The Dory Shop

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

Stories from the The Dory Shop


Building & Racing & Dories & Whatnot

A very busy few months at Lunenburg's Dory Shop makes for an interesting read. Here's a taste of what we've been up to and what we'll get into next!

Dory class celebrates successful launch

Two very pleasant weeks with our latest dory  building class wrapped up Friday as the group launched the fruit of their labours, the HMLD NAK. The what, you ask? Well, as always, the dory built during the class is available for sale to one of the participants and in this case will find a new home in New Brunswick.

Dory Plug’s in love again

They say that the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. So here goes. I, Dory Plug, have a problem. Please don’t just me too harshly. I’m not really the philandering type but, well, I do tend to fall in love with every new boat we build.

A little story about dory knees

The Hatts were here yesterday with our spring shipment of Hackmatack dory knees. Naturally grown frames, or knees as they are known in dories, are the defining feature of a Lunenburg-built Banks dory. While other ports built their frames using pieces of wood fastened together with a patented metal clip, ours are cut from a single piece of wood. They are not steamed, nor bent, but instead are cut from the lower trunk and roots of the very strong and rot resistant Hackmatack tree. For four generations the Hatt family has supplied The Dory Shop with this critical building material. Edgar Hatt, shown above, began cutting knees with his father Arthur and his grandfather. He now works in the woods with his son.

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.

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.

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.

Bluenose II tour and invitation to our launch

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!

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