I won’t lie, I’ve been SO excited about hosting the first ever Wooden Boatopia Council Meeting, the Floating Stories Lab’s advisory board of professional wooden boat builders, experienced sailors, and marine industry thought leaders. And today we did it, we came together from France, the United Kingdom and Brazil, untied the lines and held our first meeting.
It’s an idea I’d nurtured since we attended the GRP Symposium ‘End of Life Boats: bridging the gap between science and policy’ at the University of Brighton last summer, when we began exploring the question: ‘Can boat building be regenerative?.’ In sharing our project, hand-building a Wharram Designs Narai Mk IV wooden catamaran to create a research and storytelling sailboat studio, we realized we were not alone: others in the community were aligned with our ethos and eager to share knowledge, advice, and, genuinely, help.
What if we could bring some of these wonderful folks together? I thought.
The Wooden Boatopia Council was thus created as an online community space to exchange industry knowledge and share updates on the progress of our boat build, along with spotlighting the work and journeys of our members.
These meetings will be recorded and shared first EXCLUSIVELY with our paid Substack members before publication on YouTube and here on our blog (aside from early access, Substack members get the videos ad free - winning).
Thank you so much for being here. Do leave a comment and, by all means, any questions you may have for future council meetings in the subscriber chat group (available on the Substack app and on web). We can’t wait to be doing these meetings from the actual boat build space down the track, possibly live?!
- Angie
P.S. The word ‘Boatopia’ is inspired by Monika Bielskyte’s Protopia Futures Manifesto and her ongoing work in this field of research. I will dedicate an entire post to this in the future. It’s truly valuable and inspiring work.
The First Wooden Boatopia Council Meeting was held on Tuesday 4th February, 2025.
Notes:
The recording platform does not enable a tiled view recording; what you see is full screen display of the person speaking. I’m not hot on this format and may switch platforms in the future to enable a tiled view, which is what participants see when attending live.
Obi and Otto were joining from a public space battling background noise and resorting to the chat box to communicate. Unfortunately, the chat box doesn’t show up in the recording.
Two of our council members, Heike Lowenstein and Belinda Joslin, were unable to join today’s call. We look forward to them joining down the track.
Pascal Petit, whom we mention in the call, is a French wooden boatbuilding elder and our closest offline advisor.
Participants
Hanneke Boon , Kiana Weltzien, Obioma Oji, Otto Marples, Angie & Remy Richard
(Explore the council member bios here: https://www.voyagevirage.com/wooden-boatopia-council).
Meeting summary
Introductions and Backgrounds: The meeting began with introductions, where members shared their experiences in boat building and design. Hanneke discussed her extensive experience with various boat-building methods and materials, emphasizing the importance of building and sailing boats for a designer. Otto and Obi shared their focus on sustainability and progressive boat design. Kiana recounted her Wharram Narai Mk I Mara Noka reift, as well as her experience previously living and working with Hans Klaar on Ontong Java. Angie explained how she and Remy became interested in Wharrams through working on Kiana’s upcoming Women & the Wind documentary leading to their decision to build a Narai Mark IV.
Building Techniques and Design: The discussion moved to building techniques, with a focus on the Narai Mark IV 1:10 scale model that Angie and Remy are building. Hanneke provided advice on bulkhead and stringer construction, highlighting the importance of simplicity and accessibility for self-builders. The group also discussed the use of CAD and physical models in the design process.
Materials and Sustainability: A significant portion of the conversation revolved around boat-building materials, particularly plywood. The participants weighed the pros and cons of different types of plywood, considering factors like cost, sustainability, and local availability. The use of epoxy and other materials like fiberglass and sheathing was also discussed.
Rot and Durability: The council members shared their experiences with rot and material durability, emphasizing the importance of proper sealing and maintenance. They discussed the susceptibility of different woods to rot, and the role of moisture and condensation in the degradation process.
Fundraising News!
We now have a ‘Buy Me a Coffee’ fundraising page, but instead of a café, you can chip in $5 to buy us a ‘bit of wood’ for our Narai Mk IV build (the REAL thing, not the model).
