A Tradition Worth Keeping
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
It begins, as it always has, with a set of lines drawings and some good quality timber, finely sharpened tools and lots of patience. The deceptively demanding task of shaping a half model is an exercise every boatbuilding apprentice undertakes as part of their MAST training.
In much the same way a CAD model or 3D rendering is used today to present and approve a design, half models once served as the shipwright’s blueprint: a three-dimensional form that captured the final vision and guided the build.
So why does the tradition still matter? As Training Advisor Mike Birdsall explains, “By shaping and fairing a scale model of one half of the hull, apprentices take on a surprising depth of learning, it’s as much a visual and tactile judgement as it is a technical one.”
Not all apprentice half-models are made the same way, but the discipline is always the same. Fairing the hull, the process of shaping the surface so its lines flow smoothly without bumps or dips, is where the real craft begins.
“Every measurement, every curve, every spacing decision must be calculated and consistent,” says Mike. “It’s a lesson in precision and in understanding that a small error at scale can become a much larger problem at full size.”
When the model is finished, it’s more than a completed assessment – it’s a nod to a time when hull form was everything and the knowledge of shaping a vessel was passed down through generations. While technology can generate the form, it still takes a trained eye and hand to judge it. “It’s evidence of a capable pair of hands,” says Mike. “In the oldest sense of the word, it’s a piece of craft.”
Vincent Terzieff:
Carrying the lines forward
Recent graduate Vincent Terzieff began his journey restoring boats alongside his father, an early connection to timber and tradition that carried through his apprenticeship at Lees Boatbuilders in Sandspit.
His half model of the Jack Logan designed Ruru, a vessel recently restored by Lees, became a natural continuation of work he had already been part of. Built in the same Sapele Mahogany as the boat, the model echoes the character and lines.
With no surviving plans, the design was redrawn by MAST Training Advisor Mike Birdsall, while Vincent’s hands-on experience of the restoration brought the depth of understanding to the build. The finished model was gifted to the owner of Ruru, a fitting end to a project that reflects both craftsmanship and continuity, carried forward by hand, eye and experience.
