Boat builder Chris O'Keefe eyes off a piece of timber and thinks of the endless possibilities, ABC News reports.
He's captivated by the way it feels between his hands, the earthy smell, the sandy colour, the smooth lines, the heaviness.
"It has a soul to it. You can read it," he said.
"Each type of timber has its own personality and when you've been doing this a while, it's almost like you're interviewing a piece of timber for the job it's going to do."
He curves and twists each piece of wood into shape, over and over, hour by hour, until it transforms into a beautiful work of art that's destined for a life on the water.
"Once you finish a boat it comes alive and becomes like a living, breathing entity," he said.
For Mr O'Keefe and his fellow members of the Wooden Boat Club of Cairns, it's more about building the boats than sailing them.
"It's a bit like a woman putting on her make-up, there's a real process to it," he said.
They call themselves the "Men's Shed with barnacles" – a group of mostly retired men with huge personalities, and a couple of women too.
A safe space to open up
Mark Richards joined the club after a career as a naval architect.
"I'm still here 14 years later," he said.
"I love coming down to the club and meeting up with the other guys to work on someone's boat. We usually try to have at least three boats on the go at one time."
Mr O'Keefe himself served two decades in the Navy after a childhood spent building his own billycarts, furniture and even his own double-storey tree house.
FULL STORY
Cairns 'Men's Shed with barnacles' provides wooden boat builders with mateship and emotional support (ABC News)
PHOTO
Members all work together on the boats, sharing their expertise.(ABC Far North: Brendan Mounter)
