Nextwave Boat
 

Welcome to the Nextwave Boat Shop

Here's some of the projects being built at the shop:

The Piscataqua Wherry

The Piscataqua Wherry is a handsome 16 foot rowboat intended for the challenging waters of Portsmouth, NH. The boat has a narrow flat bottom, lapstrake, with a reverse chine fore and aft to improve its rowing and tracking abilities.

 Whether rowing solo;

 

or wooing;

or rowing tandem;

Or in the sliding seat;

The Piscataqua Wherry is a quick, stable row boat!

Specifications:

  • LOA: 16'2"

  • Beam: 47" (inside)

  • Weight: 195 lbs

  • Mahogany transom, stem, seats, and trim

  • Dynel garboards and bottom

  • All bronze hardware and fasteners

History:

It's an amazing boat. The boat is circa 1850. The original was built by Simon Cole of Eliot, Me. It resembles a dory, but the design evolved substantially from the dories of Maine and Massachusetts. Most of the changes are for better rowing and tracking for the quick water of the Piscataqua River but a number of changes are subtle tapers, seat placement,  and decking you don't see in other boats of its kind.

I'm still researching the history of this craft. A boat so popular in the Piscataqua may have been stolen by the Smuttynose murderer to commit his crime in 1873.

His trial records highlight a wherry and its recently replaced but worn thole pins as proof of the culprits difficult row to the Isles of Shoals and return to Newcastle in the wherry. Worn hickory tholepins may have put him away! Celia Thaxter's testimony recounting of the crime was also inconsistent at the trial.

Stop by the shop. I'll tell you the whole story! In any event it definitely was the taxi cab from Portsmouth, New Hampshire to Kittery, Maine.

Construction:

The boat is lapstrake with mahogany frames, stem, thwarts, transom, and trim. All the mahogany is treated with penetrating epoxy for minimum maintenance when finished bright. The garboards are treated with Dynel for abrasion resistance. All hardware is bronze.

 

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Ulua

A sailing canoe in the true Polynesian style. Whether it's surfing, sailing, or paddling this boat will get to you. Now is the time to talk to us if you are interested for Spring 2009.

 

 Specifications:

22' LOA, 22 inch beam; ama and canoe weigh 65 lbs.

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Swampscott Dory

This is a rebuild of a 16' foot sail/row Swampscott dory. It is very stable under sail and surprisingly quick. An electric motor option is also available.

 Specifications:

16' 3" LOA, 60 inch beam,  375 pounds, 99 sq. ft. sail area, weighted rudder and centerboard.

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Bolger 16 foot Runabout

This is the Phil Bolger designed Daisy, a 16 foot center console runabout which is 3/4" cedar strip planked and finished bright.

Bolger designs are always a little special and this stable runabout is no exception. Lots of comments about the look of the bow, partial frames, and all the mahogany is treated with the epoxy/clear coat method.

 

I'd love to build another of these!

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 Saint Lawrence Skiffs

This is a 21 foot Saint Lawrence Skiff and arguably one of the best sailing and rowing craft ever designed for protected waters. The Maine Peapod is a close second. Great stability and tracking and a "hoot" to sail. The boat is a strip planked reproduction of the Katherine Robbins in the collection at the Thousand Islands Shipyard Museum originally built in 1885 at Wilbur & Wheelock also of Clayton, NY.

 

 Specifications:

21 feet LOA, 43 inch beam,  220 pounds, 74 sq. ft. sail area, folding bronze centerboard.

To make sailing less strenuous, I have also added a rudder but the original boat was "steered" by shifting your body weight around the boat. A great description of the strengths of the Saint Lawrence Skiff is contained in John Gardner's book "Building Classic Small Craft".

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Bar Harbor Chair

Although I build a variety of boats, the Bar Harbor chair with its low-maintenance marine epoxy finish has been getting a lot of attention and time. I'm suppose to be building boats! The chair was featured in the Boston Globe Magazine on 8/14/05. This is a big, comfortable chair with striking mahogany grain pattern that can withstand New England weather without a problem.

Although similar to an Adirondack chair, the Bar Harbor design includes:

  • Level arms reinforced to withstand the weight of a child "perching" on them.
  • Arms that extend forward to assist in rising from the chair; that permit placing a beverage without bending the wrist.
  • Contoured seat and curved back that is "just right" for use either with or without a cushion.
  • A deep well at the base of the back to eliminate the "lump" from the bend of a cushion and to prevent its movement.
  • Arms that are at "reading height" for holding a book
  • Good stability. . . and above all - comfort!
  • The ability to stack two or even three chairs, to save floor space when storing them for the winter.
  • Compact rear leg to avoid Adirondack chair trip-over.

The Bar Harbor chair is built from Mahogany, all stainless  screws and fasteners and plugged with cross grain mahogany, and, most importantly.........specially finished!

This finish provides great ultraviolet protection and amazing weather resistance. It's very natural and not at all "plastic" in appearance and the chair requires little or no maintenance.

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On finishing mahogany

Brightwork on our boats and chairs is finished to allow years of service before touch-up is required.

To get a true low maintenance finish, all mahogany is finished with two coats of a high penetrating marine epoxy to seal the wood and displace water in the surface of the wood. This effectively stabilizes the mahogany, makes surface motion difficult, and seals the resins into the wood. What's needed then is a finish that provides antioxidant and ultraviolet inhibitors. But varnish (with it high content of penetrating oils) isn't effective because there is nothing to penetrate! We apply 3 coats of a two part finish that's more like an automotive clear coat and adheres well to the epoxy base and is loaded with UV protection.

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You can reach the shop at 603-373-0512 or stop by at 1 Plains Avenue at the baseball field end of Islington Street in Portsmouth, New Hampshire or at:

 info@nextwaveboat.com