Andy StewÂart builds boats with his own hands for life-affirmÂing reaÂsons. It’s a way to make inanÂiÂmate objects come alive, to breathe new life into our world. But StewÂart also enjoys the chalÂlenge of it all. The sea, he tells us, is the “final arbiÂtraÂtor” of your work. Quite deciÂsiveÂly, it tells you whether a boat has been craftÂed with preÂciÂsion, whether every piece of wood conÂtributes to the largÂer hull/whole. If your boat can stand the rigÂorÂous tests of nature and time, you know you’ve masÂtered your craft. The short docÂuÂmenÂtary above, Shaped on all Six Sides, was directÂed by Kat GarÂdiner.
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The Joy of MakÂing ArtisÂtic HomeÂmade GuiÂtars
fasÂciÂnatÂing this needs to be made into a full docÂuÂmenÂtary!!
Great docÂuÂmenÂtary! I’ve always wantÂed to build my own woodÂen boat that I can take out onto the water — I’ve spent the last couÂple weeks researchÂing and preparÂing everyÂthing I’ll need to do it myself. With regard to buildÂing, I’ve found a few good resources durÂing my search includÂing this page here, but this video about Andy gives me some great addiÂtionÂal insights.
I found this mini-docÂuÂmenÂtary while searchÂing for topÂics for my EngÂlish class. I am an EngÂlish teacher, now livÂing in ThaiÂland and I’m also about to build my first comÂpleteÂly new sailÂboat to meanÂder around the islands here.
Andy sounds just like me…his senÂtiÂment has been echoed, at so many points in my life. I have always built and restored things…old cars, motorÂcyÂcles, housÂes and of course boats. I built boats proÂfesÂsionÂalÂly in FloriÂda for many years. HowÂevÂer, I also owned and operÂatÂed a small marine serÂvice busiÂness and I think I spent more time restorÂing old boats for peoÂple than I did buildÂing new ones. SufÂfice-it-to-say that I nevÂer built a comÂpleteÂly new boat for myself, in all of the years that I spent workÂing on-or buildÂing boats for othÂer peoÂple. I just nevÂer had the time, or the timÂing was just nevÂer right…take your pick.
I have finalÂly arrived a point in my life where there is a lull. And as Andy said, “men build boats because they can’t have babies”…so, so true. I mean I nevÂer wantÂed to have a baby myself. I have a cat! Which in my honÂest opinÂion is a betÂter choice for a conÂfirmed bachÂeÂlor. HowÂevÂer, breathÂing life into an inanÂiÂmate object that is then slatÂed to ply it’s exisÂtence to someÂthing as ancient as the sea and othÂer watery byways of this world, is quite posÂsiÂbly one of the sinÂgle most honÂorÂable and/or optiÂmistic endeavÂors that any human being can engage in.
I just leased a small shop space here in ChonÂburi, ThaiÂland right beside a series of small lakes and only about 5 kiloÂmeÂters to the Gulf of ThaiÂland. I chose this place, so that I could easÂiÂly do water tests in proÂtectÂed waters, before venÂturÂing offÂshore. I’m going to design every sinÂgle piece of this boat and innoÂvate as many aspects of it as I can. I don’t care if it takes 6 months, or 6 years to do it. And along the way I am planÂning on buildÂing some smallÂer craft and sellÂing them here and there. There are so many free small boat designs out there that have stood the tests of time and they cost virÂtuÂalÂly nothÂing to creÂate.
Maybe someÂday, I’ll make a docÂuÂmenÂtary as well.
Kai-Tiki-Nui