If you’re hanging out reading our website, chances are you already think dories are pretty great boats. What I can also tell you is that the people who like dories are generally pretty great people.
A case in point…last fall, a couple from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia were enjoying a brief holiday on the South Shore when they happened by The Dory Shop. The gentleman had grown up with a dory and had passed his love of boats on to his children. In fact, he had once considered building a dory with his daughter but life gets in the way of these things and the project was never undertaken.
However, inspired by the site of dories outside the shop, the gentleman and his wife decided to have a dory built as a Christmas present for that daughter. They were back in December to pick up the sweet little Black Rocks. And returning to work after the holidays, we received this wonderful letter from the daughter, which we offer here with her permission:
“As a young girl I would explore the nooks and crannies of the Bras’dor Lakes in Cape Breton in some well aged and beaten wooden dory. Just me and the family dog. There were times when I thought I was the very first to make discoveries. One time I found many sunken old barges. I would row my Father out to these nooks and crannies and show him my discoveries. Each time he would act sooo excited. Once we would arrive at the location (me exhausted from rowing a two hundred pound man to the spot) my Father would tell me the actual story of my “discoveries,” one being the place actually named “Barge Cove” where I found those sunken barges for the first time.
“Yup, as a kid, I loved that dory. My Father would tell me stories about the dory he had when he was a boy too. Him and his brothers had lots of stories of fishing and having fun on their dory. So as a young women I thought it would be so nice to build a dory with my Dad. My Father is a great woodworker and appreciates everything hand made – especially from wood. I proposed the idea to him a few years back and he loved it! I was going to build a wooden dory with my Dad. I joked that her name – because she should be a girl – would be Dora. Dora the Dory.
“Mom and Dad traveled to Lunenburg to visit family members shortly after our discussions on Dora building. Dad picked out two copies of the plans – specs and all! We were on are way! Unfortunately, our intentions were good and I’m sure some day we would have accomplished this but Dad is not the most patient man I know.
“This Christmas my parents surprised me and the rest of our family with a beautiful, yellow dory, with green trim and green letters on the side of her. The letters read “Dora the Dory.” My Dora dream has come true!
“I just wanted to say thank you to The Dory Shop – I love Dora! You helped make Dora the Dory come true. I’m sure many more memories will be attached to Dora over the next few generations…
“Merry Christmas!
Melissa Young”
A belated Happy Holidays to you too Melissa and our wishes for many wonderful memories in your new boat!