Legacy in Wood
Wooden vessels have been essential to life in Ketchikan. The rich Native cultures of Southeast Alaska were supported by the mobility afforded by their superbly-adapted wooden canoes. Likewise, in the road-less, water-bound world of the early non-Native settlers, wooden-hulled workboats were indispensable.
A properly maintained wooden boat can last well over 100 years, but it demands attention. Wood is subject to expansion and contraction. In order to keep the wooden planks swollen and close together, a boat needs to be in the water. Yet, wet wood in our environment is an ideal location for algae growth and rot. When a wooden boat is out of the water, its planks can separate and cause leaks. Maintaining a wooden boat requires constant diligence!
Modern materials that require minimal maintenance have revolutionized the maritime industry. Following World War II, aluminum, fiberglass, and plastic resins became viable for hull construction. The affordability and low maintenance of these materials helped create a boom in recreational boating.
Although fewer wooden boats are on the water these days, some captains still favor them for their exceptional craftsmanship and durability and many of us appreciate their stories.
A properly maintained wooden boat can last well over 100 years, but it demands attention. Wood is subject to expansion and contraction. In order to keep the wooden planks swollen and close together, a boat needs to be in the water. Yet, wet wood in our environment is an ideal location for algae growth and rot. When a wooden boat is out of the water, its planks can separate and cause leaks. Maintaining a wooden boat requires constant diligence!
Modern materials that require minimal maintenance have revolutionized the maritime industry. Following World War II, aluminum, fiberglass, and plastic resins became viable for hull construction. The affordability and low maintenance of these materials helped create a boom in recreational boating.
Although fewer wooden boats are on the water these days, some captains still favor them for their exceptional craftsmanship and durability and many of us appreciate their stories.
Dennis Diamond demonstrates caulking (pronounced corking) the wooden tugboat A1 on July 31, 2005. Traditionally, caulking is a rhythmic motion to drive cotton and oakum, a tarred fiber, into the seam between planks with a mallet (also known as a beetle) and a broad chisel-like tool called a caulking iron. Dennis worked for Tongass Boat Works in his youth and later was a civilian employee for the U.S. Coast Guard. Film by Terry Richardson.