By Gail saunders, Conttributing Writer

erica@nasguard.com

Joseph Uriah Albury was born in Man-O-War Cay, Abaco on 6 October, 1944. He is a boat-builder as were his father Lewis Uriah Albury, grandfather Captain "Eddie" Albury and great-grandfather Thomas Albury, before him. He is also a descendant of Uriah Saunders of Green Turtle Cay. He was at the Island Roots Heritage Festival in Green Turtle Cay in May of this year (2006) demonstrating his tools, showing his models and giving dinghy demonstrations.

I interviewed Joe Albury in 1993 when I was doing research for the Smithsonian Folklife Festival held in Washington D.C. in 1994. I was impressed by his dedication and skill as a boat builder. He told me how he had learned the craft and how boats were built. But first it is necessary to describe the importance of boats in the Bahamas' early years.

Boat-building was, and is, important for The Bahamas. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries boats were essential. In Steve Dodge's words: "necessities rather than luxuries" in Abaco and all of the archipelago. Boats were needed to fish, to cross from the mainland to the cays and vice-versa and to travel to other islands. The sail-boat in the latter part of the nineteenth century was essential for "survival and success." Boats were needed not only in everyday life but also to sustain the farming, fishing and salt industries, the trade with Nassau and to maintain the sponge, turtle and fishing industries based in Nassau.

Dinghies measuring from 9-20 feet, could be handled by one or two men and were used to get from one settlement to another nearby, or to reach farming fields, to fish and gather sponges and conch.

'Smack boats' with similar lines to the dinghy but larger, had a single mast, and were used for fishing, (they had fish-wells) and conveying salt.

Sponging schooners had similar hull lines as dinghies, but were considerably longer, measuring 35-38 feet at the keel, and 50-55 feet overall. They had two masts and could carry a crew of up to twenty men in addition to six to ten dinghies. Fruit-carrying schooners were similar to sponging vessels.

After Joseph Albury left school in Man-O-War Cay at the age of sixteen, he began working with his father at boat-building down at his shed. His father, who died in 1993, had been building boats since 1927. Captain "Eddie" Albury, his grandfather, built boats in the nineteenth century and his great-grandfather, Thomas Albury earlier still. Joe Albury's ancestors built boats without plans or even writing down measurements. He admitted that he writes down some measurements for example, the width, length and depth of the vessel, but does not use plans.

Joe Albury specializes in building the Abaco dinghy and half models. He related

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how he builds the dinghies, prefacing his remarks by stressing that it is a slow process and hard work. He omitted adding that skill, creativity and endurance are required to build a boat.

To construct a boat, the timber must be obtained. This is usually achieved by going to the mainland of Abaco with a few helpers where madeira or 'horseflesh' are cut. Today, white cedar from the United States for the planking is usually imported. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, native pine would be cut from the forests. Alaskan cedar nowadays is usually imported to build the keel and Honduras mahogany is used for the transom.

The timber which is cut in the Abaco forests is soaked in salt water for six months to a year, or until the bark dropped off. Then the keel is laid, the stern, rib bands and frame and transom built - all from "mother's wit" - not from blueprints. After these are completed, the boat is planked with cedar or cypress. Then caulking, sanding, painting and sailmaking (if needed) fulfill the task which usually takes months, according to the size. Joe Albury builds a dinghy in about eight weeks. He still uses some traditional hand tools such as rib and table saws which were passed down to him by his grandfather and father. However, he admitted that he also uses power tools. Cutting down timber now is much easier and quicker using a chain saw than in the 'old' days when an axe was used.

Although Joe Albury is still building traditional Abaco dinghies, he also crafts model boats, furniture (such as rocking chairs), and bowls. The model boats and half models are quite popular -- especially at Christmas time-- and many orders are sent from overseas for these items. Joe Albury learned the skill of making model boats from an American model maker who lived in Connecticut. He added that he has also built houses.

Mr. Joseph Albury proudly represented The Bahamas as a Tradition Bearer at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in 1994 held in Washington D.C. During the ten day festival, he built an Abaco dinghy on the National Mall in Washington. More recently, in 2005, Joe Albury won the prestigious and coveted Cacique Award given by the Bahamas' Ministry of Tourism for his wooden boat models and his overall experience in boat-building.

He hopes that boat-building and model-building will continue, but admits that the young men today are tempted by other very lucrative industries like crawfishing and construction work. None of his relatives seems to be interested in boat-building. Let us hope that the craft and skills of boat-builders like Joe Albury will continue well into the future.