Dory Alternative

I bought the plans to build this Alpha Dory a few years ago. These dories were adaptations of the Swampscott Fishing Dories, and were used for club races around Marblehead at the turn of the last century.

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I also was very interested in building a Chamberlain Marblehead Gunning Dory along the lines preserved by John Gardner in his landmark Dory Book. The Gunning Dory is a double ender that was used for duck hunting among the islands in Salem Sound.

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I've seen great dories reproduced out of the Lowell Boat Shop on the Merrimack River in Amesbury. As much as I'm tempted to build one of these, I still think that I am going to build a Peabod next.

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The Dory will have to wait a year or so. I also have plans to build a canoe, but I may pass on this unless one of the kids wants it as a gift. By the time I do the canoe, I'll probably be too old to be flipping over in the Saco. Although, I'll also have a few years of rowing the Tender under my belt by then, so I could be up for it.