He barely looked at us as he spoke, though not out of any kind of rudeness. Slightly hunched with beads of sweat peeking out from the wispy greys atop his head, the man couldnāt have been any nicer, any more accommodating, patient, and kind.He was in a hurry, thoughā¦in a hurry to get back to his work.
He didnāt have much time.
His name is Joe, but if you have an affinity for old boats ā the kind crafted by hand with painstaking precision, love, and pride ā then you might be more familiar with his surname: Albury.
ON the topic of great bahamian boat builders…I'll never forget the time I met Whiner Malone in the Bahamas as I sat on a wooden deck overlooking the sea and he just happened to show up with bucket in hand and straw hat on head. A local said "Hello Whiner" to him so I put 2 & 2 together and asked if indeed he was the one and only builder of the Abaco Dinghy. He nodded yes. I was very excited and asked him for his autograph. He signed a Bahamian dollar bill for me and the way he signed it spoke volumes about his approach…he slowly and deliberately held it up in the light of the sun and looked over both sides of it…he then put it down on a bench surface and smoothed it over by running his hand over it and making sure it was just right and then he finally signed it. All with quiet purposeful dignity! Oh…the good old days…
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