Maritime Carvings

Anybody do any Maritime Carvings?
I'm excited about starting on a set of trailboards for a classic Chesapeake Bay Skipjack.
I finished going over the art work with the customer last night, and will start carving tonight. It was a lot of fun learning the history of the boat and meeting the man who built her almost 50 years ago. He showed me all of his carvings that he has done over the years. Man, I can't wait to get home and start.

??? At the risk of sounding uninformed (stupid), what is a trailboard? I assume a skipjack is a type of boat, and the trailboard is maybe a steering mechanism????

Hey, I'm in the Heart of America. I couldn't be farther from the ocean!

Anyway, you can tell I've done no maritime carving. But, good luck with yours!
8)

Trailboards are the long decorative boards that are on the bows of ships on both sides of the boat. If you look at a photo of an old sail sailing vessal you will see them somtimes behind a large figurehead. These trailboards were a way that you could personalize your ship. They are done in relieve carving and inculde the flag, cannons, the name of the ship, and some type of personal signage as well. I started on them last night, should take about 30 - 40 days to complete.

Rando.....Don't feel bad, I didn't know what a trailboard was either.
Seems to me that if it was called a trailboard, that it would be on the stern. Guess that's why I'm not a sailor.
Next question is : How big is a skipjack? :-[

Thanks for clearing that up Wood Butcher!
30 - 40 days? Sounds like a big project. I wish you luck.
What kind of wood are you using?
Hand tools or power tools?
Keep us up to date!

Hey Grumpy, it's good to know I'm not alone.

Skipjacks average about 65ft. overall length. and displace about 22 tons. They are the oldest fleet of sailing vessals still used for fishing. I'm using mahogany, carving down the big stuff with power and finishing with knivies and chisels. Man is fun, I worked 10 hrs. nonstop on Sunday.

[squbrigg]

John T,

Was going over old messages and came across this. How did those trailboards ever turn out? Did you continue to carve them in different styles?

Bob