Recently certified Boat Builder Dan Wendt with a work in progress - a Wherry Yawl - built using the skill of lofting, taught in the apprenticeship program When Dan Wendt talks about becoming a certified Boat Builder, he’s quick to laugh at the paperwork still catching up with him. He does have his NSBA "Certified Boat Builder" hat, awarded upon completion of the curriculum. "The hat, though," he points out, "for me, that's the thing. When you can wear the hat, then you're a boat builder," he...

Autumn sun glints off the shifting waters of Halifax Harbour. A Dartmouth ferry trundles by. The Violet Mac putters across the one of the deepest harbours in the world, afternoon light shining through its windows as passengers marvel at the sight of a container ship parked down the wharves from a Navy ship, all under the two bridges, with little George's Island sitting in the middle of it all. The Violet Mac is almost soundless because it is powered by electricity. That's how Colin Smith,...

A.F. Theriault & Son Ltd. maintains an award-winning culture of safety that is always evolving If you visit Meteghan, Nova Scotia, it's hard to miss the big boatyard sitting by the water. Two big boat lifts stand, their metal frames big and solid in the sky. Sometimes there are ships in them, and always there are boatyard workers coming and going across the yard going about their work. Staff at A.F. Theriault & Son Ltd. stand out not only for their excellent workmanship, but also for...