Was Jesus a sailor?
That could well be the case! Because although a manger boat is not mentioned in the Bible, I believe that Joseph, Mary and Jesus travelled by boat when they fled from Judea to Egypt. I rule out the overland journey through the desert with a newborn baby. As Joseph was known to be skilful with his hands, I think they were more likely to have travelled by boat. This means that Jesus was already sailing as an infant.
How did you come to express this idea by building cot boats?
After an exhibition of my model boats built from driftwood a few years ago, I was asked by the two organisers of the annual nativity scene exhibition in Doberlug-Kirchhain to make a nativity scene boat. I didn't know what it was at the time. They gave me the lyrics to the well-known Advent carol "Es kommt ein Schiff geladen" and explained it to me. I then built a nativity boat out of Danish driftwood. People here, far away from the coast, liked it too. So I continued to build nativity boats.
What material do you use to build the boats?
I use natural materials, various types of paper, metal and plastic. I even had a cot boat cast in bronze. Just anything I can think of and work with.
Are you also planning a sailing cot ship, or is one your hobby and the other your art?
I actually have large model sailing boats from two to three metres upwards that I sail. I've also had a cot boat floating in the washbowl, but outside they would tip over immediately without a keel. They are more of a decoration.
And you are currently on an exhibition tour ...
Yes! I have already built more than 35 cot boats in different sizes and from a wide variety of materials. I spent a week with 20 of them in Stralsund at the end of November, then just under a week in the Seafarers' Church in Prerow, and finally I was in the Ludgeruskirche on Norderney on the third weekend of Advent. I was there the whole time to talk to visitors and answer questions.
How does the construction of a cot boat work?
Essentially, it starts with an idea for the material. This year, for example, I had the idea of building a cot boat out of amber. So I went to the amber manufactory in Ribnitz, where I looked at the material and bought a kilo of lentil-sized stones. I then pressed them onto glass fabric in epoxy resin to create the amber crib boat.
They also made one ...
That was last year, when I exhibited at a potter's on Rügen for the "Kunst :Offen" weekend. This gave me the idea of making a boat. So I cut out the pieces from the wet clay, we put it together and the potter then glazed and fired it. That's how my cot boat came about, complete with clay figures.
