Wooden Wonders: The Art of Navigation at Jamestown Settlement

This past August, I had the pleasure of visiting the Jamestown Settlement in Virginia. While the original 1607 archaeological site (Historic Jamestowne) is just down the road, this living-history museum features incredible reconstructions—most notably the three ships that brought the first settlers: the Susan Constant, the Godspeed, and the Discovery.

As a woodworker, I was fascinated by every detail of the maritime carpentry on display. From the massive masts to the specialized use of Lignum Vitae—the “wood of life”—for the pulley blocks because of its self-lubricating density, the site is a masterclass in functional woodworking. You can see the intentionality in the timber selection: flexible woods for the masts, rot-resistant species for the decks, and heavy oak for the structural ribs.

However, what truly captivated me were the fascinating parallels…