Boatbuilding in the Bahamas - A Legacy of Craftsmanship and Culture

The Bahamas, a nation of more than 700 islands and cays, has a deep-rooted maritime tradition that has shaped its history, economy, and cultural identity. Among the most iconic aspects of this tradition is the time-honored craft of wooden boatbuilding.

The Origins of Bahamian Boatbuilding

Boatbuilding in the Bahamas began in the early colonial period when settlers, including Loyalists fleeing the American Revolution in the late 18th century, brought their seafaring knowledge to the islands. An abundance of native hardwoods (mahogany, lignum vitae, horseflesh, madeira – prized for their strength, durability, and resistance to rot) and pine, allowed settlers to craft dinghies, sloops and schooners to provide a means of inter-island transport, trade, communication.

A 1775 report by Governor Brown reported on the excellent timber found in the Bahamas for boat building. He observed Bahamian-built craft were used for wrecking, and carrying oranges, braziletto wood, cedar, lemons and pineapples to the Caribbean and the Americas.

Delivery of mail via mailboat was established by the Privy Council in 1813 with the first formal service established in 1832. Mail packets from England and American were routed through the Bahamas with Crooked Island as the chief station. The Dart (1870) is believed to be the first regularly scheduled mail boat from Nassau to Harbour Island.

Boatbuilding, according to Government Blue Books, appears to have peaked around 1859 at 33 ships a year. The 1840 and 1855 reports document 20 ships a year. Cargoes of salt between the ports of Turks Islands, Ragged Island, Inagua and Rum Cay incentivized local builders on those islands to build boats.