, K19, P1, K17, P1, K1, P1, K1

Row 50: K1, P1, K1, P1, K19, P7, K11, P1, K1, P1, K1

Row 52: K1, P1, K1, P1, K19, P4, K14, P1, K1, P1, K1

Row 54: K1, P1, K1, P1, K19, P2, K16, P1, K1, P1, K1

Row 56: K1, P1, K1, P1, K37, P1, K1, P1, K1

Rows 57-63: Work 7 rows of (K1, P1) to last stitch, K1

Cast off, weave in ends and block.

Share this pattern:

Working on my 2020 quilt and would love to have a cabin cruiser or small fishing boat to add to my squares. Any chance of you designing one?

Hi Sharon, I’ve added it to my list, thanks for the idea 😁

Hi , it’s the first time I knit a pattern and I am very pleased with it

Thank you very much and now I am more confident

That’s awesome, Julie! Thank you 😊

I love it .Thank your share.

Thank you 😊

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

Oh La Lana! knitting blog

Resources for knitting lovers

SAILBOAT dishcloth knitting pattern – Block 8 of Beginner Blanket MKAL 2020

SAILBOAT dishcloth knitting pattern

Do you want to add this pattern to your  Ravelry  library? Click  HERE .

If you have any doubt or question, please leave your comment below. I’ll reply ASAP. You can also join our Ravelry group 😊

Enjoy the pattern 🧶, and talk to you soon!

PS: if you support me on Patreon or made a donation for this project, you will receive this  pattern in PDF format in your email inbox  😉 (see the end of this post to learn how to collaborate with the project).

THE ENTIRE PATTERN (written and charted) IS BELOW.

ABBREVIATIONS

• CO : cast on
• RS : right side
• WS : wrong side
• st : stitch

INSTRUCTIONS

– CO 43 sts with US 7 (4.5 mm) needles.

– With US 6 (4 mm) needles, knit 4 rows.

– Continue working as follows:

4 garter sts, SAILBOAT pattern over 35 sts, 4 garter sts​ (55 rows).

– Knit 4 rows.

– Bind off with US 7 (4.5 mm) needle. Cut yarn and weave in ends.

STITCH GLOSSARY

Garter stitch.

k all sts, all rows.

SAILBOAT dishcloth knitting pattern – Row by row

Row 1) and every following odd row (RS) k all sts

Row 2) p all sts

Row 4) p all sts

Row 6) p12, k17, p6

Row 8) p11, k19, p5

Row 10) p9, k21, p5

Row 12) p8, k3, p1, k2, p1, k2, p1, k2, p1, k2, p1, k2, p1, k3, p5

Row 14) p7, k23, p5

Row 16) p6, k6, p6, k2, p1, k2, p5, k3, p4

Row 18) p4, k5, p9, k2, p1, k4, p10

Row 20) p2, k4, p2, k2, p5, k2, p1, k2, p1, k12, p2

Row 22) p6, k10, p2, k2, p1, k11, p3

Row 24) p5, k11, p2, k2, p1, k9, p5

Row 26) p4, k11, p3, k2, p1, k8, p6

Row 28) p3, k12, p3, k2, p1, k7, p7

Row 30) p3, k11, p4, k2, p1, k6, p8

Row 32) p2, k12, p4, k2, p1, k5, p9

Row 34) p2, k12, p4, k2, p1, k4, p10

Row 36) p2, k12, p4, k2, p1, k4, p10

Row 38) p3, k11, p4, k2, p1, k3, p11

Row 40) p4, k10, p5, k1, p1, k2, p12

Row 42) p6, k9, p4, k1, p1, k1, p13

Row 44) p7, k9, p3, k3, p6, k2, p5

Row 46) p9, k9, p1, k1, p1, k2, p2, k4, p6

Row 48) p11, k6, p2, k9, p7

Row 50) p19, k1, p1, k3, p11

Row 52) p all sts

Row 54) p all sts

Row 55) k all sts

SAILBOAT dishcloth knitting pattern – CHART

• Read all odd rows from right to left, and all even rows from left to right.

EASTER BUNNY knitting pattern

You can use this form if you want to help me finance this project (materials, photo editing software, designing time, etc) or just want to invite me a coffee 😀 Thank you so much!

Comparte esto:

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)

5 thoughts on “ SAILBOAT dishcloth knitting pattern – Block 8 of Beginner Blanket MKAL 2020 ”

Hey, Ceci – weren’t you going to start making 10-square darker grid lines in your charts? It would make reading them so much easier. I use a tablet and don’t print out the charts so I can’t mark them up. Thanks!!

Hi! I thought about it, and then forgot!! I’ll modify this one and write to you again, so you can tell me what you think.

Oops! I forgot to say thanks for the neat new patterns. I love this Sailboat with the sail out in front.

Thank you! I just added 2 charts at the end of the post. Which one do you find more helpful, B or C? I’m used to follow written instructions, so I would love your opinion. Since the even rows are the ones more difficult to follow, I would think “C” (numbers from left to right), but you’re the expert!!

I’m SO sorry!! I didn’t mark the box to get responses by email and forgot to come back. Anyway, I love the darker lines and I think that since your patterns are all 35 sts wide, you should put the “extra” 5 sts on one side or the other. I doubt it makes much difference to many of us – just having a reference point ever 10 sts will make counting so much easier!!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Discover more from oh la lana knitting blog.

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Type your email…

Continue reading

• Bag / Purse
• Shawl / Scarf
• Valentines Day
• St. Patrick’s Day
• Father’s Day
• Mother’s Day
• Thanksgiving

Sailboat Baby Blanket Free Knitting Pattern

This Baby Blanket is just the baby afghan for your little sailor. This would be so sweet in a nautical nursery. The Sailboat Baby Blanket Free Knitting Pattern is easy enough for a beginner to knit. It looks best in blue nurseries, but we love this baby blanket for girls and boys alike. This is an adorable idea for someone who’s expecting who has a spouse in the navy. This blanket is sure to become a treasured favorite. Thanks below designers for sharing this free knitting pattern and projects. The link for the free pattern is provided below photo. Happy knitting.

Sailboat Baby Blanket

Click below link for free pattern…

Sailboat XOXO Blanket

Click below link for web version free pattern…

Blake’s Boats

Related articles more from author.

