Learn to Build a Trawl Dory Workshop
September 14 -25 & October 5-16, 2026
New Courses 2027 TBA
Boat building is all about curves, fastenings and bending wood and much else besides.
Here at the old Dory Shop on the historic waterfront of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, we get a lot of interest and enquiries from folks who want to get in on building a dory or learning about wooden boat building from us.
Learn the basics of the craft of boat building as it is so different from house building skills and other types of carpentry.
Learn to Build a Dory Workshop
About the Workshop : From learning about the best lumber and fastenings, and how to saw out a frame, or bend in a smooth plank, we are building wooden boats today just as it was done 100 years ago – actually a lot longer ago than that!
It’s quite an amazing thing to turn a pile of rough lumber in the yard into a beautiful boat with your own hands, and you will do just that, all working on a building a dory together, launching her, then rowing her afterwards.
Leave the “old Dory Shop” with wood shavings in your pockets, fond memories and new skills you can apply when chance affords!
Skill level : This workshop is designed for those with some minimum basic woodworking skills, although the most important thing to bring with you is a keen interest to learn. You needn’t be a fine cabinetmaker, but it would be good to be familiar with basic hand tools. All tools and materials used in construction will be provided.
To keep this meaningful for the participants we only accept four to five maximum people.