The art of shipbuilding in Skopelos: the Bountalas family!

Feb 1
2 min read

Updated: Feb 11

The Bountalas family carries a legacy of seven generations of shipbuilders. With shipyards in America, Constanța, and Brăila, shipbuilding has always been part of their identity. When they returned to their homeland, Skopelos, they continued their craft in the island’s traditional boatyards.

In the 1970s, however, the rise of tourism led to the closure of the last boatyard. That was when Regina’s grandfather, Triantafyllos, turned to model shipbuilding. He began creating wooden ship models from walnut wood, small in size but extraordinary in detail — so accurate that, if built full-scale, they could sail the sea.

Giannis Bountalas, born in 1957, learned the craft from his father and today builds faithful replicas of traditional sailing ships, following classic shipbuilding techniques. Some of his works exceed four meters in length.

Regina, a third-generation model shipbuilder, proudly continues the family tradition. In her workshop, she presents her miniature ships, each one carrying centuries of maritime knowledge.

In one photograph, he poses alongside Pierce Brosnan, star of the film Mamma Mia!,you can see the picture on the source site, which was filmed in Skopelos and brought the island worldwide recognition — just as the Bountalas family continues to keep its maritime heritage alive. The traditional micro-shipbuilding art of the Bountalas family is registered in the list of fine practices for the preservation of the intangible cultural heritage of Greece (UNESCO).