Lizard People Fingerless Gloves Free Knitting Pattern

Mother’s Day Shawl Free Knitting Pattern

Summer Blues Blanket Free Knitting Pattern

Primrose Top Free Knitting Pattern

Heartleaf Socks Free Knitting Pattern

Diamond Cowl Free Knitting Pattern

• Privacy Policy

Join our list

Subscribe to our mailing list and get interesting stuff and updates to your email inbox.

Thank you for subscribing. Please confirm your subscription in your email.

Something went wrong.

We respect your privacy and take protecting it seriously

30% Off Sitewide + Extra 30% Off Clearance Shop Sale

Free Nautical Pattern Round Up

Stay in the loop and be inspired.

Get great tips, deals, and inspiration just for you, plus, sign-up today and SAVE 15% on your next purchase!!

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking 'unsubscribe' in any of the emails you receive from Yarnspirations.

By signing up for email from Yarnspirations.com, I acknowledge I've read and agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use .

You're shopping in $USD. Need to switch to Yarnspirations Canada?

• Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh.
• Opens in a new window.

Because there's no such thing as "too much yarn".

Friday, April 11, 2008

• FO: Come Sail Away--and another Free Pattern!

78 comments:

That is beautiful. What a lucky lucky baby.

Really lovely, nice free-style action!!

Good good work! I'm sure it will be loved.

You are amazing. Do you have turbo jets on your needles? Thanks for sharing.

It's beautiful!

Abslutely gorgeous!!! Thank you for sharing :-)

Beautiful! Thanks for the pattern too!

Definitely an heirloom. Beautiful.

Adorable- great looking baby gift. Oh, and did I mention beautiful knitting? Happy knitting- ali

I can't remember how I ran across this pattern/post but I have to admit I LOVE the pattern! I have stitch it twice now (once in blue and another in "Aqua Mist") for the Navy Marine Corps Relief Society. I am always looking for free patterns that work up quickly to go into the layettes we give to sailors and Marines. Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful pattern!

I LOVE this - I was looking for a pattern to knit a blanket each for my two Grandsons - I don't know how they feel about sailing and boats - but I love them - thank you for sharing your design with us.

Thank you for sharing this pattern with everyone. I'm knitting up this blanket right now. Hopefully I can post pics soon. thanks again.

Just finished this in Tidepool Heather for my first grandchild. I made 4 repeats, not 3, of the sailboat, in a mere and exact 7 skeins. I was worried about its bumpiness all along until I washed and blocked it and all came out smooth as a baby's....It's a lovely pattern, especially since I live on a boat here in San Diego!

Thank you so much for making this pattern free! I'm knitting this for my nephew who is due in Aug. & it's just perfect!

I am really excited/nervous to try this pattern - but I know it is perfect for my friend who is expecting. Question: I haven't done any complicated patterns - anything that involves as much counting as this pattern does. Does anyone have any helpful hints about attacking a pattern like this? Or is it really just as simple as that I just need to focus and carefully COUNT while knitting??

Hi, Julie. Blogger won't give me your email address, so I hope you check back and see this. The pattern is really easy. Once you get the first few pattern rows done, you'll be able to "read" your knitting and see what comes next. I find it help to put stitch markers at the beginning and end of each repeat so that I can keep track of the numbers without having to recount entire rows. If you do run into trouble, please contact me!

Wow! this is so pretty!

This is truly a beautiful pattern. You are very creative and skilled.

Thank you for sharing. This is adorable!!!

This turned out fabulous! Thanks so much for sharing the pattern! - Elizabeth Co-Owner www.missimagination.com

Beautiful baby blanket. I'm a beginner and could follow your pattern easily. I am knitting in Hobby Lobby "I love this yarn" navy tweed#9001 (navy with bits of primary colors) and it looks very nautical. Thank You!!!!

Wonderful! My best friend has a baby on the way and her favourite thing in the world is sailboats. This will make her day! Thank you very much for being so kind and sharing with us;

Yikes, this post was years ago! I had a question about the pattern... I want to knit this on straight needles, and I'm having trouble with the WS and RS. This means Wrong Side and Right Side? Also, "Next row (WS) and all WS rows: k10, p30, k5, p30, k5, p30, k10" does this mean every other row would be that stitch pattern? Wouldn't that make it look strange? I'm so confused! I'm a beginner! Ack!

Claire, After you cast on, put a safety pin at the end of that row....that pin will mark the beginning of each WS or Wrong Side. Then follow instructions for all WS rows (the next line in the pattern after the cast on instructions, the one you wrote out in your post, so yes, do that every other row). Then do "Row 1" which will be your first row of RS or Right Side rows. Then a WS row, then "Row 3", etc. The beauty of knitting is you do EXACTLY what it says and don't try and second-guess and it'll come out perfectly! Good luck! It's a fun and easy pattern--you CAN do it!

Thank you Islandgal! I still have yet to learn to take that leap, haha. I'll give this a shot then, since I already start another (just in case no one responded, I wanted to make sure I had a back up!) maybe they will get two! Yay!

i loooooooooooove this pattern..I just finished mine...Its easy for a beginner knitter like me.. Hope you come out with a Heart pattern next...I would love it..

I'd like to make this blanket for my nephew, but would like to make it a little bigger. If I wanted to add a 4th sailboat along each row. How many stitches do I need to cast on instead of the 120 in the pattern?

You would add an additional k 5 p 30 before the final knit 10 and then throughout the pattern add one more repeat as you go. Like this Next row (WS) and all WS rows: k10, p30, k5, p30, k5, p30, k5, p30, k10 And another example row Row 13: k12, p14, k1, p4, k16, p14, k1, p4, k16, p14, k1, p4, k16, p14, k1, p4, k19 It will be easier to do as you knit along, and I think I would add a 4th Row of motifs so it will be longer as well as wider. I'd love to know how this works out, pls let me know.

Thank you so much!

Has anybody tried this with a multi-colored yarn? I have a blue and white yarn I'd like to use, but I'm afraid the detail of the sailboats may get lost.

