Many of the participants in this year's Bosun School at the Lunenburg Dory Shop are probably not familiar with the lyrics of the old Newfoundland sea shanty that goes "I's the b'y that builds the boat and I's the b'y that sails her."

 For a few weeks in the middle of October, however, that's exactly what they were doing - building their own boat and sailing her - an exercise that represents just one part of their three months of nautical instruction that began in early September.

 The school, which is now in its third year, is the brainchild of Picton Castle master Capt. Dan Moreland, who says this year's class is an eclectic group of would-be salts from a variety of diverse backgrounds.

 "We have Canadians, of course, the United States, Finland, Iceland, Denmark and we had South Africa, as well, for this particular course," Capt. Moreland explains.

 Late this summer, enrollees in the school began learning a variety of marine-related skills which, while not making them experts, gives them a better understanding of what happens aboard ship.

 "There are skill sets - rigging,sailmaking, boatbuilding - how to organize themselves, and how to work hard. And that's important. You can't just mess around all day and call it work. You've got to get it done," he explained.

 The students built this year's boat at the Dory Shop over the course of two and a half weeks under the tutelage of Jay Langford, launching the finished craft, known by some as a silver Bali skiff, on October 28.

 "It's your typical livery skiff. They call it different things," Capt. Moreland says of the 17-footer. "It's the kind of boat that around here, really all up and down the coast, New England way, that's a work boat. It's basically a sawed-off dory, it can carry a ton of stuff and it takes a motor really well."

 Like most dory-style boats, the skiff also rows well and can be used for recreational purposes as well as for work-related endeavours.

 "It's the kind of boat that, unless you want to row ... to have to just bomb around with a small outboard," Capt. Moreland added.

posted on 11/23/11