Wooden schooner Cassiopeia: Connection with nature

Wooden schooner Cassiopeia: Connection with nature: I have very special memories connected to Sečovlje salt-pans: my first sailing steps, pirate games and and very strong connection with natu...

Connection with nature

I have very special memories connected to Sečovlje salt-pans:
my first sailing steps, pirate games and and very strong connection with nature.

Salt flower geathered in a thin layer on the surface of the salt basins

 I've learnt many things about salt crystals. Alchemists believed salt was the fifth element after water, soil, air and fire.  

 Playing with my sister Lara

Sailing adventure with our dog Luna

WHY DO WE LOVE WOODEN SAILING BOATS?

My first sailing boat was wooden optimist »Sinji Galeb«. My family lives in Slovenia and we travelled every weekend 150 km away to the sea coast for sailing adventures. My first steps with the  wooden optimist started inside the channel of salt-pans. It took 40 tacks to come out of the channel. Follow the video which demonstrates two youngsters (my sister and me!) falling in love to optimist inside the most beautiful and protected area of Sečovlje salt-pans.

Constellation Cassiopeia

I'd like to thank all the followers for the nice comments on FB. Seems that some of us share the story about Cassiopeia constellation. There were some people in my surroundings that advised me to pick a local or Slovenian names for the new sailing boat. But for me the beauty of Cassiopeia on the northern sky was above everything. I wanted to demonstrate the connection between the sea and the stars and the story that is happening in between. The story about my dream and connection to nature and natural materials.
Follow the blog. I have lot's of interesting news to share.

The vision and the financial plan (with a little help of my parents)

If you want your (boat) dream come true, write down you project! Something like this:

PROJECT CASSIOPEIA 

From an innovative idea  to the realisation of a wooden boat  Cassiopeia

·         construction of the unique wooden boat

·         cooperation of different parties involved in the project: students, masters, pedagogues, artists,..

·         development of technical skills and creativity of young people

·         promotion of maritime education

·         promotion and preservation of maritime cultural traditions

·         preservation of skills for the construction of wooden barques

·         active tourism – a live story you can help to create

·         contact with nature – energy of the sea, wind, natural materials

·         multiplicative activity and creativity

Construction location: Marina Portorož

Duration: 2 – 3 years, beginning in June 2013

Cost estimate of the project: approx. 25,000 €

Boat name Cassiopeia, wooden schooner, 8 m long, 2 masts, wood iroko, oak, mahogany

STAGES OF CONSTRUCTION

Phase 1

·         provision of appropriate construction location

·         purchase of wood and tools

·         preparation of stencils; batten handling

·         making of boat keel

·         making and placing of boat ribs

Phase 2

·         construction of deck with a cabin

·         making of reinforcements; making of motor and anchor holders

·         making of planking; WEST system – two layers of planking; 1^st layer iroko horizontally; 2^nd layer mahogany diagonally

Phase 3

·         abrasion

·         completion of deck jobs

·         mast erection

Phase 4

·         equipment assembly

·         abrasion and painting

·         making of sails

It is clear that the project that I wrote first wasn't so detailed. As the time passed by the vision became clearer and it was necessary to write down all the details. Now I have something to show. Something usefull for my future. One of the most important support came from my family and the great part of the organization and logistics were realized with the help of my mom Judita and my dad David. Before any action we discussed every detail but we made some bad mistakes because of lack of boatbuilding experience. It was inevitable.
It's a kind of puzzle. You have all the pieces on the table, and you need to make order with that mass. And as the picture is becoming real you get filled with motivation, adrenaline, strenght ... Yeah!

WOODEN BOATS FROM MY SKETCH BOOK

Since I was very young I liked drawing wooden sailing boats. I have a black sketch book full of them.

 

 

About a week ago I heared a comment from an artist. He said: "When people ask me: 'When did you start to paint?' I always answer: 'When did you stop?!" 

He's so right! Why do people stop drawing? 

INSIDE THE TENT, WITH THE KEEL ON THE FLOR

It was a suffered decision to disassemble all the ribs, to throw away all the time we spent to build model the waterlines of Cassiopeia. But we didn't have another option then to move into the new tent and to follow the instructions of the only one who had an idea how to continue the work. 

I re-started rib by rib and with the help of Ivica and my father the boat was growing again. When you are creating something out of wood you have a feeling that nothing can stop you.

I remember that at the start of this adventure my plan was very simple: the boat will be finished in 2 years!

It's interesting to look at the people who are coming to visit me and Cassiopeia. They are always full of advices, sometimes they are jelous but most of them just admire the wooden creature in silence. They think I'm an expert, but this is my first boat...

Dolphins = my birthday present

My birthday is on Valantine's day and I received an amazing present. We went sailing with a ketch, but there was no wind and it looked like a boaring day. But after some time we met the dolphins....

But let me show you some pictures from the days when Cassiopeia was still into the Marina's hangar....

From Avgust to October 2013. 

I was 16 years old. 

My birthday is on Valantine's day and now I'm 18.

I think that the immages don't need additional words. If you have any question, 

please don't hesitate to post it on the blog. It will be a pleasure to answer you.

 

UPSIDE DOWN AND DOWNSIDE UP

As I discovered on you tube movies, the boat should be built upside down. 

I am still sure that it was a good idea. 

 And I started exactly in this way. Inside the Marina's hangar.

But if I wanted my shipwright to help me, I had no choice. 

I had to turn all the structure for 180 degrees,

 and we continued in a mixed classic and modern wooden shipbuilding way.

By the way, we had to moove out of the hangar, so I invested some money in a pvc tent.  

This was a good move. Working in peace!