My favorite dory is...

[rbgarr]

this so-called 'North Shore (Massachusetts) Dory'. It's got kind of a mixed Swampscott and Chaisson dory look to it. A few were built by the Maine Maritime Museum from lines off a boat in their collection. The plans may be available from them or the Apprenticeshop.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid140/p241a5ff212288b825ff6ae27ea781841/f6eb0a57.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid140/p6301f7017d1044f71ac378764ce674b6/f6eb0b35.jpg

[John Bell]

I visited the Maine MM a few years ago, and was captivated by a dory they had in the shed. I wonder if this is the same one. If it is, I agree that it is a lovely boat.

[TomF]

Lovely boat indeed.

... is it the aesthetics that make this one your favourite, or is there something about how the boat handles etc. that particularly turns your crank? I'm pretty taken with Gardner's gunning dories, but my hands-on experience to compare the virtues of different dory designs is nil.

Tom.

[rbgarr]

John-

Yes, the one you saw in the boat display shed is the one shown above. I like the delicacy of the shape and details.
I worked there and rowed several different kinds of dories, and owned this one (at top, which I rowed to and from the Museum in reasonable weather)

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid110/pbcb1420746a50a1d8365b26a79fcc927/f91677e9.jpg

She was a straight-sided Banks type dory, which made for a slightly awkward oarlock position, while the one shown in the first post has a 'tumbled in' sheer strake, which I'm pretty sure would be a little less awkward. They'd probably perform about the same otherwise.

Here's another one similar to the first, only more beat up.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid109/pd751bded1fd228223c470b1f4ff62192/f93ae9b0.jpg

[John Bell]

Ditto, RB. That is one of the loveliest dories I've ever seen. I must have stood next to that boat for a half an hour admiring it from all angles. At the time, I had a rather homely looking plywood dory. The entire time I was looking at this one, I felt sorry for mine. That boat was simply perfect in every proportion.

I wonder if anyone else has more photos of the type.

[Yanis Abols]

I am the happy owner/builder of a Gardner gunning dory. She's a delight to row and her lines are lovely ! Ah, l'amour...

[TimH]

Gloucester Gull Type VI is what I have. Its practical and rows like a fish :D Not quite as pretty as the one that started this thread though.....

[L.W. Baxter]

Those are nice looking lines, Dave. But only three strakes!!! The garboard must be close to 20" wide?

I don't have much practical basis for comparison, but, as for my favorite dory.... I've got to say... Mine! :D

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid118/pf0cd0a87050624e7fe8175996389a782/f8808b2f.jpg

I built the Dion Swampscott from The Dory Book largely on Gardner's recommendation of it as an all-around boat. I've found his assessment to be accurate. This boat has exceeded my expectations in every aspect.

I've found it to be easy to handle and mobile under sail, easy to row, and excellent with a small motor in a well. Everybody who sees it admires the shape.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid119/p0c44de0486a0e30c9dd94084f59fa1dc/f87c95c7.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid119/p340dcf9461e4ec61621e687f46b0f599/f87c9532.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid120/p1d47a551f5d760a3e3edea831f422055/f86a159b.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid119/p813a3e5c59eb93ede5022edb25fe75a4/f87c956d.jpg

I just checked the log, and found that we've spent about 60 hours aboard since the launch in June... all around good times!

--L.W.

[AngWood]

Well, it's hard to pick a favorite. I keep coming back to the 16' semi-dory in The Dory Book. But that's a semi-dory, isn't it?

Lowell's Boat Shop once put a tasteful little cabin on one of their sailing dories--maybe the 20' surf dory? The boat appears on p. 144 of The Wooden Boat by Joseph Gribbins. There's something so sweet about that boat. When it popped up for sale (used) on the Lowell site I wished awfully hard for a winning lottery ticket.

[Bill Perkins]

LW I finnally got to see a Dion Dory at the WB show this year .I'd admired the boat in print but it was even better in person .

[Kermit]

Here are a couple of dories for ya!

http://www.parker-marine.com/50dorypage.htm
http://www.georgebuehler.com/Pilgrim.html

And there's Bill Garden's "Tlingit" at 62' and his "88' Power Dory" displacing 78,000 lbs with a 6-71 for power.

Size counts. :D

[Greg Stoll]

My favorite is the 14' dory on the mooring at the WoodenBoat School.

The WBS handbook says this about it:

"Length 14', Beam 4' 8", Draft 8"
Designer: Robert Elliott - this particular dory is a hybrid between the straight-sided Banks Dory and the round-sided Swampscott type."

It was a wonderful boat to row, and it looked pretty on the mooring as well. Anyone know where I can get a design for a dory like this? I've already discovered that there are no plans, just a few patterns and measurements held closely by the designer (talk about traditional... ;) ).

Greg

[ 10-18-2004, 11:27 PM: Message edited by: Greg Stoll ]