Lowell's boat business shows growth

By Katie Farrell
Staff writer

Fri, May 16 2008

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AMESBURY — They sit side-by-side in the back of Lowell's Boat Shop — an image that was common at the boat shop along the Merrimack River centuries ago.

Two boatbuilders at Lowell's Boat Shop are busy these days finishing the final touches to two 18-foot-long surf dories — both ordered by a boater in California. The dories will be shipped across country in May. One will stay in California, and the second will go to the client's second home in Hawaii.

Pam Bates, the general manager of Lowell's, said the sale is a return of an aspect of the boat shop in the past — building boats in tandem.

Lowell's Boat Shop is the country's oldest continuously operating boat shop. It was founded by Simeon Lowell in 1793 and is famous for being the birthplace of the dory, a small, wooden, flat-bottomed boat that was heavily used by New England fishermen in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

It remained in the Lowell family until 1976, when it was purchased by Malcolm "Jim" Odell. When Odell sold it in the early 1990s, it was purchased by a California intermediary land preservation holding company, which later sold it to the Newburyport Maritime Society. The shop proved to be a financial burden on the Maritime Society, and its future was threatened.

In 2007, Lowell's Maritime Foundation purchased the facility from the Newburyport Maritime Society. And now business at the boat shop is steady, with more multiple orders being placed by customers, Bates said.

Two years ago, the shop had one boatbuilder working on one boat at a time, she said.

"Now we have a waiting list," Bates said.

Two boatbuilders are now on hand at the shop. The shop will likely build between eight to 10 boats this year.

Currently, there are six boats in the loop now — which is a lot of business for a shop the size of Lowell's, Bates said. Each boat takes several months to complete.

Lowell's uses the finest materials and craftsmanship, she said.

"We're all about Yankee integrity," she said — something the dory symbolizes.

From the 1850s to 1910s, Lowell's brought the dory business to its peak and was considered the premier dory manufacturer nationally. In 1911, boatbuilders finished 2,029 boats.

According to boat shop history, Simeon Lowell originated what is called the "surf dory" (often called the Swampscott type dory) — the same boat the California client ordered before Christmas. From the design of that dory, other styles would follow, including the Salisbury Point skiff and the Amesbury skiff.

The dories will be ready to travel to California in May. The owner is scheduled to come to Amesbury next week to look at the dories, meet the boatbuilders and finalize the plans for sending the dories across country.

The client was someone familiar with Lowell's, Bates said. The client contacted them in the fall and placed the order for one dory. Through subsequent discussions, he said he'd like to order a second one for his home in Hawaii at a later date. Bates suggested he order them together to save in cost.

Rowing boats sell for between $700 and $10,000.

The dories are custom-designed to meet the customer's request. For example, each dory has five rowing stations rather than the more typical three, Bates said. Lowell's staff sends the client photographs of the boats' progress so he can watch the evolution of his dories.

Boatbuilder Graham McKay of Amesbury said he and fellow boatbuilder Sarah Forristall would spend time each day working on the dories, which were complex due to design and size.

"It was a great learning experience for me," McKay said. "It incorporated a lot of techniques I hadn't used in building other boats."

In addition to being a boat shop, Lowell's has also been run as a nonprofit working museum since 1994. Boat-making classes and programs are offered at the Main Street site, and tours are also available.

In an effort to raise funds for its educational and waterfront programs, Lowell's is currently selling dory window boxes. The window boxes — in the shape of a dory — are constructed with materials that are parallel to those used in building the dories and skiffs.

The shop also had a fundraiser where it sold cedar planks — boatbuilding scraps — that could be used during cooking.

"We've tried to develop products in keeping with our mission" but that also appeal to groups not necessarily focused on boating, Bates said.

BOX

Boatbuilding Class

During the week of May 5, Lowell's will be kicking off its 215th anniversary celebration with guest boatbuilding instructor Robert Elliott, who will be demonstrating and teaching the Lowell method of boatbuilding to visitors and members.

Elliot worked and taught boatbuilding at Lowell's before going on to the Wooden Boat School, where he taught for 15 years. He now visits Lowell's twice a year to share his knowledge of boatbuilding and its history.

The shop doors will be open for the public to come and watch as he and his students build a one-third scale model of a Lowell Dory. The class is limited to four students, and space is still available. For more information, call @978-834-0050 or e-mail info@lowellsboatshop.com.

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