The Dory Shop

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

Stories from the The Dory Shop


A sailing dory for WoodenBoat

With the spring dory building class successfully concluded, Jay’s well into our next boat – a sweet little Black Rocks sailing dory to display at WoodenBoat Magazine’s show at Mystic, CT next month. As you can see, he’s just working on the garboard planks.

Dory class launches boat!

Champagne and Solomon Gundy accompanied the launch of our spring dory class’ boat this morning. As usual, we had a bit of an initiation before taking the boat down to the beach during which the guys had to take the four gastronomic sacraments of Lunenburg – Solomon Gundy (that’s pickled herring to the uninitiated), sauerkraut, Lunenburg pudding, or pig’s pudding as I grew up calling it, and all washed down with a shot of dark rum.

A successful launch!

We kicked off the long Victoria Day weekend this afternoon with ‘graduation’ ceremonies for participants in our spring dory building course. Once again, we were blessed with a great group, all eager to learn about traditional wooden boats, to get right in there with the plane or the hammer or the paint brush, and to enjoy the offerings of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia and our waterfront in particular.

These guys are dory prodigies!

We told you the fellows in this spring dory building class were quick learners. Turns out they are also quick builders! Check out these photos of their dory, taken Friday afternoon.

A big welcome to our spring dory class!

We’d like to extend, a little belatedly, a big welcome to participants in our spring 2011 dory building class, which got underway Monday. We’re always wondering how we manage to get such great groups of people – truly! And this gang also includes some pretty fast learners. At this point, they actually have the dory fully planked (more photos to come obviously!) and will be fitting her knees this afternoon. Jay is highly impressed.

You’re invited to a Shutter Plank party!

Who says all the fun ends with Old Christmas? Not here at The Dory Shop, where we’re busy planning a special celebration to mark a major milestone in the building of the twin schooners.

Praise for dory building course

It’s a little over a month until the start of The Dory Shop’s fall dory building course and spaces are still available. I could give you the ‘hard sell,’ telling you all about how great the course is, and of course Lunenburg is spectacular in the fall. However, I’d prefer to pass along some comments from past participants instead

Dora the dory

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:

A Lunenburg dory

This is a Lunenburg dory, which means it’s 12 feet on the bottom, 15.5 feet overall. Jay finds it a nice change after building two big Fortune Bay dories back-to-back.

Future boatbuilders

Wet weather didn’t dampen the enthusiasm at the Lunenburg Waterfront Seafood Festival  last weekend. There were good crowds for all of the events, from our beloved dory racing (results soon) and scallop shucking to the always moving Seamen’s Memorial Service. And for the second year in a row, The Dory Shop sponsored a children’s boatbuilding workshop.

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