Building the McKenzie Dory, July 2016, Maine

For the last five years I have been going to WoodenBoat School in Brooklin, Maine to learn all sorts of techniques for my obsessive boatbuilding habit. 

In 2016 I will have completed my slippery slide down the slope from student to assistant to teacher, and will be teaching a course in building the classic McKenzie River drift boat--or dory.

If you've never been to WoodenBoat School, you've missed a lot. It is situated on an arm of the delta of the Penobscot River near the tiny town of Brooklin (where Major Powell died in 1902!). The school is on an old estate, is surrounded by beautiful grounds and a boathouse--with a fleet of amazing classic rowboats and sailboats that we get to play with after-hours. 

Food there is incredible. But the staff and faculty are really what makes the place--friendly, helpful, inclusive, and incredibly knowledgable. I could go on and on, and probably will come back and add more. I am totally addicted to the place.

Anyhow, we'll be building Woodie Hindman's classic design with cedar framing and plywood skin. It is the same process you would use to build a Grand Canyon dory, so if you're thinking of building either one--or something similar--but are intimidated by the process, this is the course for you. We will begin on day one by lofting the boat from lines in Roger Fletcher's Drift Boats and River Dories.

By day six she should be floating. In between you'll have been a part of every step of building one of these.

Here is the link to the course on the WoodenBoat School page. Registration opens up January 4, so ponder it and give a call if you're interested. A lot of courses fill in the first hour or two.

http://thewoodenboatschool.com/boatbuilding/mckenzie.php

Helpful hint: It is a long way to go for a one-week course. It's way more fun to do a couple in a row. I did three one year. What a blast.