BYYB Forums

Some detail photos of Spirit Wind. My father had a huge influence on this project. He was dying of cancer when we started it together. He never lived to see it get past the point where the cabin and sides were on the boat. He had an unbelievable interest in Pacific Northwest Coastal Indian culture, their art work and wood carving. His goal was always to carve a 50' totem pole, but he never got past the point of acquiring the Western Red Cedar log which he had covered up and air drying for years.

He carved a wooden mask from Alder which I have decided to use as a figurehead for Spirit Wind. I won't use his actual mask but rather will carve a copy to use. I have the wood and it is drying out to make the copy. I plan on mounting it on the front of the stem just below the bow pulpit.

Part of the boat that had more of a challenge for me was the incorporation of the trailboards. On Spirt Wind they also have a dual purpose. They serve to add additional support to the bow pulpit. I saw a street banner in Canada on a trip many years ago which had a stylized sea otter on it. I have been intrigued by that design so I decided to use it on the trailboards and made up my own version of it and then hand panted the trailboard with the sea otter design. This was fun to do and gave me something that I could do while my eyes were healing after surgery.


The inspiration for Spirit Wind is based a lot on legends. The legend of the Raven is a major part of the Coastal Indians culture. I painted a Ravens Head that I will also use as part of the design details on this project. It will be painted on a couple different areas of the cabin's main bulkhead companionway.


I also needed to fill some time and one thing I wanted to do was to make up a set of rope stropped blocks for Spirit Wind. I copied the design from The Marlinspike Sailer and got some elm to use to make them. Elm has an interlocking grain which makes it ideal to use for this type of project. It is also light weight and extremely resistant to splitting. I made up my own sheeves from UHMW in two different thicknesses. 3/8" and 1/2" for 5/16" line and 3/8" line. The rope is English Braids Three Strand Buff Polyester line which is wonderful to work with to make up the grommets. I got the brass thimbles from Duckworks. I made up singles, singles with beckets, doubles, doubles with becket and fiddle blocks. Some for 5/16' line and some for 3/8" line. Soaked the shells in boiling linseed oil until they off gassed from the grain and wouldn't absorb any more oil. Then let them dry for a week and buffed them out. This was a totally satisfying project.

As things get further along I'll show how they are incorporated in the finished boat.

Wow Barry you are quite an artist, you did all these drawings after eye surgury? I am truly impressed and those blocks are awsome I may have to give them a try, they look authentic.
You boiled them in linseed oil? interesting.

Brian.

Talk about blending into your surroundings, wow. I fell in love with the northwest culture in college where I took a class on American Indians. When We visited that area and walked through the museums and saw all the art around the area I just loved it. Spirit Wind is truly unique. I can't wait to see you launch it.

I have had the drawings and some paintings of the Raven, one on cedar that I've had hanging over the entrance to my boatshed for quite awhile. Now it hangs in my office over my computer desk.
The trailboards sea otter motif was worked out after my Admiral/First Mate/sailing buddy and I were discussing my original thoughs to have a vine type scroll work routed into them instead. Then gold leafed. Not really in keeping with the Coastal Indian Art and Carving influences. :oops:
So, with her encouragement and some (occasionally not so) subtle pressure, she convinced me that the sea otter idea would be more inkeeping and more consistent with the theme. When we were talking about it initially, I didn't have much clear vision in my right eye, and multiple images in my left eye with a catract to cloud things up. But I got the design and the drawings worked out and she was very enthusiastic about me proceeding with them. Woked a little and had to take a vision break. And on and on. But I finally got them done and now that I can actually see them clearly, they will do just fine I think. I have a large Thunderbird spread that I could use on the main sail but I think that is going a bit too far. There will be other carvings and paintings that get added as time goes on and I get motivated to get them done. Right now, it is get it finished time and in the water.
I can really get into the Coastal Indian art and carving too. There is such a rich and vibrant history there before the white man come in and virtually destroyed their entire culture. I follow the carving of ceremonial canoes now at the Center for Wooden boats in Seattle and see the cross cultural enthusiasm with the youth working on them. See the rebirth of interest in the Coastal communities here. The incredible art and carving that is being done and can't help but admire all of the history that goes with it. Not into carving a totem pole though. But maybe work on a canoe one day though if I get the chance.

Ahoy Barry,

Your boat is coming together quite well and quite beautifully. Like others, I really like the theme, the coloring, and of course, the carvings.

You're paying a great attention to detail, and that shows. Any idea when you might finish? (If you're like I am, I have no idea when my own boat may be finished.)

Good luck on your boatbuilding, and keep sending us photos of your updates!