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Messing Around With Boats

(May 2002) Brian Holmes has been living in Kingston his entire life. I met Brian this past week when I was assigned to write an article about Brian’s Yankee ingenuity and his love for boat building.

Brian Holmes. Dennis Randall Photo

Brian is a lobsterman. His family has been surrounded by the smells of the New England Sea and the art of boat building for as long as he can remember, and then some. I met Brian at his home here in Kingston where he grew up along the Jones River. Brian met me at the door and greeted me with a baseball mitt sized hand. His large hands and sea worn face reminded me of the old New England down home townie. Brian’s tough exterior was no match for the kind soul that made its way through his sea worn eyes.

Brian’s lobstering days started as a young boy fishing with his father.

"I spent a couple of years in Alaska fishing for Salmon, but I always come back to the lobstering even when I get disgusted with it." I asked Brian about the industry and how his season was going and he said, "Lobstering revolves around the thermo cline, which is the temperature of the water. If the water is too cold, the lobsters are not motivated. If it’s warm, they come out. We haven’t had any real true Nor’easters in the past three years or so. This has affected the water temperature."

According to Holmes, the water temperature at the bottom of the sea floor has hovered around 39 degrees for the past year while Maine’s average bottom temps have been hovering around 50 degrees. "Every seven years or so, the temperatures change," Holmes says.

I then asked Brian about his boat building. "Alfred Bevis, also known as Freddy, lives in Rocky Nook. He built a few boats through the years. I asked him to show me how to do it, so we built one together." All of Brian’s boats are built according to coastguard specifications. "I have to build the boats within certain guidelines. There has to be a certain amount of floatation ability to the craft based upon the number of occupants and hardware on or in the craft." Brian has had an interest in building boats for years and now has boats in the Keys, Martha’s Vineyard, and Plymouth to mention a few places. "I’m intrigued with boat building," said Holmes. Brian explained the how’s and why’s of boat building to me for an hour. He talked about fiberglass, wood, steel, and aluminum. Brian specializes in Skiff’s. "I’ve only sold them to commercial fisherman," Holmes said when I asked him about who buys the boats.

According to Holmes, a single boat can take any where from two to four weeks to build. "Next time I build one, I want it to be aluminum," Holmes said. Holmes is already a welder and would only need to buy a small attachment to weld with aluminum. "I don’t build with plans. I build out of my head. If I run into a problem, I address it." Holmes builds with epoxy resins and wood. "I don’t use fiberglass because of the polyester resins. I used it once in the garage below the house and could taste it in my food. It contaminates the whole house." Holmes also told me about his dream to build a cold molded craft with wood epoxies and cross-laminated strips. "The integrity of a cross-laminated vessel is phenomenal."

"I’ve had many inspirations through the years by many people." The Holmes ship builder’s dates back to the 1800’s. Although Brian is not directly descended, he is indirectly related to the Holmes family. "I used to swim in the Jones River as a kid. We used to go down the river in Skiffs and fish of the coast of Manomet."

Holmes considers himself an innovator, "I like to do things my way," says Holmes. Names like Ali Pierce from Lincoln Street in Plymouth and Bob Keneeley, who resides in Plympton, were noted men of inspiration to Brian when he was a boy. Holmes reminisced about the Mc Kenzie boat builders, and his fond memories as a child. "Theodore Jesse, a traditional boat builder from north Plymouth, he built the first two Capitan John boats. He learned from his father.

These men made me want to accomplish something on my own as well. Brian and I spent the rest of the evening discussing his mother’s famous clam fritter recipe, which has been in the family for almost two centuries. Thank you Brian Holmes for teaching us the true art of apprenticeship, and helping us all appreciate the art of boat building!