S/V Barefoot: Cat Island - Bahamian Racing Sloop Building

April 3, 2015

We have been anchored in New Bight, Cat Island for a little over a week and have had the honor of watching a master boat builder building a "C" Class Bahamian Racing Sloop.

'Catch da Cat' - the "C" Class sloop under construction.
It has been a number of years since Cat Island has had a boat, so this is a revival of a tradition of great sailors here on Cat.

We met Mark Knowles of Mangrove Bush, Long Island here last year. He and his wife Lori were living on Cat Island while Mark was heading up a sea-wall construction project along some of the low-lying sections of the main highway.

At that time Mark was building a small fishing boat for Duke of Duke's Conch Stand. Watching Mark build the boat with traditional techniques was interesting. We knew that Mark built and sailed Bahamian racing sloops, but we really had no idea that he was arguably the best boat builder in the Bahamas.

After our visit here last year, internet research indicated that Mark was a well-known third+ generation boat builder and sailor. This year as we traveled through the Bahamas, we found that mention of Mark's name was held in awe by knowledgeable Bahamian sailors. Just an example - when we were talking to Berky Wright of Black Point, owner of the "C" class sloop "Lady Eunice", he said "Mark built my boat. He is the best boat-builder in the Bahamas".

We really did not expect Mark to be here this year, assuming that the sea-wall would be long finished. But he was called back to add some additional sections to the sea-wall and he started a number of boat building projects here on Cat Island. We also think that, although Long Islanders by heritage, Mark and Lori are becoming Cat Islanders - we expect to see them here a lot in the future.

First a little bit about Bahamian racing sloops. They are 'rocket-ships' of sail boats, carrying 'insane' amount of sail. They are sailed by 4-5 man crews. Most of the responsibility of the crew is to act as 'rail-meat' as they perch on a hiking board (or gang-plank as Mark calls it) to balance the large amount of sail. They are largely open boats and typically take on water as they race. They have bilge pumps, but if the battery dies or they hit an unusual wake, it is not uncommon for them to sink. Mark told a great story about racing to the finish in the Georgetown Regatta, when a large motor yacht passed kicking up a wake that swamped the boat. The crew went in, but Mark scampered up the mast and into a nearby dinghy as the boat sank - he claims he never even got wet - now that is a Bahamian seaman! Not to worry, the water is not that deep where they race and they re-float the boats with inflatable bags.

About the only difference between how Mark builds a boat and how his grandfather would build one, is the use of power tools; It was all hand saws and planes in the old days - now it is chain saws and other power tools, But the basic construction technique remains the same.

Following is a few pictures from the traditional boat building process:

Keel has been laid and ribs and framing in process

Prow of the boat cut from a root of a native tree.
The section of log used is selected for a natural shape similar to the desired part.
It is then cut with a chainsaw and shaped with planes

This is the piece of root from which the prow was cut

Ribs in process

More ribs in process

Ribs bolted together and to the keel

40' mast for a 17' boat - hollow box construction
A face and edge being glued together on right
The second face and edge lying on the ground to the left