From collection Objects Collection
Matinicus Island Peapod
15'1/4"L x 4' 7.825" beam cedar peapod made by Leon Linwood Young at Matinicus Island, ME in 1925. Inshore double-ended rowing boat; lapstrake hull. Green exterior, gray interior. On Matinicus these are called double-enders. Most Mainland people call them peapods. Fishermen developed the type about 1870; one story is that it was around Owls Head on Penobscot Bay. With a rowed lobster boat, a fisherman could work ledges inaccessible to larger craft. Matinicus ledges start in the harbor. Standing and pulling traps required stability while fine ends made rowing steadily for miles possible. Oarlock sockets in this boat allow standing to push facing forward around rocks and ledges or sitting to pull in open water. Peapods were strongly built. Some earlier ones had "natural-crook" hackmatack frames. Later boats like this one had oak steam bent frames. Both lapstrake and smooth "set work" planking are found. This double-ender has small strips of wood to protect the corners of the planking. For a working boat she was nicely detailed, with beads cut on the edges of the planks and nice proportion to the knees at the seats.
