Preview: Lowell’s Boat Shop – Legendary Boatbuilder Since 1793

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Simply put, Lowell’s Boat Shop is a national treasure, still going strong through many manifestations since 1793.

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8 Responses So Far to “Lowell’s Boat Shop – Legendary Boatbuilder Since 1793

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    Steven Clancy says:

    This was a wonderful video. It brought back many memories (and validated a story). In the early 70’s I acquired an old skiff (free as I recall). During the restoration process I showed photo’s and discussed the boat with a local owner of a marine supply shop in Bellingham, WA. The owner of the marine supply store was fondly referred to as Chrysler Pete and he had been in business since the ’30’s. After looking at the photo he said “it’s a Lowell skiff, they shipped them into the Puget Sound area by the train loads”. The Amesbury Skiff shown in this video is the exact duplicate of the boat I found and later restored.

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    David Green says:

    Pretty much the same as the dorys I see here in Newfoundland.

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    Aren Carpenter says:

    Well done video on the shop. When I visited there I was really inspired to build what Graham referred to as the first Amesbury skiff design. I really liked the colors of the paint and simplicity of design. There was a very small bead detail in the planks that set off the curves I liked a lot.
    I never built it because I aquired a Swampscott dory with some repair needs. There isnt a lot of detailed info on repairing split garboard strakes and splits all along the screw line where it joins the bottom. I would love to find in OCH’s archives a video by Mr. Mackay on how he might address these diifficult repairs older boat owners usually have to deal with. “Cut it up for kindling “ is not advice I’m quite ready to accept. Keep ‘em coming- thanks A.Carpenter

  • David and Margaret Tew

    David and Margaret Tew says:

    I was intrigued to see what looked like a Town Class sloop in the video. I didn’t know that they’d ever been built there if that’s the case. My older brother had an old leaky one in the 1970s. she was on her last legs and when the centerboard rusted out and snapped off she was broken up. She’d been a delightful boat for carrying our young families to day-long picnics and games along the beaches off Osterville, Cape Cod. SUMMER FARE was her name appropriately and when we disposed of the hulk I kept all the original bronze hardware and spars to reuse someday.

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    J.D. Bondy says:

    Another exceptional video, guys. Keep up the great work!

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    Chester Burley says:

    great video . . . I watched it twice.
    So wonderful that the kids are learning and appreciating the art

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    Mark Gallo says:

    Very inspiring to learn how generations of American boat builders adapted to changing times with industrialized methods and today draw kids into the boatbuilding craft.

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    Jean Marion says:

    Very interesting and informative thank you. I live about 30 miles up river from them .

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