Beals Island Maine - Model Boat Show - ExploreNewEngland.com: "Lobsterman Brian Smith, 40, whose home is on adjacent Great Wass Island, is one of many residents who have taken toy boat building to an entirely new level over the years. In the winter, on days when it's too cold or stormy to fish, Smith spends his time constructing intricate models of fishing boats in his woodworking shop, housed in a modified plastic greenhouse in front of his blue single-story home overlooking Alley's Bay. He's built half a dozen so far, measuring up to 52 inches long.
''If I'd been born 50 years ago, I'd have been a boat builder,' said Smith, a descendant of island settler Mainwaring Beal Jr.
Smith spent much of his childhood watching fishing boats being built in local shops. The old-time wooden-boat builders and their distinctive designs and construction methods made a big impression. ''I get the lines out of my head. It's all by eye,' he said of his model work."