Have not tried verigated yarn, try doing a pot holder first it will be big enough to get a good idea but small enough not to waste a lot of time if it doesn't pan out! Just use one square of the design for a good pot holder/dish cloth

I made this blanket but added an extra sailboat on the side and the top. So beautiful. Took me two months to complete. I work full time. Thanks so much for the free pattern

Has anyone tried to make this with the sailboat a different color? I love the blue for the background, but I would like the sailboat white. I am having a very difficult time trying to rewrite the pattern with the color changes. Any help would be greatly appreciated!! My grandchild is due very shortly, and I would like to have this done before he arrives.

NotreDameFan, no need to rewrite this pattern, simply swap colors where the sailboat relief is, you can choose to leave the relief or continue in stockinette since the color change will make the design stand out. You can use more than one color also, I have done this and it looks great, I used blue for background, red for boat and mast, white for sail and topped it with a red flag, but I'll have to admit the white would have stood out more. Play with it, since you don't need a lot of the color you can use bobbins or butterflys of the colored yarn. Good luck, let me know if you have any questions.

I have been scouring the Internet and my pattern books for the perfect afghan for my nephew's first baby (boy). Didn't want anything babyish, girly, etc., and haven't found anything after looking for weeks. This is exactly what I've been trying to find - had already planned to use KnitPicks yarn and put the Delft in my cart before I checked out the pattern to see what you used. It is perfect - thank you!

Good luck with your blanket, I'm currently working on my third, whew, but my son tells me they are through now. Lol. My grandsons love their blankets and rather than sticking to the blue I made them in their favorite colors. So I have one in Carrot, one in Teal and now one in the more traditional Delft. I used an inexpensive highly washable yarn but plan to remake these later probably in a cotton, maybe bamboo yarn for them to take into their teens.

I have been searching for a sailboat pattern that looked like a real boat - THANK YOU - going to make one in a washcloth and of course a blankie Thanks again -- Cheryl in Lee's Summit, MO

I adore this pattern - so clever! Thank you so much for sharing it. I can't wait to get started on it. I thought I'd use Rowan denim in Memphis as from what I gather the fading will happen more on the boat pattern than the rest. I'll let you know how it turns out!

This is such a beautiful pattern. I love how the sail curves so smoothly. I have started this and I am about half way through the first sailboat panels, but I am wondering about the cast on row. I have followed the pattern exactly, but the 'pretty' side of the cast on is showing on the back side. I am wondering if I could have started the boat pattern on the rs rather than the ws(after the 2 inches of garter stitch rows) Appreciate any opinions. Thank you!

I would like to ask pcox56 : when you made the sailboat different colors did you use different spools of yarn or did you trail the yard. Seems like a lot of trailing. I would love to do the boat in different colors, just can't figure out the logistics. Thanks

Thanks so much for this free pattern. I'm halfway done and finding it a great project while I'm watching TV. Quite easy and quite lovely.

Hi Yarnhog, Just started a larger Intarsia variation of the Come Sail Away Blanket. Really fun to work on! Thanks so much for the pattern ❤️⛵️

Hi June 2nd Annonymous, Not sure if you've answered your question about beginning on the wrong side of a "pretty" cast on side, but as you may know by now, you can do a wrong side row cast on, freeing you to begin any pattern on the "right" side. Not sure if you tube has a video, but I would try looking there. : )

To make it easier for myself I created a graph. Is there any way for me to send this to you, I think it would be helpful to include for everyone?

I'd love to make this gorgeous blanket for my 5 year old Grandson. Does anyone know HOW MANY STITCHES I'D NEED FOR A FULL-SIZE BED...(54" X 72"). I'm desperate for your help in assisting me. Thank you so much.

Its more how many repeat squares you would need, each "square" is approx 8x10 so use this as a guide.

@pcox56...can you please explain how to change the color of the sailboat (I'd like to do it in white), but still keep the blue background. I saw your comment about "simply swap colors where the sailboat relief is, you can choose to leave the relief or continue in stockinette etc... I'm really confused here....What exactly is meant by "simply swap colors where the sailboat relief is"??? Please help. Thank you.

This blanket is so beautiful! I want to make a bigger one for myself.. how do I go about doing that? Thanks in advance! <3

Each "square" is approx 8x10 so just add extra square for width and height

My great niece is nine months old and Daddy is a sailor. This is Perfect!

Can this be done on straight needles or are circular a better choice? Also, what length circular do you use of the size 7 circular?

what colors of the swish yarn has anyone used? I am looking for a neutral color for boy or a girl?

OK...please don't laugh at me. While I am an obsessed knitter, I HATE math! Having admitted to my major weakness, I need help converting this into an adult-sized afghan. Our dear friends are pulling anchor in a few months to sail off into who knows where. Rather than waste precious time and energy trying to figure this out, I sending out my own SOS. Help please!

Hello. This would be perfect for my sailor friend who is finally getting his home rebuilt after Hurricane Sandy. I have not knit in a long time. Is this made in individual squares then assembled later or is it one solid piece? Thanks!

Is anyone else wondering why the boat is knitted upside down? I went to make a graph of it and it confused the heck out of me. Is there a reason for that?

Have just made this fabulous blanket, so pleased with the finished result. I am in the UK and used Snuggly dk, 4mm needles. I used just under 3 x 50g balls to do the whole blanket as in pattern. Would definitely do another, possible 4 x 4 boat patterns.

A friend is having a boy in December...been looking for something nautical since that is their theme for Baby Noah's room. This will be perfect!

So thrilled to have found this pattern. I've been looking for an afghan to make for my husband. We love. To sail, so this is perfect! I'll post pictures when I'm done. Thanks!

Thank you for this pattern. I've made 2 blankets and it's very satisfying to see the sailboats form very quickly.

So as Lisa posted above, if you wanted to make this wider (in addition to longer) you would cast on an additional 35 stitches?

Yes, its been awhile but I believe I calculated that the interior or pattern area is 35. I used the rows where there were only perl stitches between the knit borders, there are 30 perls and 5 knit stitches between as the divider, but at each edge are 10 knit stitches. So to make a long story short yes. You must isolate the individual motif pattern within the 30 stitch center and add the repeat to the original pattern before knitting the 10 knit stitch border. I hope I haven't confused you more. This adds width, for length add extra sections of motifs

Ok beginner here...after knitting the garter rows at the beginning, how do I know which is RS row? Would it be after a knit row, or after a purl row?

