It’s been just a week since the big cleaving day here at the boatyard and the oak from Vallø is proving its worth. The initial cleave into halves took slightly longer than expected, perhaps because the first split followed a slight curve in the fibres of the oak, resulting in a larger surface area that needed to be cleaved than would have been the case if it had split straight down the middle. However, the following cleaving into quarters, eighths and so on has gone perfectly and the boatbuilders are more than happy with the quality of the wood.
Like any craft involving organic materials, the boatbuilders work with the wood involves all of their senses. Wood is a living material and while some standard theories and approaches can be applied – the fact that cutting across the grain rather than following the fibres reduces the flexibility of the finished plank, for example – the wood itself will often dictate the course and success of any given project. It’s therefore not really surprising that their relationship with the material they work with becomes quite a sensory one. As soon as the oak was cleaved in two, they were leaning in over it to check the oak’s scent; the sharp, clean scent of the tannin indicated that the oak was a good choice.
This interplay between the boatbuilders physical perception of their medium is something that continues daily, more than likely completely unbeknownst to them. It’s not unusual to observe them chopping away with an axe, only to stop suddenly, reach down and break off a small piece and hold it to their nose for a few seconds before discarding it again – a subconscious act that all the time underlines the inherently high standards they set not only for the wood they work with, but also for the finished boat that they are labouring to produce.
The first planks are well on the way to completion and the stems have been raised and joined to the keel (more on that anon…). The Danish ‘summer’ might be putting a damper on the weather around the boatyard, but it’s certainly not having any impact on the boatbuilders’ enthusiasm.
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