Crooked Wood (Στραβά Ξύλα) - The tradition of shipwrights of the Aegean

A Greek traditional boatbuilder shows some of his traditional skills and talks about this ancient but disappearing profession and some of the problems he's facing.
Greek with English subtitles
Year of production: 2009
Director: Jay H. Kroon ([e-mail])

[@stefanosrodos]

Ο Δάσκαλος μας ο Μικές , ένας εξαιρετικός άνθρωπος με αξίες που σέβεται την τέχνη του και όπως του παραδόθηκε τίμια και άξια την μεταδίδει.

[@braunreinhold6020]

I 'm a retired American Married with Five Kids here in the Philippines, I had a 15 meter boat built here while I was working Abroad (my retirement project to be able to raise my Kids and give them a future) beyond the years I have left on this planet. The problem here is everyone took advantage of the "Rich Foreigner" and to make a long story short I spent three times the money to rebuild it, then "my captain" put her in the rocks and at that point I was broke. Now I'm going to sell for 1/15 of what I have invested in it. LOL I wish I had known about you Sir I would have commissioned you to build a 15 meter blue water boat and I would have sailed her to the Philippines. Hind sight is always 20/20 But it would have been far cheaper in the long run to hire you company. I was impressed with the strength of your Hull design Good luck and God bless you.

[@dieselengines1760]

I'm sorry for how things turn out for you. You shall learn a lesson from your experience that people in poor countries can not be trusted. I been to many countries myself and I can say that nothing is better than Europe.

[@braunreinhold6020]

@@dieselengines1760 Thank you for your reply Sir. If Gods willing and I live long enough to build another one I will come and visit you, provided the world hasn't turned upside down by then. I'm reaching the Autumn of my years (75), but still kicking. God Luck and again Thank you.

[@theokekropidis614]

μου αρεσαι πολυ η δουλεια σου μαστωρα και το σκεπτικο σου , τι κρυμα το ειδα τωρα και με εχουν παρει και τα χρονια,αρχησα να κοιτω διοτι σκεπτομουν να φτιαξω μια δοκιμαστικη βαρκα συντομα, εχω καποιες γνωσεις επιπλοποιηας ,μαραγκοσυνης κτλ αλλα οχι την τεχνη του σκερπανιου. ο Θεος να σεχει καλα.

[@joshdrexler8773]

Nice. The story of an articulate man full of genuine feeling.

[@user-bz3eh3ci5p]

Καλό σου ταξιδι ΜΙΚΕ ...η θάλασσα που αγάπησες θα σε περιμένει😪

[@abettermousetrap]

Fantastic video and craftmanship. Kudos from the Maritimes Canada.

[@user-or4jz6dd3z]

Εξαιρετικα τα λογια σου Μαστορα !!!!!Σωστες επισης και οι τεχνικιες περιγραφες σου !!!Καλη συνεχεια.!

[@mitchdehotte]

Like he say at the start : Master, mastering, mastered everything come from experience . Hope this guy still building boat, it s his life , he want it from the start and achieve it like a master !

[@Josef_R]

This was beautiful and sad.

[@webbtrekker534]

Beautiful boats. So glad help was found. Thank you!

[@BrownianMotionPicture]

Beautiful in every way.

[@wolfgangeder7764]

Great work. Artists. I loved to watch this video very much.

[@davidhakes3884]

Yes, , Teach the kids to build boats, I am subscriber 181. God Bless.

[@bitsnpieces11]

The government should take an example from Japan and create "Cultural Masters" of the various skills and craft as should my own country.

[@orginalaras21]

We are talking about Greece...sth like that sounds like utopia to us...however last month the minister of culture (after decades of public pressure) announces the opening of a school of traditional shipbuilding in the near future...hopefully sth will change

[@konstntinoshorianopoulos2176]

ΜΠΡΑΒΟ ΜΑΣΤΟΡΑ.

