Yiannis Boudalas – The Model Shipwright

The Boudalas family of Skopelos carries a shipbuilding tradition that spans more than two centuries—a legacy that Yiannis Boudalas now continues through the art of model shipbuilding. His father, Triantafyllos Boudalas, was a master boatbuilder who worked in the island’s traditional shipyards, known as tarsanades, as well as in other parts of Greece.

His grandfather and great-grandfathers were also shipbuilders, working in shipyards in Braila, Romania, and in Tampa, Florida. Yet their deep love for their island eventually led them to sell everything and return to Skopelos to continue their craft. When the island’s traditional tarsanades (shipyards) shut down in the 1970s, Triantafyllos Boudalas had the idea to apply his technical knowledge to building scaled-down vessels—pioneering the local art of model shipbuilding.

Having inherited both the talent and the passion for ships from his father, Yiannis Boudalas continues this unique craft with great dedication. Some of his models reach up to four meters in length and impress with their intricate detail and commanding presence. His creations are part of private and public collections around the world. The pride of the family is the Victory—Admiral Nelson’s flagship at the famous Battle of Trafalgar—which is now exhibited at the Portsmouth Museum. A model of this scale can take up to three years to complete, while a smaller boat, such as a 1.2-meter trechantiri, may still require nearly four months of meticulous work.

He always uses local wood from Skopelos and takes great pride in the fact that one of his two daughters, Triantafyllia-Regina, has inherited his love for miniatures and is continuing the family tradition.