The right side rows after the garter section are the KNIT rows.

This pattern is beautiful! I am HORRIBLE at trying to enlarge a pattern. Would you be willing to make this pattern into a throw size instead of the baby blanket and post it?

BEGINNER KNITTER HERE...please help! What instructions should be used for the even rows? Do you knit the WS row first before row 1?

What stitch do you use for the even # of rows, I am a little confused.

This pattern is used for all the sailboats across the rows, like row 1 is done 3 times?

I just finished knitting this pattern. It is so easy and relaxing. I am an experienced knitter and I have been trying to find easy patterns that I can knit quickly but still look nice. I am knitting baby blankets for a local charity and I love this pattern. I noticed that I mostly knit girl blankets so I am challenging myself to make 3 boy blankets along with the other blankets I am making. Thank you for posting this pattern! I knit it with size 9 needles and it takes almost all of a solid color "Caron One Pound" skein. I haven't measured it yet, but it is a good sized blanket for a baby.

This pattern is really cute! I am a loom knitter and would like to know if this can be made on a loom without converting the knits/purls for second row. Thank you

Can you please explain how to do the sailboat only in a different color? Thank you!

A little confused. Cast on 120 but then the WS accounts for 130? Checked my math a few times and I keep adding up to 130.

Will try to do it for my nephew is due on June but my sis house is a fridge winter and summer so he would need it! Thnx so much!! personally love boats!! But afraid of water how odd, right? Thnx again!!

I GOT CURED FROM HERPES VIRUS I was diagnosed of HERPES virus and i have tried all I can to get cured but all to no avail,,until I saw a post in a health forum about a herbalist man who prepare herbal medications to cure all kind of diseases including #HERPES virus,at first I doubted if it was real but decided to give it a try,when I contacted this herbalist via his email and he prepared a #HERPES herbal cure and sent it to me via DHL delivery company service, when I received this herbal medicine, he gave me step by direction on how to apply it,after applying the way I was instructed,I was totally cured of this deadly disease called HERPES, all thanks to Dr OGODO Email this great herbal doctor via his email [email protected] You can also WhatsApp him on +2349044680467 HE CAN ALSO CURE SICKNESS LIKE {1}HIV/AIDS {2}DIABETES {3}EPILEPSY {4} BLOOD CANCER {5} HPV {6} ALS {7} HEPATITIS {8}LOVE SPELL {9} SICKLE AND ANEMIA Only DR OGODO Can Help You I Love You Father.

Bonjour, N'y a t'il pas une erreur pour le rang 9 ??? Le nombre de mailles tombe à 119 ... et non 120 si je compte bien ;)

Good day. I would like to know if a person wants to make the boat pattern blanket wider how many stitches do you have to put on extra and will the pattern as such work out. I thank you so much.

Is this knitted on US 7 which would be 4.5mm?

Post a Comment

Click Here to Save the Academy!

• http://www.refresheverything.com/lospenacademy

Blog Archive

• ►  January (1)
• ►  August (1)
• ►  July (1)
• ►  June (4)
• ►  May (6)
• ►  March (4)
• ►  February (4)
• ►  January (9)
• ►  December (2)
• ►  November (8)
• ►  October (11)
• ►  September (17)
• ►  August (2)
• ►  June (1)
• ►  May (2)
• ►  April (5)
• ►  March (1)
• ►  February (3)
• ►  January (6)
• ►  December (3)
• ►  November (6)
• ►  October (5)
• ►  September (7)
• ►  August (9)
• ►  July (15)
• ►  June (11)
• ►  May (10)
• ►  April (8)
• ►  March (14)
• ►  February (8)
• ►  January (11)
• ►  December (11)
• ►  November (3)
• ►  October (6)
• ►  September (13)
• ►  August (4)
• ►  July (10)
• ►  June (10)
• ►  May (9)
• ►  April (10)
• ►  March (15)
• ►  February (9)
• ►  January (12)
• ►  December (8)
• ►  November (10)
• ►  October (10)
• ►  September (18)
• ►  August (17)
• ►  July (9)
• ►  June (12)
• ►  May (13)
• All In a Day's Work
• Going Green--Part II
• Going Green
• A Pattern For a Cause
• What the Heck is "Siddhartha"?
• Keeping My Head Down
• In Which the KG Takes Her Revenge. Again.
• Llamas in Cyberspace
• Why We Love Nana--Reason #3127
• Fiber is Fiber
• ►  March (17)
• ►  February (10)
• ►  December (12)
• ►  November (15)
• ►  October (19)
• ►  September (15)
• ►  August (20)
• ►  July (17)
• ►  June (19)
• ►  May (25)
• ►  April (13)

100 Things About Me

• http://yarnhog-yarnhog.blogspot.com/2007/03/100-things-about-me.html

My Projects

• http://www.flickr.com/photos/vetaflame/sets/72157594577783283/

Alternate Provisional Cast-Ons

• http://yarnhog-yarnhog.blogspot.com/2007/07/provisional-cast-on-alternate-methods.html

Grumperina's Tutorial for Cabling Without a Cable Needle

• http://www.grumperina.com/cables.htm

Free Pattern!

• http://yarnhog-yarnhog.blogspot.com/2007/10/fo-my-first-handspun-sweater-and-free.html

Follow along and discover your next inspiration as we cast on for projects we love, explore new techniques, and dish about the latest and greatest from Knit Picks. Meet the team »

• » Episode 380: Get to Know Designer Joy Friedman
• » Aloft Pairings
• » Episode 379: A Sweater-care Discussion
• » National Craft Month
• » Free Downloadable March 2024 Calendar

“ I’m not afraid of storms, for I’m learning how to sail my ship. ” – Louisa May Alcott

Summer is almost here and that means celebrating at water’s edges, enjoying the lakes, oceans and rivers all around.  For all new parents, the newest free pattern in our Scrub-A-Dub Club is a perfect gift for those water lovers  – check out the Sailboat Baby Cloth .

Pamper your little one with this sweet cloth. The third in a year-long series, the Sailboat Baby Cloth uses ultra soft Comfy yarn and a simple texture of knits and purls to create a fun sailboat with a seed stitch border. Designed by Jenny Williams , this is perfect as a gift for new parents and only 1 skein of Comfy Sport is enough to make 2 cloths. Comfy Sport is soft enough for the most sensitive skin and we recommend the color Sea Foam to imitate the ocean waves, as we did in the sample. And don’t forget, the Heart Baby Cloth and the Butterfly Baby Cloth , the previous 2 in this series, are a great companion gifts.

