The shipwrights who keep alive the history of the sea in Lanzarote
When the wind blows from the Atlantic and the sailboat makes its way off the coast of Playa Blanca, it is not only a ship that sails: it sails a history.
Each board, each joint and each stroke of the mallet hide centuries of seafaring wisdom, transmitted from generation to generation by the shipwrights of Lanzarote.
They are the guardians of a knowledge that still today allows historic boats to continue to breathe with the sea.
The art of caulking: when wood comes to life
Caulking is an ancient technique that consists of sealing the joints between hull planks with natural fibers and hot tar.
For centuries, this process was the lifeblood of handcrafted boats: the fine line between floating and sinking.
Today, in an age dominated by synthetic materials, handcrafted caulking has become a symbol of cultural resistance.
Each boat restored with this technique honors that intimate connection between wood, wind and salt water.
So when you charter with Lanzarote Traditional Sailing, you feel that each wave tells a hand-carved story.
Guardians of the trade in Lanzarote
On the island there are still hands that understand wood as if it breathed.
Men who learned from the old masters, and who today keep the woodwork alive:
a tradition that has survived the passage of time, oblivion and steel.
Among them are Juan Miguel Rodríguez Marrero and Agustín Jordán Romero, two craftsmen who dedicate their lives to returning to the sea the ships that time seemed to have taken away.
Juan Miguel Rodríguez Marrero - The inheritance of La Tiñosa
Hailing from La Tiñosa, Juan Miguel Rodríguez Marrero learned the trade with masters such as Manolo Fontes,
Víctor Perdomo and Wilfredo Tabares, and the art of caulking with Antonio Márquez, considered the last caulker of Lanzarote.
He learned a little from everyone, and from each one he inherited the respect for wood and the sea.
With 55 years and almost four decades of experience, his work is a living tribute to those who built with patience and wisdom.
Agustín Jordán Romero - The disciple of Vicente Dorta Feo
As highlighted by the Diario de Lanzarote, his work represents one of the last living links with the island's naval tradition.
The wood that gives life to our historic sailing ship
Thanks to the work of these craftsmen, unique boats such as the Ora et Labora have regained their place in the sea. Each transom, each nail and each stroke of pitch are a declaration of love to the seafaring tradition of Lanzarote.
At Lanzarote Traditional Sailing, this heritage is part of our identity: we sail with respect, with history and with the certainty that without the shipwrights, the sea would be more lonely.
without the shore carpenters, the sea would be lonelier.
Preserving seafaring tradition in the 21st century
Keeping alive the ship's carpentry is not only to preserve a craft: it is to protect a way of understanding the sea.
That is why we collaborate with these masters in the conservation and enhancement of traditional boats, and share their history with those who embark with us.
Thus, each voyage also becomes a living history lesson , a tribute to those who build with their hands and hearts .
Experience the history of the sea: embark on our charter in Lanzarote.
If you have ever dreamed of feeling the wind pushing a sail and the creaking of wood under your feet, this is your moment.
We invite you to live the experience aboard our charter in Playa Blanca, a voyage where tradition and sea meet to tell you a story that keeps on sailing.