Traditional Maine Wherry's

[Ray Frechette Jr]

I have a Copy of John Gardner's "Building Classic Small Craft" " Complete Plans and Instructions for 47 Boats.

It is an excellent book. It has a Whople chapter devoted to Traditional lapstrake Wherry's their history and development. While the craft is close to a Whitehall, it differs in being of Lapstrake construction with a Flat plank bottom similar to a Dory's for landing on a Beach and remaing upright, often built to be sacrificial and easily replaced for rocky beaches, with a somewhat different stern than the wineglass on a Whithall. It was designed to be able to be launched stern first into waves and lifted up from the waterline, the Keel is lapstrake planked construction unlike the Skegs added on with some other wherry type boats such as Arch Davis's Penobscot line.

I am intrigued by these very traditional Maine Designs such as the Wade Wherry and the Lincolnville Salmmon Wherry that was used extensively for the Salmon fishery in Penobscot bay with a fuller bow than usual to support the fisherman in deploying and recovering his nets while knealing in the bow area. Unfortunately, whild John Gardens books provides a few pictures and soome line sketches reproduced in the book there are no table of offsets to aid in lofting, Only a grid pattern scale of feet and inches. And there is precious little info to guide in scantlings and shape of stem and sternpost.

Does anyone know where clearer lines and offsets and guidance might be obtained for these historic small craft? I am interested in studying these forms for construction in Glued Lapstrake

[JimConlin]

http://www.duck-trap.com/wherries.html

[J. Labaree]

Also try Mystic Seaport's watercraft plans collection. Try the link below, and scroll down to the boat "Temporary", which is listed as a "Maine Wherry, Moosebec Reach Boat"

r ound bottom work boats plans, Mystic Seaport (http://www.mysticseaport.org/library/collections/shipsplans.cfm?mtyp=vesseltype&mclass=9&mkind=research#itemclass)

[Ray Frechette Jr]

What an awsome resource this forum is.

Thank you for link to Duck Trap. Ordered the book. awaiting it's arrival.

I have already contacted Mystic Seaport. They have plans line for The Lincolnville Salmon Wherry owned by Mr. Wade. No Offsets, just the grid measurements to take off the offsets yourself, but the drawings are significantly bigger than the 1/2 page drawing in Gardner's book, soo, much less room for eror in lofting out the full size plans.

I must say though that Duck traps Christmass Wherry plans look like a real winner. Refined and gracefull and already designed for glued lap build.

Course the Wade Wherry has that rugged workboat look to it that has an appeal of it's own.

Also The Christmass Wherry does not necessarily seem to have the flat bottom plank for ease of Beaching and sacrificial plank use for taking the rock beach abuse.