"SWAMPSCOTT DORY" by Karl Soderlund

Karl Soderlunds print, double matted and framed behind glass in our rustic black ash frame.  Any sportsman or outdoor enthusiast will appreciate how the beautiful black ash slab frame compliments the colors of the print. Swampscott Dories were originally designed to be commerical fishing boats to be launched off the beach. They later became recreational boats as well. The popular sailing dory was an open boat, usually with slightly rounded side frames and rigged with a low leg-of-mutton having a long, high-cocked booma and a jib tacked to the stem. The boat was lighter than the Cape Ann dory and was used more of a beach boat. The round top centerboard case was used here also. In the 1890's the Swampscott dories attracted much attention because of their speed and a racing sailing dory appeared that was known as the "clipper dory." The boat was much like the working boat, usually about 21 feet long, but with a rather narrow bottom and very rounded sides. The Swampscott dories were, like all of their class rather tender in strong winds, and eventually the racing dories were constructed with half-decks and cockpit coamings.