Dory Boat Plans

Have you thought about building a Dory Boat - but don't know where to get started? Here's some background about dory boats, and information about dory boat plans. Dories are flat-bottomed boats. They are pointed at both the bow and stern (front and back) as to easily ride the waves.

Fishermen first used dories in New England in the early 1800s. Simeon Lowell is generally credited as the designer and builder of the American dory. The dory was renowned for its seaworthiness and served as the typical American fishing boat for inshore and offshore fisheries throughout the 19th century and well into the mid-20th century. The dory was also the first type of American small boat to be mass-produced on a small scale by Simeon Lowell and his descendents. Eventually, fishermen along the Oregon coast began to use dories, too. Traditionally, dories were powered by fishermen, who rowed the boat with long oars. Large fishing ships used to stack dories several boats high on their decks and when they arrived at a fishing spot, they would send two to four men out in each dory to catch fish.