Traditional Boat-building – Authentic Jamaica

Traditional Boat Building

If we were looking for a small fishing boat, most of us would check Craigslist or the local marine store. Not so here in rural Robins Bay! Justice of the Peace Mr. Ben Smith (known hereabouts as Uncle Ben) and two friends traveled several miles down the coast where they felled a 65 foot silk cotton (Ceiba) tree, cut it into two sections, then roughly hollowed it out for transport back to Ben’s yard. Over the last few months, they have cut, axed, hoed, hatcheted, adged, and shaped the logs into two boats, 16 and 12 feet long respectively, which will be sealed with mastic and brightly painted. Launching is still weeks away but Uncle Ben knows he wants to christen his boat “Give Thanks;” his neighbor Clarke plans to name his 12 footer “Moby Dick.”

The Tradition of Taino Canoe Building

What Ben and Clarke are accomplishing is in the authentic Taino tradition of canoe building. The Taino Indians thrived in the Caribbean until they were challenged by the Caribs in the 1300s, then by the Spanish in the late 1400s. Ceiba trees make excellent canoes: the wood is light, the trunks straight and massive. Columbus was known to be impressed by the size and sophistication of the Taino canoes. The photo here does not do justice to the immensity of Ben and Clarke’s work!

When asked which fish he likes to catch, Uncle Ben once quipped “The one that sells the most!” Most local fishermen set fish pots or use hand lines to catch butterfish, parrotfish, and doctorfish though snapper, spiny lobster, and yellow-fin tuna bring a better price from the area higgler. When you come to Green Castle Estate, you might just see Ben and Clarke’s boats at sea. When they’re back on shore, check out their fine craftsmanship.

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 18th, 2010 at 3:52 pm and is filed under Jamaican News, Vacationing in Jamaica. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.