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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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!

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.

It’s taken ol’ Dory Plug an entire week to post a few more pictures from the finale of our fall dory building course – that is, of course, the launch of the gang’s Handline dory. Very sorry about the delay; part of which relates to my distinct lack of talent for technology. I held off posting more pictures, hoping I would have some smartly edited video to post with them. Seems like that might take a bit longer. So for now, please enjoy some more snapshots of our launch party.

They say there’s no rest for the wicked and though I’m not sure what Jay has done to deserve it, I can tell you he’s been a busy guy lately. Following the completion of our fall dory building class last week, and a gloriously warm and bright long weekend during which we Canucks celebrated our Thanksgiving, Jay returned to the shop to welcome an all-new group of newbee boat builders.

Today is the big day folks! This afternoon at 2 p.m., participants in our fall dory building class will launch one freshly-baked Handline dory. Tradition requires a semi-secret initiation ceremony and a little row in the harbour to be sure she floats ~ if you’re in the greater Lunenburg area, feel free to drop by and cheer them on!