Originally, boats were made out of wood, and among these were the small dories which were used for fishing, even in dangerous weather, the people of the county being made of strong and courageous stuff.  Many lost their lives in the pursuit of providing for their families in rough seas and bad weather. 

The first Cape Islander style fishing boats were built in the early 1900s and named after Cape Sable Island.  Stories vary as to who actually designed and built the first one; however, but regardless of the builder, the Cape Islander is widely known on the eastern seaboard of the United States and Canada.  The first boats were flat bottom and powered by sail and were about twenty feet in length with a pointed stern. One story goes that Ephraim built the first gas powered boat for a New Brunswick man who provided blueprints for a pleasure craft. It's high sides made it unsuitable for fishing. Ephraim created a new boat which he designed for the fishermen in the area. This boat was about twenty four feet long and narrower than the Cape Islander made today. Over the years the Cape Islander saw various changes and alterations to suit particular fishermen, but the basic shape of the hull has stayed the same. Today, these boats have been built to more than fifty feet and can carry a load of 230 lobster traps more than twenty miles. These boats used to be made of wood, but are now typically made of fibreglass. 

Seaside communities in Shelburne County virtually depend on the fishery for their very existance.  The communities and their various businesses flourish as long as the fishing and lobster industries remain stable.  The boatbuilding industry, coming about as it did due to the dependance on these areas on the fishing industries, are influenced by the needs of the fishermen of the area, and the need for strong, tough, reliable boats. Many boatbuilders are or have been in the past fishermen themselves, and they know what makes for an ideal boat to carry the crews safely out to the fishing grounds and back home again.  Small communities in Shelburne County and, of course, the rest of Nova Scotia, are close knit and the people of these areas usually know each other well, and often grow up together.  This makes the creation of safe, strong boats especially important because the builders personally know the people who will be taking the boats he builds out on the water. 

Boatbuilders are naturally very proud of their products, and builders of the Cape Islander style boats are especially proud because the name of the boat is strongly connected to our area, as it is named after the place the boats were originally designed, Cape Sable Island, Nova Scotia.  The boat represents the area, and therefore represents us, and so we will only make the best boats we can which will continue to strengthen our reputation in the boatbuilding industry.

For more information about Cape Sable Island, visit the Cape Island Slang Page.

R.Ross
Daniel's Head Boatbuilders Ltd.
Novie Boatbuilders Ltd.