Kopytoff (1986) argues for a cultural biographical approach in which appreciation of material objects depends upon knowledge of their history and lifecourse. The owners of wooden boats reflect and exemplify this argument in their efforts to collect various facts about the history of the boat: the names of previous owners and where they lived. They also weave in more emotional details of hazards at sea, war-time destinies or periods of forgotten glory. Once such a history has been told, each object becomes singular regardless of its official heritage value or the number of celebrities involved.
These person-like qualities of uniqueness are further supported by mysticism and animism. Experienced builders are celebrated as specially gifted master craftsmen who create, carve and force boats out of difficult, living material. They are, typically, men who (are claimed to) have a deep understanding of wood material, trees and nature as a whole, often handed down from father to son. It is not only that they posses such skills. The frequent use of emotional language – boats are reported to have been built with love – suggests that designers, builders and dedicated owners convey their life forces to the boats they make.
It comes, then, as no surprise that boats are often thought to be alive. Ownership is described as a relationship or form of companionship; like pets, boats are thought to deserve good and constant maintenance and, at point of sale, dedicated new owners. Boats are described as carrying the features of their designers (Whynott 1999) and owners. And to take such animism further, boats are thought to be able to sense their environment, to tell if a big or a small wave is about to hit, and to murmur to each other during long dark winters in the boatshed (Whynott 1999). On her website, Silene, a 6-metre yacht, bursts into being:
Independent of any race success my old hull has always been taken good care of. A few years ago I had all my keel bolts checked and re-zinced, my wooden keel was inspected, found healthy and impregnated, and I got a new rudder, lighter than before. Four boards on each side of my under-water planking were replaced and a number of spars were also repaired. Every year my bilge has been impregnated with a sweetest natural linseed oil and all varnished parts have been looked after, not forgetting my dear rig and sails. Sometimes I truly feel that I am getting younger year after year. I hope, however, that I can keep my classic beauty. (http:/www.6mr.fi/DAS/yachts/981119-125927.html)
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• Mikko Jalas