PRAYER OF DEDICATION
THE BOAT HOUSE
AUGUST 13, 2007

O God our Father, whose Word has taught us that "except the Lord build a building, they labor in vain who build it." We gather to give You thanks for your guidance to those who dreamed, designed and built this structure. We thank You that it was designed not just as a place for boats to be built, classes to be taught, but as a place that is a compliment to the community about.

As we dedicate this structure, we pray your blessings on those who will gather here to instruct, those who, will come to learn, those who will build, those who will gather for community activities and those who will gather to share stories of our past and our rich heritage. Let many good, useful and profitable things happen here and our community arid area be blessed by its being here both now and for years to come.

We pray these things in the name of your Son, who used
small boats as a place to preach and to cross the lake to carry
on His ministry, even Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

— Rev. Ellis Bedworth
Great Marsh Boatworks
297 Polly Hill Road, Marshallberg, NC  28553
mail: P.O. Box 25, Marshallberg, NC  28553
phone: 252.729.1100

Traditional
Boatbuilding
Classes

Custom
Boatbuilding

"Rack of the Eye"
Boatbuilding
Tradition

About the Crew

In the Media

Contact

Traditional Downeast North Carolina wooden boats are a reflection of those people who built and used them … practical, sturdy and resilient. And like Downeast itself, they display a grace and natural beauty like none other. Each one built for a particular need, using no blueprints, these boats were workhorses of their day. They provided transportation to “the mainland,” delivered the mail and supplies, and they worked the water.

Many of them still work the water, from Ocracoke and Atlantic to Marshallberg and Harkers Island. They are not necessarily the sleekest or most powerful, but each of these wooden boats perpetuates a legacy so rich in history that the connection to the water and the communities of Downeast is spiritual.

At Great Marsh Boatworks, we hope to honor and preserve the tradition of building juniper boats by “rack of the eye,”
and share the rewards the boats have to offer with new
generations. In doing this, we also hope to pass on a love of all that is Downeast. So come see how these boats were built, experience the community of Marshallberg, smell the juniper…
come build your boat.