Be sure to download this lovely pattern at the links below – and check back here each week to see the club pattern.

Handy Links Sailboat Baby Cloth Comfy Sport All free dishcloth patterns All Jenny Williams’s patterns

Shop products at knit picks.

You must have JavaScript enabled in your browser to utilize the functionality of this website.

Select your country

New selection may affect price, shipping options and product availability

Suggested Countries

All Countries

Recent Searches

30% off exclusive brands, sailing boats.

Digital items are not included in shipping calculations (see our delivery page for more info). Digital Patterns are available immediately after purchase.

Product Details

This cute nautical blanket is worked all in one, so there's no sewing involved. It's ideal for a car seat, buggy or moses basket, and the unisex design means it's also great for a baby shower gift.

DK | Light Worsted

Is there additional information you'd like to have about this product? Tell us here!

Projects Featuring This Pattern

By MotherOfPurlPatterns

Visit our international sites: Worldwide Germany Australia France

Patterns, projects and techniques

Free Sailboat Afghan Pattern

January 27 , by Terrye . 3 Comments

The pattern is free, courtesy of The Yarn Hog, here: http://yarnhog-yarnhog.blogspot.com/2008/04/fo-come-sail-away-and-another-free.html

Next Pattern:

• Free Pattern - Pellont Afghan
• Free Knitting Pattern - Easy Eyelet Stitch Afghan
• Knitting Pattern - Vintage Knit Leaf or Counterpane…

Share this:

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)

February 6, 2012 at 3:23 pm

I love this, but can’t seem to do it on a circular needle without joining it in a circle. can it be done on straight needles?

May 17, 2014 at 8:25 pm

Beautiful pattern! Im a pretty new knitter and would love to make the pattern but not sure exactly how to make it bigger. Will I just know when Im making this to add more sailboat blocks? Is that straight forward?

Thanks SOOO much!

May 20, 2014 at 11:14 am

Yes. The boat panel is 26 stitches wide, it looks like, with 9 stitches of garter stitch between each one. So you could add one or two more or however many you need to make the size you want.

Have you read?

Set the table for breakfast with knitting.

Play with your food and then set the table with it, with help from the Breakfast of Champions set from Knit Picks. Designed by Joyce Fassbender, this three-piece set includes a fried egg placemat, a napkin that’s a piece of toast complete with a pat of butter, and an orange slice-inspired cup cozy.

The set is rated as being for intermediate knitters and uses sport weight cotton blend yarn ( Knit Picks Shine Sport , to be precise).

I say you get to play with your food on this one because each component of the project uses different skills, so you can learn something new or just use some different techniques you might not need every day.

For example the egg is worked in the round from the center out, requiring even increases at intervals to ensure it stays round. The napkin has a bit of intarsia around the edges (a little hard to see in the photo) that makes the crust of the bread, and it looks like the butter is stitched separately and sewn on. It might be fun to add a bit of jam instead of butter if you’re making a set, so each person in the family can have their own color or what they like best on their toast.

The coffee cup cozy uses a bit of stranded knitting to make the orange slices.

These patterns are just so cute and I think they’d bring just the amount of whimsy you need to get through a tough morning. You can grab the free pattern on Knit Picks’ website , or the pattern is also available as part of their Keeping Home ebook , which includes a bunch of sets of projects for the home.

[Photo: Knit Picks]

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

• forum posts

patterns > Frankie's Knitted Stuff > Little Boats

• Viewing as a guest user. What am I missing?

Little Boats

• written-pattern

These knitted boats measure just 10 cm tall, they stand up on their own and can even hold a small crew. They are knitted with double knitting weight yarn and the mast is stiffened with a thick pipe cleaner.

All my ravelry patterns are free to download but, if you enjoy them, please consider making a donation to the Children’s Liver Disease Foundation, a charity which funds research and supports the families of children with a liver disease. You can do this easily by going to my fundraising page www.justgiving.com/frankiesknittedstuff

Happy Knitting!

• First published: September 2012
• Page created: September 20, 2012
• Last updated: December 6, 2014 …
• visits in the last 24 hours
• visitors right now

• [email protected]

FAQs & Contact

Transportation Knitting Patterns

• Photography
• Uncategorized

Share this post

Knitting patterns featuring cars, trains, planes, trucks, submarines, blimps, and other vehicles. Also projects for use in traveling. Updated 3/7/23

To get the knitting patterns, scroll down the page to the individual pattern you want and click on the link to that pattern.

These patterns are not my designs but links to other designers who have generously shared their patterns. If you have questions about how to knit a specific pattern, please contact the designer directly.

All links on this site are for informational purposes, but please note that some links are to affiliate sellers that pay me a small commission on purchases.

Free Patterns

Off To The Races Sweater

Pullover for children with intarsia race car and checkered flag border. Sizes Child’s 2 (4, 6). Designed by Amy Bahrt. Worsted weight yarn.

• Get the free knitting pattern
• See the Ravelry page
• Get the recommended Cascade Yarns® Elysian yarn at Amazon
• See more Children Sweater Knitting Patterns

Train, Plane, Boat, and Helicopter Wash Cloths or Afghan Squares

Travel or transportation vehicle motifs in knit and purl stitches that can be used for wash cloths, blanket squares, or any knitting project. Individual patterns for train engine, sailboat, airplane, and helicopter. Both chart and written pattern are included. Designed by Daisy and Storm.

• Get the free TRAIN knitting pattern
• Get the free SAILBOAT knitting pattern
• Get the free PLANE knitting pattern
• Get the free HELICOPTER knitting pattern

Up Up And Away Sweater

A hot air balloon and clouds in intarsia take flight on this pullover for children. The balloon basket is also a pocket! Sizes Child’s 2 (4, 6). Designed by Amy Bahrt. Worsted weight yarn.

