LION and others of her type are described on pages 26-34 of Howard Chapelle’s book, The American Fishing Schooners. Two-masted, double-ended and bluff-bowed, without headsails or bowsprit, these were the fishing boat of choice around Massachusetts Bay in the years following the Revolutionary War.
They’re seaworthy, capacious, and about as simple as a 40-foot sail-powered fishing boat can be. In 2012, as a retirement project, Mike Danesi [mnldanesi@gmail.com] began building a LION replica in his rural New Jersey shop and has done an exceptionally fine job—both in the building and in describing the progress on his website.
The vessel is now (in 2017) all framed out and being planked. We think you’ll enjoy seeing Mike’s work to date and the work to follow. Mike and our Brooklin-neighbor, Brion Rieff, once worked together at a Rhode Island boatyard, and we thank Brion for alerting us to this interesting project.
For more information, please visit Mike’s website or contact him by email mnldanesi (at) gmail (dot) com
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Eric J Nelson says:
Wow, what a project. I became nostalgic when I read his history of working for Ferd Nymphius. I was born in WI and my Dad often took me to Ferd’s shop as a boy. I remember the shavings, the smell of cedar, and they had a HUGE wooden schooner in the back shop. My inlaws live nearby and I often go by when I am back, haven’t gone for a few years, last time was 2005? His son was doing some fiberglass building, and he had some old woodies he maintained. Who knows now.
John Hooge says:
The website is a must-see. OMG what a project. All of it is amazing but a look at his “experience” shows why Mr. Danesi can pull this off. Makes my canoe-building look insignificant.