Azhar working on one of the carracks. He hopes to complete all three by year end. — RONNIE CHIN/The Star
AT his rustic workshop in a village in Batu Gajah, Perak, Azhar Kamaruddin is patiently crafting miniature replicas of the 16th century Portuguese carrack (three- or four-masted ocean-going ship).
The 58-year-old makes these replicas piece by piece to ensure they look just like the original.
His latest project is the Flor de la mar and two other Portuguese carracks.
“If you go to Maritime Museum in Melaka, you can see a replica of the Flor de la mar, one of the famous Portuguese ships which was used by Alfonso de Albuquerque to invade Melaka in 1511.
The Nao Victoria model on display at Balai Seni Visual Negara.
“I started working on these three models late last year and I hope to complete my work by the end of this year.
“These carracks are 16th century ships used during exploration and colonisation by the Portuguese,” he said, adding that the replicas were ordered by an artist, and the main replica might go on display in a museum once completed.
Azhar’s dedication to building models of classic ships started in 1997.
The history buff from Kampung Bakap Baru, fondly known as “Captain Jack”, has built replicas of about 80 ships dating from the 14th to early 19th century.
Over the years, he has painstakingly made the ships, which measure between 30cm and 182cm in length, in exquisite detail, including cannons, flags and sailcloth.
Azhar has also constructed replica ships from the Ming Dynasty during the era of Admiral Cheng Hoe besides ships from Europe and the United States.
Among the replicas he has built were the 1812 Baltimore Clipper, British Royal Navy ship HMS Victory and Mediterranean galleys (warships) from the 16th century.
“I don’t just simply make any ship. I do extensive research using all the books that I have acquired over the years as well as information from the Internet.
“It takes me many months to complete one miniature ship because I make it to look exactly like the original,” he said when interviewed at his workshop.
Azhar has been researching basic history of ancient ships dating back to 2500BC right up to 1860AD.
However, in his 25-year career, he built only ships that were requested by his clients.
“I haven’t had a chance to build ships dating before the 13th century, as there is no demand from my customers.
“But I do intend to build ships from various centuries to preserve the art for future generations and set up a gallery one day,” he said.
The father of three said he stumbled upon a book titled Illustrated History of Transport back in 1997.
He was then working as a visual merchandiser at a department store in Ipoh, creating in-house decorations and graphic designs.
“Looking at the book, I knew that I had to explore my creativity in shipbuilding, as I always had an interest in woodwork.
“I left my job and worked in several shoe, steel and woodwork factories to gain experience and knowledge of using various types of machines that will benefit me in making the ships.
“I first built a 30cm ship with zero experience. It was not perfect but that did not deter my determination to do better,” said Azhar.
Encouraged by his first attempt, he began hunting down more books on ancient ships in second-hand bookstores to study them and perfect his craft.
Slowly, his work caught the eye of many individuals and art galleries when he held exhibitions in various locations.
Orders started coming in from Singapore and as far as Dubai in the UAE and even Scotland.
His miniature replicas now sell between RM8,000 to RM25,000 each, depending on the size and intricacy.
He said that depending on the size, history and the number of masts, it could take between four and five months to complete a ship.
“My replica of Nao Victoria is permanently on display at Balai Seni Visual Negara in Kuala Lumpur,” he added.
When asked how he ended up with the nickname “Captain Jack”, Azhar said people in his village used to call him “Ajik” but when he entered secondary school, his Chinese and Indian friends could not pronounce the name and started calling him “Jack”.
When he began making ships, he added “Captain” to his nickname and registered his business as “Captain Jack Woodcraft”.
Azhar uses meranti wood for the ship’s main body and nyatoh wood as well as bamboo for other parts of the ship.
“I am probably the only one building historically accurate models of ancient ships plank by plank.
“There are many people out there who make miniature ships or boats but they are not historically accurate,” he said.
His meticulous work does not yield much profit but it gives him a lot of satisfaction.
“There is no looking back because if I did not have the passion, I would have given up a long time ago,” he said.
Azharat his studio with the 1812 Baltimore Clipper replica ship in the background. -- RONNIE CHIN/The Star
Azhar repairing a16th century Mediterranean galley that was sent back to him. -- RONNIE CHIN/The Star
Miniature replica of the Ming Dynasty Treasure Ship.
This is what the 16th century Mediterranean Galley replica looked like when he originally built it.
