He makes sails (5)
I believe the answer is:
silas
'he' is the definition.
'makes sails' is the wordplay.
'makes' is an anagram indicator.
'sails' with letters rearranged gives 'SILAS'.
(Other definitions for silas that I've seen before include "George Eliot's Marner" , "'Uncle . . . . .' , novel by J Sheridan Le Fanu" , "-- Wegg (Dickens, OMF)" , "Forename of miser" , "Leader of the Jerusalem Church in Acts and Paul's companion" .)