[@dimitrissardelis6464]

μπραβο σου μαστορα,μακαρι να ημουν κοντα κ θα ερχομουν να μαθω,ειναι λατρεια το ξυλινο σκαφος.οποιος το καταλαβενει ξερει.

[@oliverclothesoff5397]

This is great. Good craftsmanship is a universal language. Beauty is beauty. Hard work that you love is what this world is about imo. I bet this Greek shipwright would agree.

[@scotthaddad563]

I hope that his dream of passing on his craft comes to fruition. I pray that the collapse of the Greek economy did not kill his dream.

[@dauntlesschicken9756]

Im from the Philippines and I would gladly learn the trade from him and continue the tradition.

[@dimitrissardelis6464]

πολυ ωραιο βιντεο

[@billiondollardan]

This is cool. I just came back from my first trip to Greece. Rhodes was amazing, but I didn't see ships being built. Too bad for me I suppose

[@bizim_eller]

Beautiful and somewhat sad story, it sounded like a story from Turkey, he explained it nicely right down to the bone." marangoz" of the world is disappearing fast 🙁 Glad they found help👍

[@lamproxa]

Φοβερος !!!!!

[@liongod1000]

Great storey. Are you the maker of this video or just the 'poster' coz it would be informative to know if that shipwright got his Students??

[@theyellowroom5026]

Hi, I am the maker of this video, and I can tell you that the situation has not changed at all since then...

[@gerasimosnanos8174]

Which is the name of the master builder? What is his address and his contact information?

[@nikofloros]

Yes I'd very much like to know how to get in touch as well!

[@gunesbodur9360]

His name is on the video. I found his shipyard's address and contact info by searching his name on the internet. I really hope this helps.

[@trafalgar22a8]

Loved your video. 24NOV2019

[@paulbriggs3072]

Hold classes building say, 6 meter sailboats showing how its done. Small boatbuilding school. People will come pay.

[@user-wo1oc8gy3i]

Πολύ καλά τα λες αλλά ποιος θα σε ακούσει ;;; Όλοι οι Δημόσιου λειτουργεί έχουν κουφαθεί...

[@BrunoOliveira-kl5sx]

song name?

[@theyellowroom5026]

The song was written and performed especially for this film by Iris Mavraki and is called "Boats Before Dawn", as you can read in the closing credits...

[@alexdourm7656]

@@theyellowroom5026 Hello, this might sound strange but I really want to contact this person, are you able to help me? As a Greek expatriate in USA, I am willing to live in Rhodes and learn this disappearing craft.

[@theyellowroom5026]

@@alexdourm7656 Hi, that sounds interesting. Let me talk to some people and get back to you in a couple of days. Do you speak Greek?

[@alexdourm7656]

@@theyellowroom5026 Yes I am greek. Everything you may want to know abotu me you can see on my Facebook in my two albums, everything is public. Alexandros Dourmousoglou, BMW for profile pic is me. I feel very good about your quick response, and I will also tell you that Rodos has been a dream visit of mine for a long time. You can view my entire life on Facebook and learn who I am, even without Friend status, everything is public.

[@theyellowroom5026]

@@alexdourm7656 Ok thanks

[@candisbrendel7396]

BEAUTIFUL WHAT WOOD IS IT?

[@earlwright3613]

Joseph Brendel he said in video that they use Greek pine.

[@ZacVaper]

This guy starts projects before finishing the last one and never gets anything completed. His yard is the land of lost boats. People who use him eventually forget they still own a boat. Some have even gone out and bought new ones!

[@theyellowroom5026]

Well that's quite an allegation, would you care to tell us who exactly you are and where these allegations are based on?

[@Josef_R]

Seems like he was full of crap.

[@Nomisdit]

I disliked this because the captions are unreadable but I wish I could understand what this man said because the little bit I could read was interesting. Please make new captions for KZbin

[@Josef_R]

There's nothing wrong with the captions, I read them fine.