Building Ceiba: construction Updates

The deadwoods are the aftermost massive timbers that create the backbone portions of our ship Ceiba. They are strategically positioned in an interlocking pattern to offer support for the stern half frames, rudder, transom, and propellers. There are twelve deadwoods in total, counting the stern post knee.

Gallery: Stern Deadwoods

The keelson has been put up and bolted into place. The massive bolts hold the keelson, frames, and the keel together. Fastening the keelson included drilling and bolting thirty holes, one for every full frame.

The vertical elements at the stern of the ship, extending from keel to deck, will be installed shortly. With our strong team, we are able to hoist all of the pieces by hand, as we did with the stem. Keep an eye on our social media channels (Instagram is best!) to see live-content while the assembly is taking place.

Video: Raising the Stern Post
Gallery: The Stern Post

The stem received its crown on March 25th. The cutwater, the forwardmost point of the ship, finally rested in its rightful place. The gammon knee is made out of pure Guapinol hardwood and weighs about 320 kg (700lbs+). 

Video: Hoisting the Gammon Knee

Just one year ago we laid Ceiba’s keel. It feels like yesterday, but the impressive size this ship has grown, and clearly shows the time that has passed since this day. We celebrated this day with a talent show inside of Ceiba and with a special video release.

Video: 2019 Year In Review

While we're far from being halfway through the whole Ceiba build, we have reached a symbolic halfway mark for the framing process. From now on the bevel of the next frames turn to the aft.

Blog: What a Good Week at the Yard
Video: Assembling Ceiba's Frames

Almost 7m long and weighing over 2 tonnes, the Guapinol stem piece was felled by a landslide 20 km from the shipyard. Adding shape and character to the ship, the stem now stands tall in its rightful place, overlooking the Gulf of Nicoya for the time being.

Video: Raising Ceiba’s Stem

Our non-profit association, AstilleroVerde, held its first boat building course in March 2019, which was attended by local artisanal fishermen from the nearby fishing village of Costa de Pájaros. For more information please check the website www.astilleroverde.org.

Video: Building "La Primavela”

Hoisting the first frame was achieved through pure ‘person-power’ ; hauling and lifting the giant that is Frame No. 48 up into the sky with the use of ropes rigged to keel, hanger and hand. Many strong arms heaved ropes through a pulley system, hoisting the first frame up onto the keel.

Blog: A Revival of Traditional Wooden Ship Framing
Video: TIMELAPSE - Raising Ceiba's Frames

Found in a car park in Victoria, British Columbia, this impressive piece of machinery, built in 1927, was restored here at the shipyard. A life revived, we gave a new purpose to this old machine.

Video: Restoring an Antique Ship Saw

During all those times we read history books about a ship beginning on the day the keel is laid, it had never occurred to us just how much work had to be put in prior to that special day... The keel of Ceiba was laid on January 8th, 2019.

Video: Laying Ceiba's Keel

Lofting is a technical drawing / drafting technique whereby curved lines are created to form the shape of the streamlined object in full-sized patterns. The lofting of Ceiba was led by master shipwright Bert van Baar.

Blogs: Welcome to the Lofting Experience / Lofting en la Lluvia
Videos: A Ship in the Lines / Tip of the Iceberg

In July 2018 the expansive canvas covers of the shipbuilding hangar were installed, which were sewn into custom dimension here at the shipyard. These heavy canvas covers provide essential shade to our shipbuilders and their installation marked the finalization of our shipbuilding hangar.

In December 2017 our team moved down to the shipyard land. We only had one little house on the site, which the early team of volunteers used as a sleeping place, while constructing the first workshops.

Blog: Welcome to Our Shipyard
Video: Our Shipyard Build Site

In July 2017 our team spent multiple days in Punta Morales building our first office, which is part of the essential infrastructure needed to start working at our shipyard. At that point our headquarters were still 1.5 hours up the mountain, in the Monteverde cloud forest.

Blogs: Shipyard Office: Aerial Construction / From a Tree to a Treehouse

And so a dream gave way to possibility. This day marked the first major milestone in Ceiba’s story, a moment that breathed life into the project, a sign of hope for the future of our oceans.

“Help us begin construction on a cargo tallship in Costa Rica & achieve carbon-negative freight shipping!” This is how it all started. We succeeded our Kickstarter Campaign and raised CA$ 30,821 in one month.

The registration of CEIBA S.A. represented an important first step in the journey toward emission free cargo shipping. We now had a company and a vast amount of work ahead, and we were excited to embarque upon the path of this promising project.