June 20, 2017
No trip to Lunenburg for me is complete without checking out what’s in the yard by the Dory Shop. There are not many places like this any more and the crew here work hard keeping alive traditional boatbuilding skills. Most importantly to my mind, they do it, not as a museum, but as a viable business. Here is what they have to say about themselves. -GC
“We build dories. Day in, day out, one after the other. In fact, we have been building the iconic Grand Banks dory and other traditional wooden watercraft for close to a century. Although we’ve added a few power tools, we’re proud to say our boats are still hand-built using tried-and-true construction methods, along with quality materials like solid oak transoms, pine and cedar planking, and our signature grown hackmatack frames, all held together with quality copper fastenings. We like it this way. It works and it will continue to work as long as the sea is salty and the ocean has waves.
That doesn’t mean nothing ever changes here. These days, in addition to dories for rowing and sailing, power skiffs and runabouts, we’re also building big powerful schooners, perfect for coastal cruising or blue water adventures across the world’s oceans. Like our dories, they are traditionally-built; in this case, from a designer’s half model instead of the decades-old jigs and patterns from which we build our smaller boats, their edges worn smooth from the touch of so many craftsmen’s hands.
Our boats are strong, durable, seaworthy, and beautiful in their simplicity. But the place we work is special too. The Dory Shop is located on the harbour shore of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada, a port renowned for shipbuilding and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We welcome you to drop by – the locals all do! – or better yet, to join us for one of our two-week dory building classes. For those unable to visit, we are happy to work with you to build the boat of your dreams and can assist you with all the shipping details.”
CY Virtual Video Boat Tours
We all love boats and nothing can break us up! So, what better way to spend our time than looking at interesting boats and going aboard in a virtual ride or tour. We have asked our friends at various dealers and manufacturers to help us assemble a one-stop online resource to experience some of the most interesting boats on the market today. Where the CY Team has done a review, we connect you to that expert viewpoint. If you can’t go boating, you can almost experience the thrill via your screen. Not quite the same, but we hope you enjoy our fine tour collection.
Read more about the CY Virtual Boat Tours....................
By Andy Adams
Once again, Cruisers Yachts is leading the market for day boats with their new 42 GLS model that premiered at the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show at the end of October. The concept of a large day boat is now a very well-established trend made possible by the amazing new power and efficiency of the latest four stroke outboards.
Buyers are looking for a different boating experience and we think that the 42 GLS nails it. Fast, handsome and versatile, the 42 GLS is designed for fun and adventure.
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In Part I, Sheryl Shard ended the story at June and the start of Hurricane Season when they were once again joined by friends.
This time it was Noel and Tracey Dinan, whose new shallow-draft Allures 49.5 was in build at the time, we headed north from the Exumas across the expanse of the Great Bahama Bank, dodging coral patches as we sailed to Eleuthera then Marsh Harbour, Great Abaco. Another commercial centre in the islands, we cleared out of the Bahamas here after provisioning for our offshore passage up to the Chesapeake Bay on the US mainland and out of the Hurricane Zone until mid-November...
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By Andrew McDonald, Lakeside Marine Services
“They don’t make ‘em like they used to”, is a phrase that many of us are familiar with. Most of the time it is in reference to a bygone era of better, and it’s used to lament the sorry state of what we have today. It is a phrase that can be applied to many areas of our lives: architecture, art, furniture, tools. Boats? I would argue that they don’t make them like they used to. But, is that lamentable, or is it progress?
Progress, I think. With this concept in mind, as we enter another season of putting boats to bed for the winter, why do we winterize as we always have?
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