The Gift That Becomes a Real Wooden Boat
Not a gadget. Not another shirt. Grand Banks dory plans from a 72-year master builder - step-by-step, 63 photos, no experience needed. The gift that sits on the workbench, not in a drawer.
See Gift Options - Starting at $79 ↓Instant digital delivery • Print edition ships worldwide • 60-day guarantee
Most gifts get forgotten. This one becomes a project that might take a few weekends - or a few months. Either way, it ends with a real boat.
Written through 36 complete rewrites until a complete beginner could follow every step. If they've never built a boat, that's exactly who this is for.
Wilbert Weir built 54 dories over 8 years. His father fished the Grand Banks. 72 years of technique, 63 photos of every step. This isn't a hobbyist's approximation.
16 feet, 1,200 lb carrying capacity. Not a model. Not a decorative piece. A real Grand Banks dory that can go on the water.
Unlimited email support from Fraser - before the build, during it, and after. No time limit. The gift that keeps being useful.
A 91-page set of step-by-step plans for a traditional 16' Grand Banks fishing dory, built the way it's been built in Newfoundland for generations.
63 crystal-clear digital photos of every single building step. Every measurement, every cut explained. Complete materials list, tools list, fastener list - all photographed so there's no guessing at the hardware store.
The plans were created by Wilbert Weir - a master carpenter from Little Bay Islands, Newfoundland, who started building dories at 16 and built 54 in an 8-year period. He and Fraser spent years documenting every step through 36 complete rewrites before Wilbert approved them. Wilbert is now 97. This knowledge would have been lost.
Wilbert built one in seven to ten days. Most hobby builders working partial weekends finish in four to eight months. Materials run $300-600 at any lumber yard.
The printed Workshop Edition or Complete Package make the best gifts - something physical to unwrap.
Digital Gift
Digital Plans
PDF - Instant delivery by email
$79
60-day money-back guarantee
Physical Gift
Printed Workshop Edition
Printed book, ships worldwide
$99
60-day guarantee - book return required
Complete Gift
Complete Builder's Package
Everything included
$149
60-day guarantee - book return required
"Got this for my dad for his 68th birthday. He launched the boat four months later. He sends me photos from the water every weekend now."
- Michael R., Ontario
"My brother has been saying he wants to build a boat for fifteen years. I finally got him the plans. That was two years ago. He's now working on his second dory."
- Sarah T., Maine
"Best gift I've ever received. 71 years old, never built a boat. Finished in six weeks. The plans are so clear there was never a moment I didn't know what to do next."
- Robert W., New Zealand
About DoryPlan
Wilbert Weir started building dories at 16 in Little Bay Islands, Newfoundland. His father fished the Grand Banks. His grandfather built the boats they fished from. Fraser Wheaton found Wilbert at 90 and spent years documenting every step - 36 complete rewrites - until a complete beginner could follow it.
The full story, all three plan editions, and builder gallery are on the main site.
See the Full Plans and Story at DoryPlan.com →If they don't love it, contact Fraser within 60 days for a full refund. No hassle, no hoops. Physical editions require return of the book. Digital plans: no questions asked. This gift carries zero risk.