Banks Dory Build

Sam and I are building a modern example of a traditional dory in our backyard – the Grand Banks Dory.  It’s 16 feet long overall, with about a 4 foot beam, and is constructed of regular dimensional lumber from a big box store.  The design incorporates fiberglass and epoxy in order to strengthen and waterproof the boat, taking advantage of modern materials in an effort to build an inexpensive, long lasting boat.

The design is from Mr. Jeff Spira, who offers plans for  many designs on his website www.spirainternational.com.  The boat is called the Nova Scotian.  The basic study plans, available on Mr. Spira’s website, are shown below.  By ordering the actual plans, many more details, measurements, and construction details are available and necessary in order to build the boat.

Below, we list the major steps we took during the build. You can click on each link as we progress and follow along with us. These are the major steps anyone would need to take to build their own wooden boat.

  1. Lofting
  2. Frames
  3. Strongback
  4. Frame Spacing
  5. Chine and Sheer
  6. Sides and Bottom
  7. Bottom Fiberglass
  8. The Flip!
  9. Rub and Cap Rails
  10. Turtledecks
  11. Motor Well
  12. Topside Fiberglass
  13. Painting
  14. Finishing

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