I bought the Grand Manan wooden lobster boat BONNY BRIDE that was featured in Woodenboat #206 “Save a classic.” She was built at Cape St. Mary, Nova Scotia, by the Doucettes in 1969. I had her trailed home to Gales Ferry, Connecticut, a year ago from Lamoine, Maine. BONNY BRIDE needed extensive rebuilding of her starboard ide where lobster traps were hauled.
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Charles Barclay says:
Aloha Walt,
Many thanks for the fine blog, look forward to more.
She’d make a great race committee boat!
Patrick Walker says:
Could you please post a picture of the plastic shed? I see it in the background. I am wrestling with similar coverage issues on an upcoming boat building project.. Thx!
Walt Ansel says:
Hello Patrick, I used the Gougeon Brothers “On Boatbuilding” book for my shed ideas. They have good photos and directions for bow sheds. My own photos are too low res to post but I’ll try again soon. The spruce roofers were 1 (3/4′) x 8 x 16 as purchased, I ripped them to 3 1/2″. The spruce was very wet & green which helped a lot with the bends. A few broke and I just scabbed a two foot piece over the break. For a bow building jig I used two staging planks laid flat with blocks screwed to the curve. These are more rugged bows than ones built of firing strips.
Patrick Walker says:
Thx for the extra info. I hope to get started on my shed in the spring (when it warms up a bit). – pjw
Steve Stone says:
Thanks for the suggestion Patrick. Hope the photo added above helps out.
David Tew says:
Thanks and good luck! Quite a project. I’ve always liked the raised decks and been intrigued by the cutaway forefoots (forefeet?) of the Novi types. Is the forefoot that way for seakindliness in bigger waves or for hauling up onto beach grids?
Walt Ansel says:
Hey David, Thanks! I had a large Melanson dragger/lobsterboat that had a deep & fine forefoot- really she was over loaded. Down sea in bad conditions that boat would scare you. The bow would dig in and the stern would try to kick around to a broaching situation (sideways to the sea).For safety all you could do was slow down. My guess is that the Novi bow addresses this issue. The cut away forefoot sure would make hauling easier as you say. My favorite old Novi in the 70’s named Pemaquid had a pin hole thru the keel for hauling.
David Tew says:
Thanks for the reply!