One of the first great seafaring peoples, the Vikings who came from where we now call Scandinavia, were not only terrific sailors but very effective at laying waste and pillaging. More recently they have become much more respectable and now conquer the world with their flat-pack furniture.
The New World has also produced some fine mariners and boat builders, as you might expect anywhere man has settled near the ocean.
Now from Sydney, Australia, a town with easy access to the sea via a very sailable harbor, a small family company has combined the art of traditional boatbuilding with the modern advantages of the flat-pack.
Balmain Boats creates DIY rowboats and sailboats ‘which are simple to put together, and are all about making parents and grandparents look like legends.’
Says designer and co-founder Andrew Simpson: “I love the prospect of engaging people with building something with their hands again.”
It should take about 16 hours to put a boat together with two or more motivated people. Allow a couple of weekends and you have your classic timber clinker boat. The kit contains everything but the paint and oars. For a mere $1700. Plus shipping. The standard timber is pine, although you can customize with your wood of choice.
Do you have kids or grandkids? Are you still young at heart? Are you within reach of a shining stretch of water? Is adventure still on your agenda?
Find your inner Viking at www.thebalmainboatcompany.com
