Workshop visit: The Boudalas family is the third generation to manufacture historical model ships
The Northern Sporades are known for their beautiful anchor bays and partly densely wooded islands. Skopelos town on the island of the same name is considered the pearl of the Aegean archipelago in terms of tourism. The further you work your way up the steeply ascending alleyways, the quieter it gets. As many roads are impassable for cars, some services such as rubbish collection are still carried out by donkey. The whitewashed houses are adorned with orange trees, vines and oleanders and flanked by purring cats.
Bountalas Shipbuilding, the model building yard of the Boudalas family, is located in one such house, somewhat off the beaten track in a less touristy part of the picturesque harbour town. If you don't know this, you won't realise what treasures are stored here. But when you enter, you will hardly be able to stop marvelling. In the centre of the room is a huge model of the "HMS Victory", the flagship that led Lord Nelson into the famous naval battle of Trafalgar. The masts reach up to the ceiling and, including the mighty bowsprit, the model ship measures a full four metres.
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However, it is not just the dimensions that are impressive. Rather, it is the countless details that have obviously been created and assembled with loving Sisyphean labour. However, the hull is so solidly built that the ship could easily be ice-classed. If a real crew in Gulliver format were on hand, they could operate the countless lines and actually sail the faithfully recreated battleship as if it were the real "HMS Victory", which is still moored in Portsmouth in the south of England and is considered to be the oldest warship in service in the world.
Triantafyllos Boudalas became a model shipbuilding pioneer in Greece
The Boudalas family has been building ships for over 200 years and is now in its seventh generation. They used to be much bigger than the impressive miniature version of the "HMS Victory". The first generations even had their own shipyards in Constanza, Romania, and Tampa, Florida. But they were drawn back to their Greek homeland, where they worked as shipbuilders in the island's traditional shipbuilding companies, the Tarsanades.
In the 1970s, however, the shipyards on the beaches had to close to make room for the emerging tourism industry. The expected income from hotels and catering weighed much more heavily in the government's considerations than shipbuilding, which was usually loss-making anyway. And sentimentality was no longer an option. In order to make a living, Triantafyllos Boudalas made a virtue of necessity and began to build true-to-scale replicas of famous sailing ships. He channelled all his knowledge into building model ships and it was important to him to use only original materials.
Triantafyllos Boudalas not only became a model shipbuilding pioneer in Greece, he was also able to preserve his traditional profession and pass on all his knowledge to his children Yannis and Nina, who have continued the micro-craft and are currently also training their own daughter Rigina. Yannis Boudalas, a second-generation model shipbuilder, uses his technical knowledge as an electrician to bring the interior of the model ships to life with lighting. This modern touch gives the historic ships an extra touch of magic and makes children's eyes light up in particular.
The workshop has now become a small museum
Nevertheless, he also upholds the old traditions and superstitions of the shipwrights by only delivering the ships in the phase of the moon when there is symbolically enough water under the keel. Even the nails must not be hammered in during the shadow, as this is said to bring bad luck.
All the small details of the ships are carved from wood and all the fittings are handmade. Apart from the materials and the attention to detail, another unique feature of the Boudalas models is the minimal use of decorative colours. Instead, a matt lacquer or wax is used so that all the details of the ship's construction made from local Skopelos walnut wood remain visible.
Yannis Boudalas' daughter Rigina is studying archaeology, but spends every spare minute in the workshop honing her skills and telling interested guests about her family history. "One of our grandfather's best customers was the now deceased shipowner Stravelakis. He made over 30 pieces for him. Thanks to his connections, he was able to obtain the blueprints for my father from the British Admiralty. I remember that we also made a German model and Stravelakis then gave it to the then German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt. US President George Bush senior was presented with a model of the frigate 'USS Constitution'. Most of our works can be found in the private collections of shipbuilders, doctors, politicians and many artists."
However, it has become much more difficult to sell the large models, which is why the workshop has now become a small museum. In addition to the "HMS Victory", there are other impressive models to marvel at, such as the tea clipper "Cutty Sark", the "Bounty" and a Greek galley. Replica figureheads, historical shipbuilding tools and photographs can also be found in the small hall.
Yannis Boudalas worked on the "HMS Victory" for ten to twelve hours a day for over a year
However, although their craft is about to be recognised as a Greek cultural asset, the family can no longer make a living from it. Yannis and his daughter therefore also work on small models that are sold as souvenirs - an attempt to make their art accessible to visitors from all over the world and keep the legacy of their ancestors alive.
However, the selling price and the actual value based on the amount of work involved will never be in the right proportion to each other. To put it in perspective: Yannis Boudalas worked on his life's work, the "HMS Victory", for ten to twelve hours a day for over a year. However, the family is not interested in making big money. They are proud of their maritime heritage and happy to pass it on to the next generation once again.
The model shipbuilding workshop
The Boudalas family has been involved in shipbuilding for seven generations and more than 200 years. Today, they run a model shipyard in Skopelos, Greece, on the Sporades Islands. Here, father Yannis and daughter Rigina Boudalas work hand in hand on the impressive miniature replicas of historical ships that are commissioned by museums and collectors. Workshops are also part of the Boudalas' business, where they pass on their knowledge to interested modellers.
- More information: bountalas-shipbuilding.gr
The article first appeared in YACHT Classic 2/2024.
