In 2007 Interior designer clients in the Virgin Islands called for some assistance designing and making some deck woodwork details for a Pirate ship playboat that accompanied a grand waterfront estate project that was underway in St. Thomas. Becoming increasingly involved in a project that was proceeding based on a sketch on a napkin. Fairly soon we were in charge of designing a passable facsimile of a pirate ship in miniature that was supposed to actually sail. With a tight budget, tough timeline and an alpine learning curve we managed to pull it off , delivering it on the requisite date , In converting the hull of an old 42’ Cheoy Lee sailing boat,the team worked back to back 65 to 75 hour weeks for the final three months. I lucked out to find my right hand man David Charboneau had apprenticed 20 years earlier by building the masts and rigging of the replica ‘Half Moon’, navigator Henry Hudson’s boat. He was probably the only man in America who had actually built a 17th Century style crow’s nest. Additionally we imported help in the form of two square rigger captains to assist in checking the design and with the many hours of ropework.

Though built as a folly, Carteza has proved to be a fine vessel and 13 years later still graces the harbour in St. Thomas.