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Boatbuilding, Downeast Style Gallery

Mount Desert Island, Maine, lies Downeast—about 100 miles northeast of Portland as the seagull flies. A century ago, most islanders made their living from the sea: fishing, lobstering, skippering yachts for "rusticators" (summer visitors), maybe a little bit of all three. In the winter the watermen built boats to use themselves or to sell. Today the descendants of those rugged old-timers
  • By Mike Smith
  • May 1, 2007
<p>Wilbur Yachts' customers include Billy Joel, Woods Hole, and even the Smithsonian.</p>

Wilbur Yachts’ customers include Billy Joel, Woods Hole, and even the Smithsonian.

At Ellis Boat Company, not every Downeaster it builds is a lobster boat.

Don Ellis and his Freisian horse, Deisha, in Southwest Harbor, Maine.

Here’s a scupper’s-eye view of boatbuilding at Ellis Boat Company.

Richard Stanley carries on the family tradition of building custom wood boats.

The Maine man himself: Ralph W. Stanley. Interesting to note: When he’s not building boats, he plays a mean fiddle.

Malcolm L. Pettegrow builds cold-molded wood and ‘glass Downeasters.

Mac Pettegrow.

Two yachts a-building at Wilbur.

Eric Clark of Marine Systems learned his trade from top Southwest Harbor builders, including Lee Wilbur.

Marine Systems also uses other local yards’ hulls, an approach shared by some builders worldwide.

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Mike Smith

  • Boats, Design, Photo Gallery

More Boats Design Photo Gallery

Circumnavigating the Globe on a Nordhavn 76

Back Cove 412 Sea Trial and Review

Sargo 31 Outboard

Grandpa’s Patina

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