Three Islesford Boatworks (IB) boats launched last month off the shores of Little Cranberry Island were a labor of love for more than 80 people, young and old, who had a hand in crafting them.
Islesford Boatworks is a boatbuilding organization on Little Cranberry Island, also known as Islesford. It has a summer program for children ages seven and up and open workshops for older people, apprenticeships, and a school program. (Read more about Islesford Boatworks in our spring 2022 edition of “Maine Ties”)
At the end of each summer session, the Little Cranberry Island and Great Cranberry Island communities are invited to celebrate the launch of boats completed during the program.
The skiff B was built over the last three years, preserving a historic, 100-year-old design by Victor White. It was popular among lobstermen due to its simplicity and low build cost. Most of the work on B was done by 15 Ashley Bryan School students through IB’s school program.
Beloved Seafox, a fiddlehead design, was originally built by IB program participants in 2013 and restored this summer. The nautical flags represent the initials of everyone who worked on it over the past nine years.
The skin-on-frame pack canoe Sundog was built this spring and summer primarily by IB staff and apprentices and raffled as a fundraiser.
This year, IB was awarded a MaineCF Community Building grant to support its year-round work.
Photos by Katherine Emery
