Portland Boat Building

In the black center of the Bering Sea, where color claws the night sky, the Aleutians rise; their rocky coasts bitter with frost. For thousands of years Unangan people have navigated those waters in skin framed boats.

In the likeness of seals and whales that rule the water world, they don their boats like a second skin, their frames flexing in a network of ligaments. With respect and remembrance we have learned from these masters and craft our vessels in the ancient tradition, using authentic native methods and time-tested designs. They are bodies of strength, endurance and integrity.

From great depths to the shoreline, join our crew as we explore the shrouded mysteries of the sea. We schedule by the moon, by currents and tides. Passing our days like the sailors of old; fishing, drifting, paddling, telling stories. Tracking and observing mammals on land and in the drink.