Not all my work is strictly related to furniture. However, I work primarily in wood and projects almost always involve solving some difficult or unique problems. This project was no different.
Last fall I was asked if I would organize and build a boat for a Viking funeral of a mutual friend on a lake in the mountains. As with most requests I said yes, realizing only later what I got myself into, spending over 100 hours on this project.
This is what I had in mind. Let a flower decorated boat with the ashes sail into the lake accompanied by music, “somehow” self ignite after about 4 minutes of tranquil floating for reflection, burn for 10 or 15 minutes and then sink, leaving nothing on the surface of the lake, carried to the bottom of the lake by the weight of a slate acting as the boat’s keel which has the deceased’s name carved into it. Simple!?
Not quite! Firstly there some legalities. Canadian law does not allow disposing of human ashes in bodies of water. So our event had to have some symbolism instead.
65 people were going to watch this event. There was no room for any error yet I had never done this before.
I only wanted to use materials found in nature in that area to not pollute: hence cedar and pine woods, rock, bees wax, water based glue but no metal. The sail had to be waterproof (in case of rain) and after the flash burn, dissolve into air.
The weather I had to leave to good fortune and hope for the best; late October in Vancouver… good luck!
And, how does one get a burning ship to sink on its own?
The most difficult issue was the last one and required many test boats I tried to sink by fire in my backyard pond. I have to be honest, I did not succeed. No burning vessel will sink from fire alone and I was reminded that our first nations people could boil water in thin wall cedar containers over an open fire. But after countless experiments playing with fire I succeeded in making a reliable, non electronic, fully natural 4 minute timer.
On the big day, after walking up the mountain to the lake carrying my 15kg, 1 meter long boat in heavy fog and drizzle, everything worked out. The fog lifted just in time, the sun came out, and to Mozart’s ‘Laudate Dominum’ the boat left shore, gently pulled by a fishing line from the opposite shore shot across the lake by bow and arrow.
After 4 minutes my unique igniter lit the boat and the fire spread quickly, fueled by very dry pine and cedar shavings and kindling I dried in the oven the night before to 0% humidity and kept sealed until the last minute. The magic flash paper sail burned beautifully and after 15 minutes the boat burned down to the waterline. It meandered around the lake about 100 meters and, incredibly, settled close to the rock our friend liked to sit in the sun and ponder life for the last 40 years.
A slight pull on the tether filled the burnt out hull with water and it sank. For me it was an incredible and emotional experience seeing that boat leave shore to the voice of soprano Barbara Bonney. Not only because of the memories of a good friend, but also the one way trip of a boat I spent hours and hours building and which almost became part of me. I felt privileged to be able to do this. A few hours later the rain started again.
And that is how I feel about my furniture. Sometimes it is hard to leave it with you, my customers. I guess that is why so many of you give me “visiting rights for my babies” and so many of you are now good friends. Thank you, I cannot ask for more.
And if you have a project that may seem crazy or impossible, think of me…
Au revoir and have a great summer,
Andres Schneiter