Malaysian miniature shipbuilder 'Capt Jack' specialises in ancient vessels

Azhar is happy he made the entrepreneurial leap to pursue his passion, as it has enabled the crafter to focus on a job that brings him happiness. Photos: KL Chong

Azhar Kamaruddin, 57, has carved a reputation for himself as one of the few miniature shipbuilders in the country. In the last 25 years, the passionate woodworker has crafted 60 scale models of classic ships, including British warships, sampans, carracks, junk ships, and clippers.

His replicas range in size – from the smaller ones that measure about 12 inches (30.5cm) to ships that are about five feet (1.5m) in length.

“I am a history buff and I have always been interested in ancient ships. And I love woodworking and carpentry,” says Azhar who is from Kampung Bakap Baru, a village in Batu Gajah, Perak.

He fell in love with shipbuilding in 1997 after reading the book, An Illustrated History of Transport.

So passionate is he about shipbuilding that he gave up his job as a visual merchandiser at a departmental store in Ipoh to launch his career making miniature ships.

“The book was very interesting and that fuelled my passion to learn the art of ship building. I fell in love with carpentry and I was willing to give up my full time job to pursue the art of making replicas of ships,” shared Azhar, fondly known as Capt Jack. “Many people thought I was crazy to give up a stable job to build ships.”A self-confessed history buff, Azhar says he’s always been interested in ancient ships.

He found work at a timber and steel factory in Ipoh. For five years, he built his shipbuilding skills by working in factories specialising in woodworking, clay, steel fabrication, and cabinets. He also worked in a welding shop and a graphic house in Ipoh.

“The first five years were tough. It was a time of trial and error. I struggled a lot but I never gave up on my dream to be an artisan. Today, I consider myself as a self-taught artist who makes ship replicas,” said Azhar, who studied fashion design at Universiti Teknologi Mara in Shah Alam.

He further honed his skills by reading books on carpentry and by watching videos on social media platforms like YouTube and Pinterest.

Azhar is glad he made the decision to pursue his passion as it has enabled him to devote his time to a job that brings him much happiness and satisfaction.

“We must be passionate about our career. You will enjoy working if you love your job and can treat it as a hobby. I am lucky my wife and family have supported my choices even though I struggled in the initial stages of my business.

“My advise for people is to keep on going and never give up on your dreams. Never surrender no matter how hard things get. Read many books, be humble and share your knowledge with others. You have nothing to lose but so much to gain.

“What’s most important is to have a good heart and God will guide you every step of your journey,” said the father of three.Azhar first does a manual drawing of the ship he is recreating before he makes a template using cardboard. Then the woodworking process begins. Photos: Azhar Kamaruddin

His only son works as a graphic designer and musician, while his two daughters are university students.

As to his nickname Capt Jack, the Perakian shared: “It has nothing to do with the movie, Pirates of the Caribbeans. And I don’t look like Jack Sparrow (played by actor Johnny Depp). I grew up in Balun Bidai near Kg Gajah in Perak.

"When I was younger, my parents used to call me Ajik. In secondary school, some of my Chinese classmates had difficulties in pronouncing Ajik. So they started calling me Jack instead of Ajik. And that’s how I became Jack,” he says, laughing.

On Facebook and Instagram, he goes by @Azhar Kamaruddin (Captain Jack) and @captjack65, respectively.

“Capt Jack is synonymous with pirates during the olden days. I call myself the Captain because I specialise in building ancient ship replicas. I am not a naval officer nor naval architect. I’m just an artist who enjoys building ships. In fact, I’ve never been on a cruise liner. The biggest boat I’ve been on is the ferry to Pangkor Island,” said the humble man with a warm smile.A handcrafted figurehead sits beautifully on the HMS Victory 1775 British Royal Navy ship.

Ahoy there!

Azhar operates his business from a workshop, measuring 7m by 5m, on a piece of land belonging to his mother-in-law. The wooden shack is a stone’s throw away from his home.

