The Middle Island Workshop
The Middle Island workshop (far left) took seven years to build—actually seven summers—starting in 1989. It was intended both as a workshop and winter storage for boats so it had to have water access--convenient water access.
I picked the only possible site—fairly level, eight feet above high water springs and far enough from the house and barn so in the event of a fire we had a good chance to save one of the buildings. We had a 26-foot fishing boat, Sadie, at the time so the building had to be at least 28 feet long and no more than 16 feet wide-- the longest timber available from the local sawmill.
I picked the only possible site—fairly level, eight feet above high water springs and far enough from the house and barn so in the event of a fire we had a good chance to save one of the buildings. We had a 26-foot fishing boat, Sadie, at the time so the building had to be at least 28 feet long and no more than 16 feet wide-- the longest timber available from the local sawmill.
There were no building restrictions at that time--you could build anything, anywhere, so although I did get a building permit we never had any oversight or inspections.
I engaged a local man, Harry Hirtle, to build us a slip. We cut local spruce trees, peeled the logs and used them for both the stringers and ‘spiles’—the cross-pieces. I began digging the foundation holes but soon found I could only go a foot or two before striking the ‘cliff’ (bedrock). We filled these shallow excavations with loose rocks ‘boated over’ from a derelict breakwater on the other side of the island.
Alexis Nichols using a Japanese saw
Our local sawyer, Jim Sunderland, had the heavy timbers, joists, rafters and 6 by 6 posts, brought out to the island lashed across two double dories. The dories grounded out in the shallow water of the cove so it was a wet job getting them ashore.
Since the only power tool we had available was a chainsaw (not made for precision woodworking) I cut the bevels and scarf joints in the carrying beams by hand using a Japanese timber saw.
I had designed the building on a four-foot module so the decking—upper and lower floors and roof—could all be cut in 8, 12 or 16 foot lengths. The tongue and groove decking was barely air-dry when delivered so we laid it loose on the joists, pulled it up with clamps and then nailed it the following year. The building was finished a few days before Alison and Eric’s wedding (August, 1996) and has been much used, winter and summer, ever since.
Since the only power tool we had available was a chainsaw (not made for precision woodworking) I cut the bevels and scarf joints in the carrying beams by hand using a Japanese timber saw.
I had designed the building on a four-foot module so the decking—upper and lower floors and roof—could all be cut in 8, 12 or 16 foot lengths. The tongue and groove decking was barely air-dry when delivered so we laid it loose on the joists, pulled it up with clamps and then nailed it the following year. The building was finished a few days before Alison and Eric’s wedding (August, 1996) and has been much used, winter and summer, ever since.
The double sliding doors open directly onto the water with a 16-foot bench on the south side. Clerestory windows on the north provide good lighting.
The largest boat built in the workshop was the sixteen-foot Silver Thread (right). Plans for this classic boat are linked on this page.
International 14
Present projects include an International 14, (left & below) a replica of the 1936 classic, Uffa Fox’s Alarm. This was the first planing hull in the I-14 class and won many trophies.
Complete building plans, based on an original boat in our possession, available here.
Complete building plans, based on an original boat in our possession, available here.
The International 14 sailed by two teenagers, 1978.