With a name like The Dory Shop, it’s not hard to figure out our specialty. But our shop builds much more than the iconic Banks dories that have been our bread and butter for close to 100 years. Most of what we build is inspired by classic work boats – strong, sturdy, seaworthy craft that were designed as stable platforms from which to fish, tend traps, haul nets, carry gear and catches and people. As many have discovered, these same boats are great for play too! We also build a number of striking rowing tenders, and are always open to the challenge of a new design.
Nutshell Pram
Our Nutshell Pram is a strong but light weight rowing dinghy that’s popular as a sailboat and cruising yacht tender but equally fun to row in a sheltered cove or lake. It can even be outfitted with a simple sail. Built with solid plank and extra frames, these prams are more robust than the more common plywood versions. Measuring just 7 feet, 7 inches in length, and weighing just 120 lbs., they're also very easy to maneouver both on the water or up on the beach.
7 ft 7in loa
4 ft beam
Cross Island skiff
To quote boatbuilder Michael Higgins writing about the Cross Island skiff in WoodenBoat Magazine's Small Boats 2012, "if there is an 'all-terrian vehicle' of the marine world, this boat might well be it." Inspired by an old work skiff that found her way to the Dory Shop Boatyard in the final days of her long service, these were the do-it-all boats of this region: hauling traps and nets, delivering the catch, and transporting people and goods to communities around the bay. Ruggedly built to handle the work and weather of the Atlantic Coast, they also make strong and reliable pleasure boats, ones you can push up on the beach for a picnic and push off for the trip home.
16 ft loa
6 ft 1 in beam
Martha yawl
When Hollywood actor Billy Campbell needed a tender for his Dory Shop-built schooner, our master builder suggested a dinghy based on the lines of one he had built for himself years before. The result was the extraordinarily handsome, and ambiguously named, Martha yawl (Is the boat named for the schooner Martha Seabury or for Jay's sweetheart? We're not telling!). This is a boat with beautiful details, from her wine-glass transom and steam-bent frames all neatly riveted in place, to her slotted gunwale and custom finish. And she rows like a dream!
10 ft 7 in loa
4 ft 3 in beam