Overview:

Maine's First Ship is creating a reconstruction of a 17th century

shallop (rowing and sailing craft) in the summer of 2010. The project will be completed by ninth and tenth grade students from Morse High School and directed by a master shipwright who will use the construction to teach traditional boatbuilding skills and public interpretation.

What is a Shallop?

In the 1600’s, the word “shallop” referred to an open wooden workboat such as a barge, dory or rowboat.  Shallops were small enough to row but also had one or two sails.  The shallop is a European-style boat of approximately 18 feet in length that can be outfitted to row or sail.

It was reported that the colonists of Fort Saint George (the Popham colony) brought a small shallop with them and used it upon arrival and during the construction of the Virginia.

Interestingly, Native Americans were using a shallop when the Popham colonists arrived. Most people don't recognize that, by the time the Popham colonists arrived, native peoples had had many years of interaction with European fishermen; when the colonists of Fort Saint George arrived and witnessed Native Americans in these boats, they were not surprised. This further demonstrates that the English colonists recognized the many years of prior connections.