The Matinicus Double-Ender

Benjamin Mendlowitz

Sandy Buxton and Todd Skoog enjoy an early evening row in TINKER, their Matinicus double-ender built by Walter Simmons of Lincolnville Beach, Maine.

Like water finding its own level, those who are familiar with wooden boats seem to be drawn to the Matinicus double-ender, built by Walter Simmons. Designed over a century ago for fishing, she represents the finest kind of Maine workboats. The boat has a length overall (LOA) of 15′ 6″ and a 4′ 5 3⁄4″ beam. She moves easily and rises to meet seas without pounding. It’s no wonder that she was chosen to grace the cover of the book, Boats, Oars, and Rowing, written by R.D. “Pete” Culler, an icon of the boatbuilding trade.

In an age when many designers and builders are out to “push the envelope” and “revolutionize the industry,” designer and builder Walter Simmons carries on, honoring many of the old ways of doing things. He has been building the Matinicus double-ender for years, using molds passed on to him from the family of Merrill Young, one of a long line of boatbuilders and fishermen who lived on Matinicus Island, off midcoast Maine.

In boatbuilding circles, Simmons is known for writing several books, including works on lapstrake boat-building, a traditional type of construction in which planks (strakes) overlap, appearing somewhat like the laps of a clapboard house. Lapstrake construction makes a strong hull, since the laps themselves—about 3⁄4″ wide in this case—add strength to the hull.

The term double-ender is applied to a variety of boat types. Simmons refers to his model as a double-ender (rather than a peapod, or anything else, for that matter) because the Youngs referred to her that way, so whether technically correct, a bow to her heritage, or both, she is a double-ender.

Karen Wales

Boatbuilder Todd Skoog added stemhead details to each of TINKER’s stems.

There are two keel versions of the boat: one with a T-shaped keel that Simmons builds exclusively and one with a two-part plank keel that he both builds and offers in plan form to other builders. I was invited to row and to ride in a Simmons-built double-ender (T-shaped keel model) owned by Todd Skoog and Sandy Buxton.

Todd is a professional boatbuilder and Sandy has lifelong experience on the water; she has even co- owned and worked on a couple of sardine carriers. With the vast boatbuilding and boating knowledge that exists between these two, it is high praise that they would choose to buy a boat rather than build one themselves—but no surprise that they would settle on this one. They’ve named her TINKER.

Karen Wales

The Matinicus double-ender weighs about 130-145 lbs. Though this is not a lightweight boat, two people can load and unload it from a trailer.

She tracks beautifully. After a few pulls on the oars, momentum begins to carry her in calm water like a large and happy fish awakening from slumber, propelling into the morning’s hunt. She never feels tippy or corky. Imagining what it might be like to have a child aboard (or to be one), I stood up, sat down, turned around, rowed, sat back, and sometimes shifted my weight without warning. TINKER never wavered or gave fright.

As mentioned, TINKER is the model with the T-shaped keel. This type of keel receives its garboard planks (the lowermost planks in the boat and the first ones to be installed during the building process) by way of a rabbet that is cut along the keel’s length.

Benjamin Mendlowitz

Descended from a long line of workboats, these striking lapstrake double-enders are often very long-lived, partly because of the pride they instill in their owners.

The plank keel, as it sounds, is flat—like a plank. In cross-section, it is wider than it is deep. In construction, garboard planks are fitted to bevels that are cut along the length of the plank keel’s bottom. The edges of the garboard and the bottom of the plank keel are then protected by a second, outer keel-type piece (called a shoe in the plans), which covers the bottom of the plank keel and butts against the garboards. The plank keel allows for the easy installation of a centerboard trunk if the builder wants to rig the boat for sailing. It also gives nice footroom in the bottom of the boat. I envision how helpful this flat sole might have been to fishermen of old as they hauled their lobster pots or otherwise stood while handlining for fish. Simmons has drawn remarkably well-detailed plans for the Matinicus double-ender—plans that carry the mark of experience.

There are other boats in this family. One notable design is John Gardner’s Matinicus Peapod, which, due in part to the name, is sometimes confused with Simmons’s Matinicus double-ender. A comparison of the plans of both boats shows some significant differences. Simmons’s boat is a full 6″ longer (15′ 6″ to Gardner’s 15′ LOA), yet has a smaller beam (4′ 5 3⁄4″ compared to Gardner’s 4′ 6 3⁄4″). The biggest difference is that while the Gardner boat is symmetrical about the ’midship section (she is the same fore and aft), Simmons’s boat is not. The aft sections of the Matinicus double-ender are finer than those forward, and the stern profile is not the same as the bow.

Walter Simmons

Unlike many other double-ended rowboats of this size, the Matinicus double-ender’s hull is not symmetrical fore and aft. This, combined with her different bow and stern profiles, makes a very pleasing and interesting hull that will always be a joy to use.

Although Gardner mentions a plank keel in his write-up, his plans show a rectangular keel topped by a narrow keel batten, while Simmons’s show details for the wider plank keel described earlier. Finally, the Gardner Peapod was designed for rowing and her plans show none of the sailing rig details such as the mast, sprit, sail, rudder, centerboard and aforementioned centerboard trunk. These details are all completely spelled out in Simmons’s plans.

This would be a fine boat for any serious builder to take on. Lapstrake planking makes this a particularly good choice because it does not require as much time to swell as carvel planking. It is a workboat in the true sense of the word. No flash, no varnish needed. Her charm is all in her lines and in her performance.

While it may seem that boaters and boatbuilders with a more experienced eye are drawn to this design, they are not an exclusive club. Almost anyone can own this boat. Plans are builder-friendly and the finished product is a down-to-earth pleasure with enduring quality. Like Walt Simmons himself, she’s the real deal.

Matinicus Double-Ender Particulars

LOA:  15′ 6″
Beam:  4′ 5 3⁄4″
Weight:  140 lbs

Plans and finished boats are available from Duck Trap Woodworking, P.O. Box 88, Lincolnville Beach, Maine 04849, 207-789-5363.

Check Out These Other Duck Trap Offerings

Ready for more boats from the mind of Walter Simmons? We’ve profiled a few you might enjoy.

Sunshine: A much-admired yacht tender

The Christmas Wherry: A Maine example of a traditional design