For the first time in decades, there are schooners 'abuilding on the famed waterfront at Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada. Dawson Moreland & Associates are building not just one, but two 48' wooden schooners in the best of Maritime traditions. These 'twins' will be built simultaneously, frame for frame, plank for plank, alongside the historic Lunenburg Dory Shop at 175 Bluenose Drive. Follow their progress from keel laying to launch!

An artist's interpretation of the Twin Schooner Project

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Sunny deadwood

Until working around Dave and Dan, I thought Deadwood was a television western. Well that's true but apparently it's also the name of wood that serves primarily as filler between other aspects of a boat's structure. And that's what the guys are working on in the pictures here.

The funny thing is that this deadwood, particularly the piece being worked on at right, has such a vibrant colour. It really sticks out on a day like this when the temperature is back above freezing but everything is that dull gray that tends to characterize Nova Scotia from December until April. Doesn't look dead at all, does it?

Friday, January 22, 2010

Ballast keels arrive


The sun is back out today but it's been a challenging week for getting work done outside. There were snowstorms Monday and again on Wednesday. It drove even our most hardcore guy (i.e. Dave) to work inside by the stove.

Still we managed to get the two ballast keels on site. You can see one of the 11,000 lb. mommas in the photos here. Bear in mind that the keel as shown at right has been flipped upside down. You can certainly get a good sense of how things will fit together.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Happy New Year!

We enjoyed a bit of time off over the holidays. Not too much though. Dave wanted to take advantage of a few mild days, and some not-so-mild ones, between Christmas and New Year's, the latter arriving with a big snowstorm here.

When not able to work outdoors, Dave and his gang were busy lofting frames and making patterns.

There's something very special about the moulding loft. Just a few months ago this was nothing more than a large empty room on the third floor of our waterfront warehouse. Now it's like Mission Control but without all the technology required by NASA. It's here that Dave has laid down the lines from the half-model on which these two schooners will be built. The lines are drawn full size so that patterns can be made for the fabrication of frames.

At times, the loft has an almost church-like reverence. I think you can see it in the photo above. And of course, if things go off course, the language may well include a few terms that a minister might use!