Art | Ship Model
Ship Model
A wooden ship model, loosely inspired by a traditional Frisian skûtsje, that I worked on from 2017 to 2026 in my grandfather’s garage.What began as a simple carved hull grew over nine years into a fully rigged and painted model, with a detailed deck and interior. Only the sails are still missing.
Nine Years in the Making
Where it started
The same boat
At the beginning it still looked like a toy — the details came over the nine years that followed.
The starting point was a simple carved hull with a small deckhouse. The overall shape was already there, but almost everything that would eventually give the model its character still had to be made.
The first form
The bare hull
The hull was hollowed out and the deck structures were roughly put in place; the interior was still open and the individual parts were still loose.
This was the stage where the original carved shape began turning into the structure that would eventually support the rest of the model.
Hull and deck
Planking and first details
Plank by plank, the hull took on its final shape. The first details followed: the leeboard, anchors, hatches and parts of the deck fittings.
From this point on, the model started looking less like a rough wooden form and increasingly like a real vessel.
The fit-out
Mast, bowsprit and details
The mast, bowsprit and boom were added, followed by the anchors and an increasing number of smaller fittings. The model also stood on its display base for the first time.
The main structure was now largely complete. What remained was mostly rigging, finishing, paint and the many small details that would bring the whole model together.
The model · 2017–2026
Complete up to the sails
Fully rigged, painted and mounted on its base — nine years after the first cut.
The rigging, flag, deck details and finishing are all in place. Only the sails are still missing.
Interior
Inside the hold
The interior received its own set of details as well. Rope, chain, canvas and small pieces of equipment are stored inside the hold.
Much of this is barely visible from the outside, which made it one of the parts where the model went beyond simply reproducing the external shape of the ship.