Construction techniques in Lower Rio Negro

The boat " Neblina " is being built in Novo Airão, a small town of 8000 inhabitants that developped in the first part of the century around its shipyards. At the side of the Rio Negro, eight hours away from Manaus by boat, the district is as large as Swiss ! This vast territory, entirely covered by forests, accomodates the National Parc of JAÚ as well as the biologic reserve of the archipelago of Anavilhanas.

The construction of the " Neblina " started in April 1999. One of the main characteristics of the traditional Amazonian wood construction is that it doesn’t use plans… at least on paper.

Aderson, our master builder, received from his father and his grandfather all the secrets of shipbuilding, which enables him to make immediatly the templates and shapes necessary to the construction, depending on the shape and the size of the wanted hull.

The complex curves of the hull lines are restored without any flaw and rapidly thanks to this disconcerting empirical knowledge – the secret of the Masters – nevertheless, the result is worthy of shipbuilding engineers studies.

This method is used by the numerous Amazonian shipyards that constructed thousands of boats sailing on the biggest river basin of the planet.

A good traditional shipyard can construct wood boats up to 35 meters long.

Neblina/ Conservation-project/ The boat/ Construction techniques/ Amazonian wood/ The keel/the stem/the rib/views of the shipyard/ The broadsides/the stern/ the keelson/crossbeams/watertight seals/the back timbers/ Photo gallery: the boat/