“My workshop is small. It’s nothing much to shout about but I’m grateful that i have a place to build my handmade ships. Even though there’s limited space, I’ve managed to build many ships here,” he says proudly.

In his work space, he has several workbenches, his tools and stacks of wood in different sizes. He also has a small library where he keeps a collection of books, magazines, DVDs, videos and articles about ancient ships.

For the ships he builds, he opts for meranti woods because it is readily available at local hardware shops.

“I don’t need expensive wood like cengal or merbau to build model ships. What matters most is the wood grain.”Capt Jack hand-carves and handpaints each decorative item on his classic ship replicas.

He listens to music while working on his commissioned works. It helps “put soul into his creations”, he says.

“As I work alone in my workshop, music keeps me company. When building a Chinese ship, I listen to traditional Chinese instruments such as the erhu and pipa. I enjoy listening to musicians like Hong Ting or Shao Rong too.

“The same goes when I am building a European ship. I listen to Irish, Scottish and Scandinavian folk songs, and pirate-themed songs. I am a big fan of Scottish folk band Saor Patrol and Irish band The Dubliners.”

Azhar is currently working on three miniature carracks – a three or four-masted shipping vessel – commissioned by an art gallery in Melaka.

“Carracks were developed in 14th and 15th centuries in Europe. They were used by Portuguese admiral Alfonso De’ Albuquerque during the invasion of Melaka in 1511. So I think this project has to do with an exhibition on Melaka’s history.”

Whenever he accepts a new project, Azhar researches the historical and technical background of the subject matter first.'I do all the processes, from A to Z. I'm building a replica, not a model ship,' says Capt Jack.

“It takes about a month to research the history of that particular era. I must put myself in the ancient ship builders’ shoes and think like them. For example, if I’m building a Chinese ship, I must study ancient Chinese culture, costumes, superstitions, architecture and engineering.

“To further enhance my knowledge, I also watch Chinese medieval movies to observe the props, standard of living and buildings. The same goes for a European ship. I always imagine walking and wandering around their drydock while they were building ships. One must have a good imagination to be a shipbuilder.”

He starts by doing a manual drawing of the ship he wants to replicate. Next, he will create a template, using cardboard, before he starts with his woodworking.

“I am ‘old school’, and I’m not an IT expert. I don’t know how to use AutoCAD (a computer-aided design and drafting software application) or any other (IT-)related medium. So the technical drawing is only for the hull of the ship. The rest of the ideas and structures come from my imagination. Once the woodworking is done, I fix the sails and rigging. The last stage is varnishing,” he explained.

The craft is intricate and painstaking and as he operates his business alone, Azhar only accepts two or three commission works a year.Whenever Azhar accepts a new project, he researches the history and technical details of the subject matter before he gets started.

“I do all the processes myself, from A to Z. I’m building a replica, not a model ship. Model ships are much easier to build, and one can finish them in less than two weeks. Building a replica is different because the crafter must make it exactly like the original ship.

“Each ship is about three to five feet in length. The most requested ships are European ships and Chinese Ming Dynasty baochuan (treasure ship),” said Azhar.

He has built the replica of ships like the 1812 Baltimore Clipper, 1571 Mediterranean Galley, and HMS Victory 1775 British Royal Navy ship. His customers are Malaysians, who are willing to pay between RM15,000 and RM20,000 for his unique creations.

His replica of the Nao Victoria carrack has been displayed in Singapore and Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. This creation is currently displayed together with contemporary artist Ahmad Fuad Osman’s The Trinidad project at Balai Seni Negara in Kuala Lumpur.

Azhar dreams of someday visiting the HMS Victory, best known for her role as Lord Nelson’s flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, which has been preserved as a museum ship in Portsmouth, England. It is the world’s oldest naval ship, with 244 years of service.

“Even though I completed the replica of HMS Victory 1775 over two decades years ago, I can’t afford to travel to England to see the actual ship. I don’t earn much but it’s cukup makan (enough to survive). I achieved whatever I wished for (in model making) and I am happy. There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing people happy to receive my work.”