About me
Over the last 35 years Jay Smith has researched and built Nordic lapstrake boats, beginning in a small boat shop on a fjord in western Norway. A seven month apprenticeship in the Faroe Islands, sponsored by the Danmark-America Foundation, established a firm footing for future work and study. Since then he has made a living building and repairing boats, specializing in lapstrake construction. Periodic travel and research in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark has strengthened Jay’s understanding of Scandinavian culture, history, and boatbuilding. Over the years he has shared these unique traditions with enthusiastic young boat builders and wooden boat enthusiasts through hands-on workshops, lectures and classes. He now works from his shop near Anacortes, on Fidalgo Island.
