Crafting the Vessel: A Volunteer-Driven Effort

This project was one of the largest community boatbuilding endeavors in the world and one of the few being constructed on public display. From the beginning, the public was encouraged to become part of the project by volunteering to help build and act as public greeters. Many students and partner organizations had the opportunity to work on the boat and contribute to this enormous community build. Over 200 volunteers were actively engaged in the project, and with only two professional shipwrights leading the build, it was a true volunteer-driven effort. Building the Seneca Chief allowed us to practice, teach, and preserve traditional boatbuilding skills. The boat’s keel, frames, and other structural timbers were made of white oak. The keelson was a single 60-foot-long piece of reclaimed Douglas Fir. This rare timber, generously donated by Higgins Erectors & Haulers, was previously used in the early 1900s as a gin pole crane.

The planking consisted of two layers of 1-inch-thick cypress with a waterproof dynel cloth set in epoxy between the layers. The outer layer of planking was caulked with cotton in the traditional manner. This combination of modern and traditional planking methods was designed to help the boat stay watertight even if it spent winters out of the water.

All of the bolts used in the backbone structure were forged in the BMC’s own machine shop by a crew of volunteers. This crew also produced several specialized tools and hardware needed to build the boat.

The cabin’s interior was outfitted with cabinet-grade hardwood and finished in a style consistent with the 1820s; it measures 73 feet long and weighs 40 tons.