A Nautical Family

Bridget
Nov 4, 2015
1 min read

Cover Image CC g_cowan NC SA

Brothers Mackie and Scott Overland of Dorin, MA, know good material when they see it.

"Well, our family's been in the boat building business here in Dorin for over 200 years," Scott recently told me when I made a visit to their New England shop. "I'm not claiming to be one of those Mayflower folk, but we know our stuff. Just give me a few good logs to work with and I'll get you something decent."

The Overlands' work is more than decent, as is plainly evident from a quick tour of their workshop. After generations of working on fine watercraft - boats ranging from row boats to schooners - the Overlands are trying their hand at smaller items.

"Mostly we just had some scrap wood around the shop and we decided to see what we could make of it," Scott said. "We started selling little tables and chairs at the Dorin summer farmers' market, and they were pretty popular. So we kept making them."

Scott and Mackie are decidedly blaise about their impressive work. While their chairs may not be seaworthy, they are sturdy, handsome and come with a lifetime guarantee. (View current selection.)

"We should probably decide who's lifetime we're guaranteeing these things for," Scott said with a laugh at the end of my afternoon with them. "If it's mine, well, we're just on the hook for a few years. If it's the customer's baby's life - they might really be getting a bargain."