A Vintage Mahogany Boat That Began With a Vision

When Moisey Baudoin set about building a boat as an heirloom for his grandson, he began with a picture in his mind. "The Good Lord gave me a vision," he explained. "I could see it. I knew what it looked like and how to do it."

Moisey Baudion, working together with his son-in-law, Keith, and his grandson, Joshua Renard, spent three years building the 24 foot triple cockpit boat, a replica of a vintage Chris-Craft runabout. The boat emulates the classic style, lines and beauty of the distinctive 1940s-era Mahogany skinned boats.

An experienced builder, Baudoin used a design plan obtained online from Glen-L Marine, as well as his innate knowledge, woodworking skill and his intuition. "We started with a plan but he modified quite a few things," said Renard. "He added about a foot to the length of the boat, modified the bow, enlarged the engine compartment for easier access and expanded the boat's storage capacity."

Renard described the construction and assembly process, "We stood up the frame, ribs and chines, and then covered the structure with a thin layer of marine-grade plywood using a cold mold process. We added another layer of plywood on top of that at a 45-degree angle to the first sheet. Then came the Mahogany and Teak and many layers of clear epoxy to seal and coat the surface."

Several wood species were used in the boat's construction. Ribbon Stripe Sapele (Entandropharagma cylindricum) was used as an accent and to create color contrast with pattern grade Honduran Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) and Teak (Tectona grandis) planking on the bow. Walnut was used for the wide center bow plank and the boat's trim, while Cypress (Taxodium distichum) was used for the frame.

"It really is a thing of beauty," said Renard. "The epoxy coating makes the Mahogany wood very shiny, and when it's wet it just seems to glow in the water."

Moisey did most of the prep work for the boat in a small workshop located adjacent to his home in Delcambre, Louisiana. It was here that he sliced, planed and shaped the Honduran Mahogany and Teak wood planks. His tiny workshop is not air-conditioned, but as he explained, "You have to sweat a little bit to make it worthwhile."

Most of the lumber for the boat came from Newman Lumber Company in Gulfport, Mississippi. "Mr. Baudoin came in one day and said he was planning to build a boat. He knew in his mind exactly what he wanted and needed and just had an eye for it. It didn't take him long to select the pattern grade Honduran Mahogany," said Bill Rogers, Sales Manager at Newman Lumber. "Obviously he had been around building, understood wood, knew what he was doing and how to do it," Rogers said.

Pattern grade Mahogany is a wood of choice for high-end furniture and cabinet makers, luthiers, and fine wood craftsmen. The wood grain is tight, even, and vertical to the board. The wood is very workable and stable with few if any defects. Teak, with its golden-brown color and straight grain

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SPOTLIGHT ON: TEAK, BURMESE TEAK

Species: Tectona grandis

Origin: Native to Southern Asia. Also widely grown on plantations throughout tropical regions of Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Common Applications: Ship and boatbuilding, veneer, furniture, flooring, cabinets, exterior construction, carving, turnings, and small wood objects.

Characteristics/Appearance: Heartwood is golden to medium brown, the color darkening with age. Grain is straight or occasionally wavy or interlocked. Teak has a coarse, uneven texture and moderate to low natural luster. Raw, unfinished wood surfaces have a slightly oily or greasy feel due to natural oils that protect the wood from insects and rot.

Janka Hardness Scale: 1,070 lb_f (see chart on page 19)

Comments: Teak is one of the most desirable woods in the world because of its superb stability, strength, and outstanding resistance to decay and rot. It is generally easy to work with, although its high silica content has a blunting effect on cutting edges. Despite its natural oils, teak glues and finishes well, though prepping with solvent prior to gluing/finishing is sometimes necessary.

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SPOTLIGHT ON: MAHOGANY, GENUINE MAHOGANY, HONDURAS MAHOGANY

Species: Swietenia macrophylla

Origin: Southern Mexico southward to central South America; also commonly grown on plantations.

Common Applications: Fine furniture and cabinetmaking, interior trim paneling, high-end veneers, musical instruments, boat building, patternmaking, turnery and carving.

Characteristics/Appearance: Heartwood is reddish, pinkish, salmon colored, or yellowish when fresh. It mellows with age to deep rich red or brown; distinct from the yellowish or whitish sapwood. Luster is high and golden; texture may be fine to coarse; grain may be straight, interlocked, wavy or curly, often with attractive figuring.

Janka Hardness Scale: 900 lb_f (see chart on page 19)

Comments: Genuine Mahogany is considered one of the finest crafter's woods. Mahogany is easy to finish and takes an excellent polish. It can be sliced and rotary cut into fine veneer. Mahogany exhibits an interesting optical phenomenon known as chatoyancy, a cat's-eye reflectance effect also seen in certain gemstones.