Bonus
Features
Richmond,
B.C.-- Shipbuilding in Steveston
 Valerie:
…National Historic Site, like this cannery, full of objects
that are old, but not that old.
Curator: But
not that old. Exactly, Valerie. This is just a selection of shipbuilding
tools that we have at the site. A boat is a fairly complex set of
bits and pieces all put together, but you know, a few simple tools,
and you too can build a boat.
Valerie: Was
it mostly the Japanese who were the shipbuilders.
Curator:
A lot of the people in this area were the Japanese who built ships,
yes. And most of it was hand tools and equipment up until probably,
the late fifties, early sixties and so a hammer is a hammer and
a saw is a saw and it was all done by hand. A few tools like a saw
and plane and it was all done by hand.
Valerie: Where
did these tools come from?
Curator:
These are just local tools, nothing particular, special or unusual
about them. They were actually part of a collection from one of
the shipbuilders who worked at Britannia. (Valerie is operating
a brace auger) Yes. The saw is actually a Japanese saw. I don’t
know if you can  see
the markings on it or not. And the only really interesting thing
about that is Japanese saws cut on the pull stroke instead of the
push stroke. Whereas Western saws cut on the push, these ones cut
on the pull.
Valerie: And
it looks a different shape.
Curator: Different
shape.
Valerie: Very
light.
Curator: Yes,
isn’t it light?
Valerie: And
what is that?
 Curator:
Just a caulking iron. Once the boat is all put together you have
to put a little bit of cotton between the seams and you need something
to press it in and so the caulking iron is what you use to hammer
it in. And this is the hammer that you use for the caulking hammer.
So it’s simple hand tools that built the boats on this coast
for many, many years.
Valerie: And
is that what you want people to get a flavor of at the Britannia
Ship Yards?
 Curator:
Absolutely. That’s what we’re about. The heritage and
the history of shipbuilding and building boats, wooden fishing boats,
by hand.
Valerie: Thank
you.
Curator:
You’re welcome.
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