Author: Jeremy Lydic

WoodenBoat Show, June 27

Graham McKay is Executive Director and Master Boatbuilder for Lowell’s Boat Shop in Amesbury, Massachusetts. In 2023, he joined Brad Dimock, Cricket Rust, and Douglas Brooks to form The Dory Heritage Project, a group dedicated to recording endangered boatbuilding traditions.

Milford Buchanan (left) and Graham McKay.

Their first project focused on Milford Buchanan of Nova Scotia and his process in building the Shelburne Dory. The group documented every step and nuance as they worked side-by-side with Buchanan on the iconic small boat, which had been one of the most-built wooden rowboats from the mid-1800s to the early 1900s. They published Buchanan’s process and their experience in How the Old Fella Done It, recording a tradition that was in danger of being lost forever.

Graham will discuss his work with The Dory Heritage Project during the WoodenBoat Show speaker series. His presentation starts at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, June 27. Visit the WoodenBoat Show event page for more information.

WoodenBoat Show, June 28

A dinghy cruiser travels light—spiritually as well as physically—and the freedom that this opens up is both precious and increasingly rare in the modern world.

Author, sailing videographer, and president of the Dinghy Cruising Association, Roger Barnes, will introduce audience members to dinghy cruising—exploring coastal and inland waters on small, light, and inexpensive craft—at the 2025 WoodenBoat Show. He will cover suitable boats and the simple gear and equipment required for safety and comfort.

The lecture will explore the places that can be visited in small boats and discuss their ability to reach remote and unexplored areas. With a trailerable boat, you can sail at a different place every weekend, exploring a wealth of coastlines and new inland waters.

Don’t miss Roger’s lecture at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 28. Visit the WoodenBoat Show event page for more information.

Roger Barnes is author of The Dinghy Cruising Companion: Tales and Advice From Sailing a Small Open Boat, 2nd Edition. His next book, Sailing the Shallows: The Lost Art of Cruising the Coast in a Small Boat will be published on September 25, 2025.

Pieter Roos: The Wells Boat Hall—WoodenBoat Show, June 27

Pieter Roos, senior curator of the American Watercraft Collection at the new Wells Boat Hall

Mystic Seaport has amassed the largest collection of small watercraft in the country, with 470 boats. Opening in 2026, a new 34,000-square-foot space will house a third of that collection.

Located in the historic Rossie Velvet Mill in Connecticut, the new Wells Boat Hall will exhibit vessels from the museum’s collection, telling the stories of work and pleasure craft from 1824 through the present and of the people who designed, built, and used them. Until now, this space had only been available to private tours.

According to the Mystic Seaport Museum website, an estimated $15 million capital investment will allow the museum to convert the warehouse into a public exhibition space, including a new visitor entrance, repairs to the existing roof, and upgrades to heating and cooling.

Join Pieter Roos, senior curator of the American Watercraft Collection at the new Wells Boat Hall, to hear some stories of boats and about the plans for the installation of this remarkable new center. His presentation at the 2025 WoodenBoat Show starts at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, June 27. Visit the WoodenBoat Show event page for more information.

To learn more about the Wells Boat Hall and how to donate, visit the project page at MysticSeaport.org/wells-boat-hall.