Buxton Woods Boat Works

In the early 70’s, there was a small migration of people that transplanted to Hatteras Island. They came because they enjoyed the island for what it was and what it provided. The surf, the fishing, the serenity were just some of the things to savor. The kicker was to somehow find a way to make a living. Some went into commercial fishing, restaurants, real estate or construction.

Mike Scott went into the boat building business. At his Buxton Woods Boat Works he made dories for the commercial fishermen to haul seine from the beach. He also did a lot of boat repair jobs. As he got busier, he hired Richard Ryder to help.  Richard was also a transplant, and like everyone else was looking for ways to make ends meet. He and Mike were not only good friends, but also excellent craftsman.

This 1977 photo shows a Mike Scott dory in use. Here Dennis Midgett on the left, and Pete Smith haul net in the stern to make another “set”.

With more repair jobs still coming in, Mike asked me if I wanted to help them out for a few months, so I began sometime in February of ’82. We restored two old shad boats that had been converted from sail to mechanical power. One of them belonged to Lee Peele, standing here on the right. It turned out to be a complete overhaul and it was a beautiful boat. Mike Scott stands proudly on the left.


This shad boat belonged to another Hatteras fisherman, Mark McCracken. We replaced some rotten planks and gave it an epoxy treatment.


Then Mike got two orders to build boats. One was a 24 foot, flat bottomed net skiff for a longhaul rig. The skiff took only a few weeks to finish, and was simple in design. For me, it was a perfect introduction to boatbuilding. It taught me a lot about “dressing” rough cut lumber, working with power tools and epoxy techniques. The lumber came from a small sawmill in Camden, operated by Mose White. Note the shad boat in the shop.


The other boat ordered was a 39 foot dead-rise, commercial fishing boat, designed after the Albatross II. Based in Hatteras Village, the Albatross Fleet has been around for years. They are tried and true, built in Marshallburg, NC.

Beautifully designed as very seaworthy displacement hulls, they are unlike the more modern, over the top, planing hulls. All the Albatross boats have rounded sterns, but this new one would have a square stern with rounded corners. It was made for “Big Bill” Foster, and would take over 6 months to construct.

The original Albatross was built in 1937.


The keel and bow stem are the backbone and were cut from yellow pine , then the heart cypress bottom frames were fastened to the keel… then the side frames installed.

The planks made from atlantic white cedar, are bent and fastened into place.


Richard Ryder applies epoxy to the finished hull.


Once outside the unpainted Mamacita is ready for a cabin.

Years later in 2007, Mamacita is still an active fishing boat.

Today Mike Scott is a boat captain and runs charters on the Albatross lll.

Richard Ryder went on to work for Hinckley Yachts in Maine, then began his own business called Union River Boat Company.

I left Buxton Woods Boat Works in September of 1982 to dredge oysters on the Chesapeake for the next 2 winters. See earlier post on Chesapeake Bay Skipjacks.





4 thoughts on “Buxton Woods Boat Works

  1. Judith Bailey

    Hi Michael: Wow! Great article and great photos. I loved reading about all this. Beautiful shots of the Albatross fleet. Thank you!

  2. Larry Jordan

    Allow me to fill in a little more information on the net skiff in the 4th picture down.
    My name is Larry Jordan, I had Scott build the boat to carry about 1,800 yards of net as well as fish.
    Mike Scott and my boat were in an article in the National Fisherman September 1982 written by Richard Lebovitz.
    The crew working the boat was Wayne Twiford, Ray Midgett, Richard Tillett and me. Later I sold the rig to Benny Rippons in Manns Harbor N.C. I think around 1985. We some how moved it by road from Hatteras to Manns Harbor on a flat bed trailer. Traffic would stop to stare when we went by it looked so odd.
    It was a fine working boat, and I guess that is the best complement you can give it. Never any problems, and it was as tuff as nails.

  3. j0jgvm89bj Post author

    Larry,
    Thanks for your interesting comment. It really adds to the story here.
    There aren’t many long haul rigs working any more. I remember seeing 3 or 4 rigs at a time out here in the sound. Now it’s unusual to see even one rig working.
    Stay tuned. I intend to make an entry about long hauling in the near future.
    Mike

  4. Larry Jordan

    Mike,
    I might have a few pictures of the haul net gang if I can find them..
    I sold the rig to Benny Rippons but before I did I worked a year with his crew, Benny or T.R. running the “Miss Lisa”, Wayne Twiford (my Brother-in-law) I ran the “Ida J.” (a Chesapeake Bay/Deltaville dead rise).

    I was wondering because you have been around Hatteras for a while, I was wondering if you knew a man named Schwartz, he use to sell net supplies and he tanned cow hides. We bought a boat from him called door-mat.. the name was appropriate.
    This was in the early 1980’s.

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