Chip Flanagan Boat Builder - Half Hull Models



I have been carving half-hull models since rediscovering the antique builder's model twenty years ago. As seen mounted on the wall, each builder's model captures an intriguing sense of Maritime History, combining the art of hull shape, fine craftsmanship, and an old design method. Maine ship and boatbuilding often required the use of half-hull models in the design and construction of ships, schooners, and fishing boats. As a boatbuilder, I enjoy and often depend on the experience of carving a half-hull model to assist me in seeing the shape of a boat. The process of sculpting a half-hull out of wood while keeping to the parameters of the original design allows me to express my interest in the form and function of traditional boats. Over the years I have had several opportunities to measure original builder's half-hull models of Maine schooners. While working in local boatyards, I have also made the effort to measure and photograph lobsterboats during haulouts. From this research I have assembled a selection of designs which I now offer as half-hull model replicas. Hand carved in native wood, these historic models provide a visual link to Maine's working watercraft.