About
My passion for boats and the sea began with my earliest memories. I was raised in a Boston lobster-fishing family that spanned three generations, and I am descended from Nantucket whalers, Long Island ship captains and yacht enthusiasts, and Maine boat builders.
The pier where my family’s lobster boats docked was once the shipyard of Donald McKay, the renowned nineteenth-century shipbuilder who designed and built some of the world’s largest and fastest clipper ships, including Great Republic and Flying Cloud. My connection to New England’s maritime history, combined with an appreciation for art and craftsmanship, inspired me to pursue a career in traditional wooden boatbuilding. After high school, I moved to Maine to attend the Landing School of Boat Building and Design, graduating in 2002.
Following graduation and several brief boatbuilding positions, I decided to try my hand at crewing aboard historic gaff-rigged schooners in Maine’s famed "windjammer" fleet. That experience opened the door to the world of historic and educational sailing vessels, where I continued to expand my skills and knowledge as both a traditional sailor and shipwright.
Over the years, between boat building and restoration projects at numerous museums, shipyards, small boat shops, and a prestigious yacht yard, I would occasionally work as deck crew and educator aboard seagoing ships on coastal transits and offshore passages, including three Atlantic Ocean crossings. My crowning experience at sea was sailing as ship’s carpenter aboard a sail-training barque on a six-month voyage with port stops on three continents and many countries. These voyages, along with yacht deliveries and countless recreational outings on the water, have given me valuable perspective on how vessels behave at sea, as well as what is proven effective for performance, strength, and longevity in design and construction.
While I appreciate all traditional boats, I have a particular admiration for working vessels and the designs that they inspired in the realm of recreational boats. In addition to the satisfaction I find in practical, no-frills traditional boatbuilding, I enjoy the challenge of precise joinery and thoughtfully executed aesthetic details when they enhance the finished work.
Whether restoring a historic museum vessel or building a fine yacht, I am deeply committed to the craft of traditional boatbuilding and bring enthusiasm, experience, and dedication to every project.
