Sauna Boat Tasmania by DB Building Co.
It’s just 7 degrees as the sun peaks over the moody Tasmanian horizon. Native birds begin their morning calls as the orange light begins to dance across the icy waters between Kettering and Bruny Island. While most are enjoying the Tasmanian sunrise with a hot cuppa in the comfort of their home, a new Tasmanian experience offers the more adventurous “a serene escape from the ordinary.” Calmly floating atop the gently lapping waters of Oyster Cove Marina, is Sauna Boat Tasmania. Carefully positioned and constructed on a purpose-built boat, the 80-degree state-of-the-art sauna is complemented by an ocean water plunge area that invites a truly immersive experience. Tasmanian timbers were specified for their durability and radiating beauty, perfectly matching the warmth from within.
Dan Bush from Dan Bush Building Co. has found his groove crafting high-end architectural and detail-oriented buildings. Known for designing and building the much-loved Three Capes Cabin in 2021, Dan has now added Sauna Boat Tasmania to his accomplishments. The idea for Sauna Boat Tasmania came from a combination of Dan’s passion for building and his love for the traditional Scandinavian sauna experience. Born and raised in Tasmania, Dan has captured the Scandinavian experience in a uniquely Tasmanian way, creating an opportunity for his guests to appreciate Tasmanian design while submersing themselves into the Tasmanian outdoors. After two years of research and investigating the best sauna and boat-building materials, Dan undertook his passion project, erecting Southern Tasmania’s first public floating sauna.
Outside: Tasmanian Oak
With a strong desire to use and celebrate Tasmanian materials, Dan selected Celery Top Pine for the sauna’s interior cladding and Tasmanian Oak for the sauna’s exterior.
“We needed something highly durable for the sauna’s exterior and Tasmanian Oak was a no-brainer. It’s a beautiful hardwood that’s also really nice to work with,” says Dan.
Using the traditional Japanese timber charring technique of shou sugi ban, Dan hand-charred the Tasmanian Oak boards one by one to ensure a consistent and even black finish.
“I had been researching Japanese timber burning techniques and how people had traditionally charred timber. I used locally sourced rough-sawn Tasmanian Oak and burnt it back until it started to develop a nice char with little undulations in the timber to give each board a nice amount of character,” says Dan.
“Using this technique, the timber not only develops a beautiful character but is also given a natural protection against the harsh elements of the Tasmanian marine environment,” says Dan.
Inside: Celery Top Pine
Dan was aware of the long and celebrated history of Celery Top Pine in traditional boat building in Tasmania but had only used the timber to craft small furniture pieces and sparingly in residential projects.
Dan utilised the Tasmanian Timber website to confirm the timber’s technical specifications and suitability for the project in a harsh climate with dramatic temperature fluctuations. Thrilled to be able to use the prized timber in a larger volume for an application perfectly suited to its durability, he hand-selected each board of Celery Top Pine.
“Working with Celery Top Pine requires a bit of knowledge around the species as you want to take great care with it. You have to be mindful of the direction of the grain and nail it in the right spots. It’s a harder timber than Tas Oak, but still workable and is so strong compared to something like a Radiata Pine. And from a moisture and durability perspective, there’s nothing like it,” says Dan.
“I used the [Tasmanian TImber] website for expansion and moisture rates, above-ground lifespans and to get a better understanding of its durability. I know that Celery Top Pine has been used for centuries as a boat-building material. The raw beauty, durability and history of the timber adds a nice touch to the story of the sauna boat,” says Dan.
Saunas, strength and satisfaction
Pairing the timber with another traditional boat-building material, a custom-designed brass door and floor-to-ceiling window make up the sauna’s front. With each splash of water or wet handprint on the door handle, Dan says the sauna just gets better after each use.
“Both timbers [Tasmanian Oak and Celery Top Pine] have performed beautifully, and it’s been fun watching the sauna evolve and the brass patina since opening. As the brass patinas, it just develops more and more character and I love the notion that each visitor helps adds to that character. The whole process and the end result have been so rewarding. Making people happy every hour, I really can’t complain,” says Dan.
“In a cold climate with cold water, people crave a little bit of warmth. After a good sauna session, you always feel ten times better than when you walked in. It’s so nice to have made something that makes people feel good.”
“When I work on larger projects that can take months to complete and hand over the keys to the client, there’s a sense of satisfaction when the client has a big smile on their face. What we’ve created with Sauna Boat Tasmania, is like handing over the keys of a big project but doing that sometimes dozens of times a day, seeing the happy faces of people who have just experienced a cold plunge and sauna,” says Dan.
