76-year-old shipwright builds life-size replica of boat from ‘Jaws’ for film’s 50th anniversary

BRISTOL, R.I. (WJAR) – This summer marks the 50th anniversary of the iconic film “Jaws.”

In celebration, a Rhode Island man is working on a ion project related to the thriller, and it’s getting a big following.

In his Bristol neighborhood, Louis Sauzedde is working with wood.

For as long as he can , he’s had a love of lumber.

Coupled with his boat-building and repair skills, Sauzedde’s hobby has made for a fun career.

“My father was a commercial fisherman,” he said. “We had to work on those wooden boats and, you know, we did all kinds of things to them.”

Aside from his boat business, he started a project of his own about a year ago.

“I’m attracted to larger projects,” he said.

This large project is a boat measuring 40 feet long and 13.5 feet wide. In his case, he won’t need a bigger boat because he’s building a replica of the iconic boat from “Jaws.”

“Orca is probably ... if not the most well-known wooden boat in the world, it’s awfully close,” Sauzedde said.

June 20 marks the 50th anniversary of the film that garnered millions of fans from around the world.

“Jaws was such a popular movie,” Sauzedde said.

With a great appreciation for the Steven Spielberg movie and a way with wood, Sauzedde is building his own “Orca” to be one and the same with the “Orca” from the film.

“So I’ve stolen everything that I could steal from pictures and different things, but I have a background in these boats,” he said.

Sauzedde has also gained a following online.

“It came on late in life. And I discovered YouTube,” he said.

His YouTube channel, Tips From A Shipwright, has nearly 200,000 followers.

“All kinds of people call me about repair projects and different things, and a lot of that wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t opened a YouTube page,” Sauzedde said.

He’s been asked a lot about his future plans at the age of 76.

“I will never retire,” he said. “I’m a virtual teenager, is what I am.”

Just like the classic film he is inspired by, Sauzedde, too, is a classic.

“You know, I need a real attractive project and I think this is it,” he said.

As his “Orca” is in the works, one thing is for certain: It will be jaw-dropping when it eventually hits the water.

“Many people can’t believe it, you know, and won’t believe it until they see it,” he said.

Sauzedde’s progress on the ship can be seen on his YouTube channel.

Copyright 2025 WJAR via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.