Dory - Definition

A dory is a small, shallow-draft boat of approximately 5 to 7 m (15 to 22 feet) in length. Lightweight and versatile, these boats are used in the open sea for commercial fishing applications, as well as in whitewater rafting on interior rivers, McKenzie River Dory versions - which usually seat from two or three to four including the oarsman.

The hullform is characterized by flat sides angled approx. 30 degrees from the vertical, and a bottom that is transversely flat and arced fore-and-aft. (This curvature is known as 'rocker'.) The stern is frequently a raked surface that tapers sharply toward the bottom forming an nearly double-ended boat. Nested stacks of dories were frequently carried on the decks of fishing schooners out to the fishing grounds, where they were then deployed to lay longlines or tend nets.

More glamorously, dories were once used to travel dangerous whitewater rivers, where their superior maneuverability made them preferable over other watercraft available at the time. They have since been supplanted in this purpose by inflatable rafts which require less skill and are generally more durable for collisions with rocks. However, fishing guides on many western U.S. rivers still use drift dories because of their maneuverability and ability to be rowed upstream. Additionally, their high rocker and extremely shallow draft give them low resistance to the flow of water, effectively holding the boat in place for the prolonged fishing of holes in the river. Typically salmon, trout, and steelhead are fished for this way.

Related topics

• Cape Ann dory
• Swampscott dory
• Banks dory
• McKenzie River dory
• Glouster dory

External links

• Historical use of dories in the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River (http://www.oars.com/htdocs/grandcanyon/dories.html)