ALL | BLOG | PRESS RELEASE | SHIPBUILDING | NEWS
Three Months Building CEIBA
Manu, a shipbuilder from Belgium, joined SAILCARGO in October 2020, and since then he has been an important member of the team responsible for raising, assembling and fairing the last stern half frames. Three months after and with almost all the frames in place, Manu gives us an insight into his days at the shipyard.
Finished Framing
After bringing all of the largest interior timbers inside the ship the last frames were installed. Once everything was inside we raised the stern half frames. These half frames are raised one side at a time and connected over the deadwood. Now that the framing is complete interior decks and planking can begin.
Video: Finishing Framing - An update on Past Works
Gallery: Finishing Framing
Bilge Riders Installed
We have installed the bilge riders. We steamed the long pieces using a wood-fired low-pressure water boiler designed and constructed by Jeroen Visser from the Netherlands.
IG TV: Steam-Bending Bilge Riders
On the Turn
Shipbuilder Elly joined our team in October 2019 and has spent most of her time working on Ceiba’s framing stage and in the wood workshop. In this blog she explains the process of making coaks and trunnels after eleven months at the shipyard.
Rig on a Brig
This article is our “Introduction to Rigging”. Polish shipwright Artur is design the rigging for our vessel Ceiba and gives some insight into the first steps of this lengthy process.
Light at the End of the Ship
Photographer Jeremy Starn writes about his experience taking and sharing pictures at the shipyard. He talks about what it’s like to photograph in the tropics and at a jungle shipyard. Using a few photos as examples, he recalls stories of different images and how they came about.
Finished Stern Deadwoods
The deadwoods are the aftermost massive timbers that create the backbone portions of our ship Ceiba. They are strategically positioned in an interlocking pattern to offer support for the stern half frames, rudder, transom, and propellers. There are twelve deadwoods in total, counting the stern post knee.
Gallery: Stern Deadwoods
Keelson Installed
The keelson has been put up and bolted into place. The massive bolts hold the keelson, frames, and the keel together. Fastening the keelson included drilling and bolting thirty holes, one for every full frame.
Stern & Rudder Post Erection
The vertical elements at the stern of the ship, extending from keel to deck, will be installed shortly. With our strong team, we are able to hoist all of the pieces by hand, as we did with the stem. Keep an eye on our social media channels (Instagram is best!) to see live-content while the assembly is taking place.
Video: Raising the Stern Post
Gallery: The Stern Post
On the Horizon
To properly build our ship, the order in which things are done is critical. This journal entry is aimed at giving you a deeper insight into what is happening in the weeks to come; complete with technical information, terms and diagrams.
A Different Life
Two years ago Davys and his wife decided to leave the busy capital of Costa Rica to move to this little village, Punta Morales. Here Davys did not only find tranquility and a beautiful place to raise their son, but also employment at the shipyard and a new found passion for sustainability and wooden shipbuilding.
Regenerative Provisioning
Shani gives us an insight into the thoughts behind moving towards provisioning regeneratively. The ideas that support self-sufficiency and true sustainability, from growing more food onsite to sourcing package-free grains, are gradually evolving in the visual introduction to this project.
Gammon Knee Installed
The stem received its crown on March 25th. The cutwater, the forwardmost point of the ship, finally rested in its rightful place. The gammon knee is made out of pure Guapinol hardwood and weighs about 320 kg (700lbs+).
Video: Hoisting the Gammon Knee
When All Comes Together
For the third time Iris came to Costa Rica to join us at our shipyard. In the past eight months while she was gone we hired many more Costa Ricans from our community in Punta Morales. In this post Iris describes how it is to work with people from so many different backgrounds.
Harder than Steel
British/Mexican shipwright Pablo Cruz Gilmour dives into his experiences building Ceiba’s frames, working with a variety of local hardwoods and how they are sourced. Technical and informal, this post is full of all the hands-on information woodworkers are so eager to know.
Framing at a Glance
Accomplished captain and shipwright Zeal from Washington describes his experience of working on the framing stage in this blog post, “Framing at a Glance”. Combining technical detail with elegant prose, this post is well worth reading.
One Year Anniversary
Just one year ago we laid Ceiba’s keel. It feels like yesterday, but the impressive size this ship has grown, and clearly shows the time that has passed since this day. We celebrated this day with a talent show inside of Ceiba and with a special video release.
Video: 2019 Year In Review