Lewes Family Boat Build Weekend June 13 -15

Lewes was once a shipbuilding town. From the 1600s until the mid-1800s, hundreds of vessels of all sizes were built on Lewes Creek. The Lewes Historical Society will rekindle this art in Lewes as part of Family Boat Building Weekend over Father's Day Weekend Friday through Sunday, June 13-15.

Participating groups and families will build shallow draft wooden boats called Bevin’s Skiffs, with help from The Lewes Historical Society’s Wooden Boat Crew, in front of the Lewes Life-Saving Station. At roughly 12 feet long, these wooden boats are great for fishing and recreation. The Bevin’s Skiff was created to be a teaching vessel, designed to be constructed by beginning builders, and is a perfect introductory boat for families.

After construction, the groups will launch their new handmade Bevin’s Skiffs at the Lewes Canalfront Park around 1 p.m., June 15.

All weekend, tickets will be sold for a raffle for a 15-foot Skerry Rowboat constructed by The Lewes Historical Society’s Wooden Boat Crew. The drawing will be at the Historic Lewes Farmers Market Saturday, Sept. 27.

The Lewes Historical Society thanked the following sponsors: The Pilots Association for the Bay & River Delaware, Lewes Wooden Boat Fund, The Issel Family, Mr. P’s Pizza, Touch of Italy, West Marine, and The Wooden Boat Crew Oarsmen.

Go to www.HistoricLewes.org for information on how to register a group to participate in the 2015; space is limited. For more information on The Lewes Historical Society, contact 302-645-7670 or www.HistoricLewes.org.