UNDERWAY24
24
L
ong before we arrived
in the Solomon
Islands, Steve and I
heard about the carvings:
beautiful bowls, seductive
sea-creature figurines and
menacing masks, all hand-
carved from local hardwoods
and decorated with intri-
cate mother-of-pearl inlay.
It sounded lovely, but as I
looked around the small cabin
of Kate, our Newport 41, I
knew there was no place for
such souvenirs.
Ever the ideas man, Steve
came up with a plan. What if,
instead of buying carvings, we
got a tradesman to do inlay
on some existing woodwork
on board Kate? I thought it
was a great way to commem-
orate our time in the islands;
we could enjoy our souvenir
every day instead of stowing
it away for special occasions.
It was decided that the orig-
inal teak trim on the galley
countertop was the perfect
candidate for our experiment.
A few months later, among
the usual knickknacks on dis-
play ashore, we found a very
unusual piece: a wooden fish-
ing lure. Attention had been
paid to the fine details and
the finish work, two aspects
often overlooked. We asked
the carver if we could look at
the rest of his work and were
further impressed. We bought
the fishing lure and asked him
to come out to the boat to
discuss our project.Erol was quiet and thought-
ful as we explained our ideas
in a mix of English and
Solomon Island pidgin. We
discussed supplies needed and
the number of nautilus shells
required. He gave us a price
and a time frame to complete
the work, but still seemed ret-
icent. When I mentioned that
all the trim could be removed
and taken ashore, he thrust
out his hand to seal the deal.
I wandered up to Erol’shouse the next day to find
him busy at work. I sat for a
while and watched as he held
the piece of shell against the
sole of his foot and, with a
few quick strokes of a small
file, custom-shaped the nau-
tilus shell. After a few inches,
the bits of shell were glued in
place and the process began
again. He was focused and
precise, a true artisan at work.
A week later he paddled
out to Kate to deliver the lastpiece of trim. I invited him
down below to inspect the
work that had already been
installed. It was the first time
a boat owner had asked him
to do custom work. When
I asked him if he was happy
with the job, he gave a shy
smile and nodded, his eyes
full of pride. And that is the
memory that is etched not
only into our minds, but into
our countertops, too.
— Heather FrancisHEATHER FRANCISAN ARTIST’S
TOUCH
UNDERWAYErol, a carver in the Solomon Islands, braces the delicate shell pieces on his foot while he
shapes them (left). Each piece was then glued on the teak trim (right) for a unique souvenir.november/december 2016cruisingworld.comFrom textiles and woven goods to carvings, in every place we’ve
sailed, people are making and selling traditional handicrafts.
Commissioning local artisans to make specialty pieces or do cus-
tom work on board not only changes your living space, but it
might also change someone’s life.
In 2011 we visited Lape Island, Tonga, where the villagers
were making beautiful woven handicrafts and investing the
profits from the sales back into the community. When we
returned in 2013, the people had raised enough money to build
a concrete jetty, pave a walkway across the muddiest parts ofthe village, and pay for all the village children to go to school.
We asked them to weave a mat large enough to be installed as a
headliner on board Kate.
Working with local artisans is rewarding but does require
some planning. Give yourself time to research the local handicraft
scene so you get an idea of the styles and quality of goods being
produced. Doing so will also give you an idea about what would
be considered a fair price for the work commissioned. And most
of all, make sure you have ample time to allow for the inevitable
“island time” hiccups. — Heather FrancisTIPS FOR WORKING WITH ARTISANS