The Dory Shop

Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada | (902) 640-3005 | info@doryshop.com

Stories from the The Dory Shop


A new learning opportunity at The Dory Shop

Want to build a classic wooden boat? There’s no better way to learn how than to take one apart and fix it! That’s just the opportunity available at The Dory Shop this spring when master boatbuilder Jay Langford restores an aging Monomoy pull boat. Brought to The Dory Shop straight from Cape Cod, where these boats originated, this fascinating project offers a unique learning opportunity for up to four new and would-be boatbuilders.

On their knees

Our two-week segment with participants in the Boatbuilder Employment Preparation Training Program, sponsored by the Nova Scotia Boatbuilders Association and the Employment Solutions Society, is moving right along. Yesterday, the gang was fitting and installing the knees (frames) in the 13-foot-bottom, 17-foot overall Handline dory they’re building with Jay.

Schooners all planked up

There was much merriment in the boatyard this weekend (too much?) as we celebrated the installation of the last plank in our twin schooners – the Shutter Plank. Actor-adventurer Billy Campbell, for whom one of the 48-foot schooners is being built, did the honours – dousing the plank with rum and hammering in the fastenings. The more than 150 people who joined us also got a look at the dory being built by participants in the Boatbuilder Employment Preparation Training Program.

Class making progress!

Participants in the Boatbuilders Employment Preparation Training Program (phew – what a name!) are making good progress with the 13-foot-bottom Handline dory they are building.

Welcome future boatbuilders!

We’re very happy to have the gang from the Boatbuilder Employment Preparation Training Program, sponsored by the Nova Scotia Boatbuilders Association, with us these next two weeks.

New schooner documentary airs this weekend

A new television documentary featuring interviews about the building of the twin schooners out in The Dory Shop boatyard premieres this weekend on CBC Television.

Banks dory declared ‘iconic’

An article in this month’s issue of Classic Boat, entitled 10 Iconic American Boats, lists both dories and working schooners.

Additional seating

It’s always rewarding to receive a call or email from someone with one of our boats, telling us how much they love and enjoy them. Especially heart-warming are the messages from folks who have acquired an older dory in need of some TLC but who can look beyond the repairs required to the boat that can still be. Often they have questions about how to approach the needed repairs, and we do our best to help them. And of course if they are within driving distance, we are happy to do the repairs for them.

Bosun Schoolers launch their boat

After more than two weeks and – dare we admit it, Jay? – quite a bit of fun,  students from the Picton Castle Bosun School celebrated the launch of their newly-built skiff last Friday. Built of select tropical hardwoods, notably Silver Bali planking, this is no lightweight boat – neither in construction, nor heft (it took a full 10 hands to walk her down the beach!). She’s built powerfully strong with lots of naturally-grown frames and big stern knees too. And thanks to the unique boat lumber, plus fastenings of copper and stainless steel, she’s going to last a long time!

Sailors build a skiff

For more than a week now, Jay has had a group of students from the Picton Castle Bosun School working with him in The Dory Shop. The Bosun School is a land-based program aimed at young mariners who wish to advance their skills away from the necessary distractions of a ship that’s underway at sea. This is the third running of the program and we’re delighted to have young sailors from Canada, the USA, Finland, Iceland and Denmark in attendance.

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