Train Conductor Baby Overalls and Hat

Adorable train inspired baby set with train motif. Sizes 3 mo, 6 mo, 12 mo Designed by Susie Bonell for Cascade Yarns

• Get the recommended Cascade Yarns Cherub DK at Amazon
• See more Baby Romper Knitting Patterns

Little Beep Hat

Simple beanie with a fun stranded colourwork band of bright cars driving all around the hat. Designed by Claire Slade

Flight Pattern Blanket

Baby blanket with airplanes in flight worked with stripes, intarsia, and appliqued knit pieces. 28” wide x 30” long. Designed by Amy Bahrt for Cascade Yarns

• See more Baby Blanket Knitting Patterns

Train Sweater

Child’s long-sleeved pullover with train and tracks motifs. Sizes 2 yrs/92 cl (4 yrs /104 cl) 6 yrs /116 cl (8 yrs /128 cl) 10 yrs /140 cl. Futfut designed by Karen S. Lauger for Filcolana. Available in English, Danish, and German

Luv Bug Dish Cloth

This dish or wash cloth with a car motif comes is 9″x8″. Designed by Rachel van Schie. Pictured project by eyegirl

• See Ravelry page
• Get the recommended Bernat Handicrafter Cotton Yarn at Amazon
• See more Dish Cloth Knitting Patterns

Digger Jacket

Hooded cardigan sweater with colorwork motifs for all the construction vehicles children love – digger, roller, bulldozer, and dump truck. Sizes 3-5 yrs. Designed by by Sam Godden. Pictured project by prairiegrl

• See more Hoodies for Little Ones Knitting Patterns

Truck Sweater

Baby and child’s pullover with detailed truck motif. Sizes Chest 24″-30″, 2-8. Designed by Tonia Barry. Pictured project by StephB

• See more Children’s Sweater Knitting Patterns

Sports Car Toy

Knit a Ferrari-style model of a sports/race car stuffed toy. When knitted with worsted weight yarn and US size 6 needles, it measures about 6 inches long, but the gauge is not important. Designed by Ilana Marks

• Get finished knitted toys by Ilana

More Free Patterns

Car Blanket, Sweater, Hat, and Scarf

Collection of free Traffic patterns worked in one piece in intarsia and stranded colorwork by Amy Bahrt for Lion Brand. Pullover sweater is sized for 2,4,6. Pictured hat and scarf by mandaraqs . Pictured afghan by GGknitsalot. Pictured sweater by terukosan .

• Get the free knitting pattern for the Traffic Afghan
• Get the free knitting pattern for the Traffic Scarf
• Get the free knitting pattern for the Traffic Sweater
• Get the free knitting pattern for the Traffic Hat
• Get the recommended Vanna’s Choice Yarn

Chugga Chugga

Double knit scarf with train motifs that can be used with other projects such as afghans, sweaters, and more. Designed by Laura Chamberlain. Pictured project by rnmpinky

• See more Novelty Scarf Knitting Patterns

Miniature Car Toy

Approximately 3cm/1 1/4 in high, 8cm/3 in long, 4cm/1 1/2 in deep. Designed for The Yarn Loop.

• Get the free knitting pattern on the Internet Archive
• See more Teeny Toy Knitting Patterns

Tractor Toy

When knitted with worsted weight yarn and US Size 6 needles, this tractor softie measures about 5 inches long. Designed by Ilana Marks

Templeton Square Tire Cozy

Cover fits 24″ diameter spare tire. Designed by Karen Vradelis

Simple Steering Wheel Cover

An easy cozy that can be adapted to fit any size steering wheel. Knit with two skeins of cotton yarn. Designed by Rachael Stern

Gear Stick Sock

This gear shift cozy by imawhale protects your hand freezing in the winter or burning in the summer.

• See more Stash Buster Knitting Patterns

Highway to Hell Shifter Cozy

This skull motif shift stick cover was designed by Cindy Murdock Ames

• See more Skull Motif Knitting Patterns

Seat Belt Snuggles

A simple cozy to cushion the feel of the seat harness and keep it from digging into skin. Fastened with bobble buttons. Designed by Chris Behme. Pictured project by CoriInKansas

Sweet Dreams Travel Pillow

This comfy neck pillow cover is fastened with buttons on the underside so you could also use it just as cover for airline supplied pillows. Designed by Lion Brand.

Dragster Race Car Toy

A small knitted drag racer softie. When worked with worsted weight yarn and size 6 needles, it measures about 6 inches long. It’s a safe alternative to metal die-cast cars. Designed by Ilana Marks

Airplane Blanket and Toy

This bright design by Patons is Approx 38 x 46 ins [96.5 x 117 cm]. The matching airplane toy pattern is also available – size 13 x 13 ins [33 x 33 cm]. Toy project by KnittingSM who has project notes on modifications

• Get the free knitting pattern for the blanket
• Get the free knitting pattern for the toy
• Get the recommended yarn on Etsy

Small Fighter Jet Toys

When knitted with worsted weight yarn and US size 6 needles, it measures about 4.5 inches long, but can be customized for other yarn. Designed by Ilana Marks

Steam Train Toy

This incredibly-detailed miniature engine and tender (complete with coal!) by Claire Scope-Farrell is loosely based on an A1/A3 class steam locomotive and is just 3 inches (8 cm) tall.

Tadpole Submarine

Toy softie submarine is about 7 inches long, 5½ inches tall. Designed by Katie Boyette

• Get the free knitting pattern at the Internet archive

Patterns for Purchase

Choo Choo Baby Blanket

No longer free. Baby blanket with knit and purl train and textured stitch background. Designed by Filomena Lanzara. DK weight yarn. Available in English and Italian as Copertina Ciuf-Ciuf.

• Get the knitting pattern
• See more Knit and Purl Motif Baby Blanket Knitting Patterns

Working Vehicle Sweaters

Children's pullovers with motifs of fire engine, tractor, cement truck, tow truck, digger, dump truck, train, and more. Sizes: 24 to 30 inches. Designed by KnitaPattern.

