The boat which will carry me across this ocean will be built at The Dory Shop in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia which have been building the Dory for over a century now with the same centuries old techniques. Their love and enthusiasm for this boat and the way their committed to keeping the traditional building method alive is a true sign that the dory that comes out of this boat yard will undoubtedly be the best Grand Banks Dory to take me across this ocean. 

The Dory will be modified to have specific qualities that is required to make her an official ocean rowing boat, and for the crossing to be officially  registered. This will include two watertight cabins fore and aft for shelter from the storms and for storage, plus the ability to self right in case of capsize. These modifications will be designed by world renowned ocean row boat designer and Naval Architect Phil Morrison.

Phil is an internationally acclaimed naval architect. With 50 years’ experience, he is regarded as one of the best in the business. His past projects cover a variety of disciplines from the America’s Cup to world class dinghy designs. Now almost all existing ocean rowing boat designs in the world today are from his drawing board. He is known for blending innovation with elegant, well-engineered, high performance structures.

Phil Morrison, although now retired, is without question the most experienced Ocean Row Boat designer of our time. Phil was asked by Chay Blyth to design the row boat for the first Atlantic race over a two decades ago and has since built on that design to create other more advanced boats to cater for the advance of new products and build materials.