I am an all species, all methods angler. I have spent the past 20+ years hunting striped bass with bait, plugs, and flies from Maine to Montauk via shore, kayak, boat, and skishing. The more I learn, the more I discover what I do not know. Before I start forgetting more than what I learn, I want to capture and share my personal experience and knowledge. Hence, my book project!
I will continue to write blog articles during 2021, just at a lower publishing frequency. I will also continue with my monthly newsletter, which in 2021 will have subscriber only content! Do I have a project for 2022? Do fish swim?
I first learned of the Gloucester Light Dory in an issue of On The Water. The simple design and fishability of the boat captured my attention. I was born on a small island in the mid-Atlantic. My family fished and built boats. The OTW article inspired me to build a Gloucester Light Dory and reconnect with my heritage. My goal was to simplify the build process and increase the fishability to the extreme.
The most important feature of my custom Gloucester Light Dory is invisible. The boat is built via stitch and glue. For stitches I used staples driven via DeWalt pneumatic power tools, which are are significantly stronger than twisted copper wire stitches. In addition to the staples, each joint is triply re-enforced via epoxy fillet, fiberglass tape, and fiberglass cloth. The marine plywood is 100% enclosed (inside and out) via multi-layers of fiberglass cloth and West System epoxy. There is no possibility for rot on this boat!
Each feature on my boat has its own story. But, that’s a story for another time. ;-). In short, here are the visible features:
Color via epoxy pigments (no paint to scratch or flake)
After countless hours and sheets of sandpaper, I finally launched my custom Gloucester Light Dory. The boat performed beyond my expectations. The boat is surprisingly stable. I was able to stand up and cast, which I cannot do on my kayak. A pair of 7 foot oars provide maximum propulsion with minimal effort. The oars, unlike a kayak paddle, give me infinite control to move the boat forward, backwards, and sideways. When fishing, I rest the oar blades on the rear seat. On this first trip, I landed the meanest, bad-ass, bluegill terrorizing bass in my town’s lake.
Building a custom Gloucester Light Dory tested my high school knowledge of Geometry, required two cups of patience for each cup of coffee, and pushed my problem solving skills to the edge of my imagination. I am proud to say that owning a one-of-a-kind, low-maintenance, high-performance fishing machine at a fraction of the cost of a commercially built boat is priceless. 🙂