• See more pics and get the individual patterns on Etsy

Vroom Vroom, Beep Beep Baby Blanket

Car motif baby blanket featuring a repeated intarsia cars in bright colors and is perfect for any car-loving baby. The pattern is knitted in four vertical strips that are then stitched together using mattress stitch; this approach makes the knitting more portable and means you don’t have to keep track of too many bobbins. Designed by Vikki Bird

• See more pics and get the pattern on Lovecrafts

Locomotives Cardigan for Toddlers

Sweater with train locomotives. Sizes 12-18 months/2-3 years. Designed by Swetla AnaSwet

• See more pics and get the pattern on Etsy

Vehicle Hats for Children

Child sized beanies featuring kids' favorite trucks and more. Patterns sold individually. The designer also sells the finished hats. Train & Tracks Hat features Locomotive, Coal Car, Passenger Car, Caboose. Fire Trucks Hat features four fire engines spaced around the hat, above a road. Helicopter Hat features 4 copters over mountains and copter blades on the top. Construction Hat features Front End Loader & Dump Trucks. Designed by imalulu

• See more pics and get the patterns on Etsy

Bumper Car Mobile

Each car measures approx 10 cm long and the mobile is made using a wooden ring approx 20cm in diameter. Perfect for a nursery or child's room. Designed by Georgina Manvell. Fingering weight yarn.

Zeppelin Mobile / Toy With Animal Passengers

Donkey, goose, bunny, and human aviatrix soar away in the basket of their zeppelin. The passengers can be taken out of the basket. Suitable for all ages as a mobile hung out of children’s reach; suitable for ages 8 and up as a toy. One of the 24 patterns in Knit and Crochet Toys, 2017. Designed by Sachiyo Ishii. Size 6″ from zeppelin nose to tail, and 8″ tall from top of zeppelin to bottom of basket.

Vehicle Play Set With Mat

This exclusive car toys and playmat designed by the fantastic Amanda Berry includes patterns and yarn for Ambulance, Post Van, Tractor, Car, Police Car, Camper Van, Bus, and Fire Engine. Choose between large or small road play mat.

• See more pics and get the pattern

Race Car Hat

This beanie pattern includes 5 sizes: Newborn * Baby * Toddler * Child * Adult

• See more pics and get the knitting pattern on Etsy
• See more Baby Hat Knitting Patterns

Thomas the Tank Engine Sweaters, Hat, and Scarf

Variety of knitting patterns for sweaters, cardigans, scarves, hats featuring intarsia motifs of Thomas the Tank Engine and his train friends.

• See more pics and get the knitting patterns on Etsy

The Captain Caboose hat features a colorwork train design traveling around the brim.

Train Baby Cocoon and Hat

Finished Size: Small baby to 3 months with 2 larger sizes included for both the cocoon and hat.

• Get the knitting pattern on Etsy
• See more Baby Cocoon Knitting Patterns

Road Map Playmat

One of the 17designs in Sirdar’s Nursery Knits for Boys. Despite the gender restrictive title, this is a cute playmat for any baby with a lot of textures for sensory development. Cabled and ribbed (ploughed) fields, fur stitch lawns, tuck stitch ponds, garter stitch and mitred roads – it’s a developmental playmat which will amuse toddlers too. 36 squares in total.

• See all 17 designs and get the pattern book at Deramore’s

Car Baby Booties

Booties shaped like automobiles desiged by davodix. Size – 0/6 months, 6/12 months

• See a different design for Car Booties

Car Slippers

These garter stitch slippers designed to look like race cards are one of the thirteen patterns in Knit a Dozen Plus Slippers. This digital book includes styles and sizes to fit anyone from young children to adult women and men.

See the slipper patterns in the book and get the book

Submarine Cloth

Easy knitting pattern for submarine motif block that you can use for wash or dish cloths or afghans. Great baby shower gift! approx. 7″W X 7 1/4″ H (18cn X 18.5 cm)

• See more Wash Cloth Knitting Patterns

Whirly Submarine Toy

This submarine softie has a propeller that turns round at the back. Approximately 15cm long, 13cm tall and 8cm wide.

Cable Safety Belt Cover

This cozy will help make your seat belt harness more comfortable.

Airplane Spoon for Baby

Cute cozy that turns baby’s spoon into an airplane to please picky eaters. Great shower gift!

Related posts

Baby Cardigan Knitting Patterns

Cardigans for Children Knitting Patterns

Vests for Babies and Children Knitting Patterns

Post with vertical photo

How to Make a Simply Knit Boatneck Top

An easy-to-knit design that will keep you cozy during chilly weather.

Stitch Club Simply Knit Boatneck Top Supplies + Tutorial

Working from the bottom up with Patons Canadiana Yarn, easily knit two identical panels, then bring together with ribbing, soon switching to a stocking stitch. Incorporate a bright yarn within the panels to make the thick stripes (it'll truly make those short sleeves pop!).

You can order all of the supplies you need for this project, including yarn and tools, by shopping the full kit available on Yarnspirations . For all the details and instructions, download our boatneck top knitting pattern.

Still learning the basics or simply need a refresher? Never fear! Visit our GH Stitch Club home page to get tips and tricks — you'll master the basics of knitting, crocheting, macramé and beyond.

Mariana is the Design Director of Good Housekeeping.

@media(max-width: 64rem){.css-o9j0dn:before{margin-bottom:0.5rem;margin-right:0.625rem;color:#ffffff;width:1.25rem;bottom:-0.2rem;height:1.25rem;content:'_';display:inline-block;position:relative;line-height:1;background-repeat:no-repeat;}.loaded .css-o9j0dn:before{background-image:url(/_assets/design-tokens/goodhousekeeping/static/images/Clover.5c7a1a0.svg);}}@media(min-width: 48rem){.loaded .css-o9j0dn:before{background-image:url(/_assets/design-tokens/goodhousekeeping/static/images/Clover.5c7a1a0.svg);}} Welcome to GH+

Kevin Costner Announces a New Partnership

Your Ultimate, Less-Stress Thanksgiving Meal Plan

We Became Guardians of Our Best Friend With Autism

John Stamos on His New Book and Fatherhood

A 30-Minute Meal Plan to Change the Way You Eat

Our Easiest 5-Ingredient Dinner Meal Plan

GH+ Readers Review 'Good Night, Irene'

Your Ultimate Guide to Sustainable Living

Our 8-Week Healthy Habits Plan Is Here

Week 7: Mindful Eating

Week 2: Enjoying Our Walks

1 free knitting patterns tagged sailboat knitting patterns

Free knitting pattern for a nautical nursery mobile.

