Dory Plans — Traditional Banks Dory Construction

The Banks dory — North America’s working classic

The Banks dory developed in the Grand Banks cod fishery of the 18th–19th century: flat-bottomed, flared sides, narrow stern (tombstone or wineglass), nesting-stackable on the deck of a schooner. Light enough to row, heavy enough to ride a Northeast sea, and simple enough to be built by ship’s carpenters in days. Today it remains one of the most-recommended traditional builds for the amateur.

What’s included

1. South Haven Dory Plans (762 KB) — small dory plan set with construction details. Dimensioned plan view, frame patterns, materials list. Suited to plan-following builders.
2. Traditional Small Craft Association Bulletin 40-1: “Building a Dory Without Plans” (3.7 MB) — step-by-step traditional Banks-dory construction tutorial. Teaches the proportions, the technique and the eye that historically allowed dory shops to build to type without paper plans. Suited to traditional-method builders.

Two paths, one boat

The two documents complement each other beautifully:

• Plan-following path (South Haven): mark out frames from the plan, build a strongback, set frames, fasten sides and bottom. Reliable, repeatable, beginner-friendly.
• Traditional method (TSCA Bulletin): learn the proportions and the historical sequence; lay out by rule and eye; build to type rather than to dimension. Less precise, but builds the skill set that produced these boats for two centuries.

Design specifications (traditional Banks dory)

• Length: 14–18 ft typical (shorter for amateur first build)
• Beam: ~5 ft
• Depth: ~22 in
• Empty weight: ~120–200 lb depending on size and construction
• Hull: flat bottom, flared sides (typically 25–30° flare), tombstone stern
• Construction: sawn frames, plank-on-frame sides (lapstrake or carvel), cross-planked or strip bottom

Why a dory?

• One of the most sea-worthy small boats ever designed (Banks fishermen worked it in conditions modern recreational craft would not survive)
• Excellent rowing boat — long, narrow waterline, easily moved by oars
• Stackable / nestable for storage and trailering
• Honest hand-tool build — saws, hammer, drill, planes, no fancy machinery required

Who this is for

Intermediate amateur boat builders ready for a real heritage project. Rowers and fishermen. Traditional-craft enthusiasts and woodworkers who want a serious build with deep historical roots.

About these documents

South Haven Dory plan is community-shared on the Internet Archive. TSCA Bulletin 40-1 is hosted by the Traditional Small Craft Association (tsca.net) as a free educational resource.

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