John Gardner Chamberlain Gunning Dory

Through connections within The Traditional Small Craft Association, I received word that there was a dory built by John Gardner, looking for a new home just north of my home on the West Coast of Florida. What I found was a treasure that had been stored and protected for an unknown number of years, with a bronze plate reading “Built in 1966 at Saugus, Mass by John Gardner for Thomas A Howell of Califon, NJ” The boat’s protector, Brad Simoneaux, had passed away and with him much the history of the boat, his wife and daughters knew of his reverence for the boat and worked to be sure it was transferred to someone who would share his appreciation of the boat. Minor repairs were all that was required to have the dory seaworthy again. Rigged with a balanced lug sail and christened “ECHO” she was relaunched at the Cedar Key Small Boat Meet in May 2024, and again at the 2024 WoodenBoat Show.

Michael Jones mj.woodwork@gmail.com