Shelburne Dory Tradition Lives

The J.C. Williams Dory Shop Museum and the newly formed Queen of Hearts Dory Club will bring dory history back to life on Saturday, May 16, in Shelburne.

The efforts of both organizations culminate this weekend as competing teams of oarsmen row in the first county-wide dory races in 22 years in the cool waters along the historic Shelburne waterfront.

The dory shop museum was commissioned to build six new dories for the club. Four of the dories have been completed and will be used in the Reg Ross Memorial Dory Race Series and in October's Cape Sable Island Iron Man Race.

Team registration begins in Shelburne at 9 a.m for Saturday's Reg Ross Memorial Dory Race event. To officially bring the race series into existence, Frances Ross, widow of Reg Ross, will fire the starter's pistol at 9:30 a.m. for a short ceremonial race.

When the starter's pistol is fired again at 10 a.m., the race proper begins, and dory racing in Shelburne County will be reborn.

The new dories are hybrids, constructed with traditional features of Shelburne dories but in the larger dimensions and heavier materials of the rival Lunenburg dory.

The dory shop museum, part of the Nova Scotia Museum family, is open daily from June 1 until Sept. 30.