Most of This Island Disappeared in Just a Decade

There were once 500 homes on Nyangai Island. Now, as sea levels rise, there are fewer than 100.

This article was originally published by Hakai Magazine .

Before the sea started taking house-size bites out of Nyangai, this small tropical island off the coast of Sierra Leone hummed with activity. I first visited in 2013 while documenting the construction of a school on a neighboring island. It was a cloudless day in April. A group of teenagers was busy setting up a sound system for a party. Old men chatted and smoked in the shade of palm trees. Children chased one another through the maze of sandy lanes while a constant traffic of roughly hewn wooden boats plied the surrounding waters.

The silhouettes of coconut palms and June plum trees dominated the island’s profile, and beneath them stood clusters of neat mud-and-thatch homes. The beach that ringed the island was so white, it hurt the eyes, the water a limpid green. I couldn’t stay for long, but Nyangai left a deep impression.

In December of the following year, I caught another glimpse of the island, this time while flying over it in a United Nations helicopter delivering emergency supplies to a nearby island at the height of the West African Ebola outbreak. From the air, it looked fragile, its curved, slender form barely 160 feet wide in places. I didn’t know it then, but the island I was looking at was a mere stub of what it had once been.

Nyangai (also spelled Nyankai and Yankai on some maps) is shrinking at an alarming rate, its sandy soil eroded by an ever-more-destructive sea. In the span of a human lifetime, the majority of its land has disappeared, and most of its population has fled. Those who remain, many of whose families have called Nyangai home for generations, are squeezed into an ever-decreasing patch of sand. Within a few years, many fear, the island may disappear altogether.

Read: The village that will be swept away

Returning to Nyangai in 2023, a decade after my first visit, I found the place almost unrecognizable. From a satellite image, I had seen that the island had been split in half by the sea, leaving two bean-shaped patches of land separated by a wide gulf. But as my boat approached, I could see only one: In the time since Google had last updated its satellite image in 2018, an entire village of several hundred people had vanished.

“The water is eating the island,” says Tewoh Koroma, a mother of six who lost her home to flooding in September 2023. “We already fled from the water once, and now we’re getting flooded again. The water is following us.”

Over the past decade, each new storm or flood has prompted more to leave. Some head for the country’s coastal capital, Freetown, or to other towns on the mainland, while others move to nearby islands. Nyangai’s leaders say there were once more than 500 homes here. Today there are fewer than 100.

The Turtle Islands archipelago, in which Nyangai lies, has always been vulnerable to erosion. The islands rise little more than 10 feet above sea level on average, and their loose soils are easily shifted by the ocean’s powerful currents. Stretches of shoreline slowly recede or advance, and offshore sandbanks come and go. But the crisis now unfolding on Nyangai is on a different scale. Over the past decade, the island has shrunk from roughly 2,300 feet long to just 560. Many blame the more erratic weather and more powerful storms. As one resident puts it, “Everything’s out of place.”

Life on Nyangai has never been easy. The island lacks roads, piped water, and electricity. Living conditions are basic. But only with deep reluctance do many finally leave. The island is peaceful, its community tight-knit. It’s free of snakes and has virtually no malaria. The fishing, on which nearly everyone relies, is better than elsewhere. During times of upheaval, from Sierra Leone’s civil war in the 1990s to the Ebola outbreak of 2014, the island has offered a level of sanctuary. For most, it is the only home they have ever known.

Nyangai is not alone in its existential battle with the ocean; similar scenes are unfolding along much of Sierra Leone’s coastline. In the village of Lakka, near Freetown, the ocean is washing away two-story concrete houses piece by piece. On Plantain Island, some 20 miles to the north of Nyangai, farmers have seen their agricultural land either contaminated with salt water or swept away altogether. And in the north of the country, residents of the bustling trading town on Yelibuya Island have found themselves forced to retreat ever farther inland to escape the encroaching sea.

“It’s becoming very alarming,” says Tamba Emmanuel Nyaka, the deputy director of the Climate Change Secretariat in Sierra Leone’s Environment Protection Agency, who recently visited some of the most impacted areas. “We realize that the problem is getting worse. People showed us where they used to live, where their cemetery was, their fields, houses, and now it’s just seawater. They’re constantly having to move.”

Government officials say natural processes are being exacerbated by a series of factors including changing weather patterns; rising sea levels; the felling of mangrove forests; and in more urban areas, the mining of beach sand for construction. In 2021, the government released a new National Adaptation Plan to address the impacts of climate change, but it’s hamstrung by a lack of data—the country’s marine meteorological station has been operating for only a few years—and a lack of resources. The government has implemented mangrove-restoration projects in some areas, but with limited success. As for Nyangai, an official confirmed that there are no plans to build any sea defenses.

Almost everyone still on Nyangai has lost at least one home in recent years, and some, like 35-year-old Gaya Bang, have lost as many as four. “We’ve spent so much money building new houses,” she says.

With so much uncertainty over the island’s future, most people now rebuild with basic materials: squares of sackcloth over a grid of sticks for walls; old metal sheets, commonly riddled with holes, for roofs. Gone are the neat mud-walled cottages I had seen on my first visit. Gone, too, is the island’s freshwater supply; the well water is now so brackish, it can be used only for washing. In the rainy season, islanders collect rainwater in buckets. In the dry season, they must travel an hour and a half round trip by boat to collect water from neighboring islands.

The atmosphere has also changed. Children still entertain themselves, devising games in the tree graveyards that ring parts of the island, but the electric energy of a busy fishing village has given way to a sense of lethargy. The island’s chief laments that the parties and cultural dances that used to be common have faded away. These days, he says, the sound system comes out just once or twice a year to mark the rare visits by campaigning politicians.

“We’ve been telling the government … that we need help,” says Hasan Kargbo, the island’s harbor master. “But so far we’ve seen nothing.”

Facing little prospect of outside intervention, the islanders attempted to stem the erosion by planting mangroves, but few of the seedlings survived for long. When the island floods during the highest tides, some build levees of sand around their homes, bolstered with sheets of tarpaulin, lengths of timber, car tires, or any other sturdy objects they find lying around. Beyond that, they can’t do much but wait for the tide to go down.

“We love our island,” says Kargbo, who has already started looking for a piece of land on the mainland to start a new life with his wife and six children. But “it’s going to disappear.”