For wooden boat builders and traditional craftspeople.
Dara means oak
In the Irish language Dara is synonymous with oak. A tree both sacred alive and valued as wood. In particular, shipwrights are drawn to its rugged attributes and durability in a marine environment. It is a very fitting mascot.
Dara Forestry and Maritime Timber aims to reconnect shipwrights with timber milled specifically for wooden boats. Owner and founder, Jack McAuliffe, is a certified logger, sawyer, wooden boat builder, and landowner in southern Maine. He is committed to providing native wood for shipwrights, builders, and craftspeople with minimal invasion of our forests. Dara was founded on the idea that sustainable foresting is not only possible but beneficial to landowners and builders alike.
Jack McAuliffe
PLP Certified Logger & Dara Timber Owner
“Since 2010 I have been cutting and working with trees. It is a passion that came from growing up at the foothills of the White Mountains of central New Hampshire.
In 2013 I took a few years to learn about building wooden boats at Pease Boatworks, now Firstlight, in Chatham, Massachusetts. I was immersed in both modern and traditional construction techniques. During this time, I realized the disconnect that the forest industry had with wooden boat building and many other traditional wood crafts. There was always difficulty finding the wood to build boats, even though they were just growing in the woods.
I founded Dara with the idea that we need to rebuild the disconnected relationship of nature and humans as well as foresters and craftspeople. Money drives foresters to choose what gets cut and its not always economic for them to cut crooks and knees. I provide a service to these people that begins with sustainable forest management and ends with fine timber.
Contact me if you are interested in forestry management, high quality and locally harvested timber, or building wooden boats.”
Services
Forestry Management
With low-impact machinery, Dara is able to sustainable harvest from land trusts and protected forests without destroying paths and the forest floor. Jack will work with you and local forestry programs to manage land in a mutually beneficial way. Timber sales to Dara can reduce land owner costs.
High Quality & Native Timber
Please reach out for the most updated list of available stock. Lumber is sold per board foot and custom milling is bid out at $95 per hour. Most timber is less than 18′ but can be cut up to 23′. The stock list will grow as species become available. Knees, keel timber and crucks are available and can be harvested and milled to your specific needs.
Wooden Boat Building
Restoring and building wooden boats is what inspired the creation of Dara Forestry and Maritime Timber. Jack has worked on both restorations and new builds, and brings a deep knowledge of wood to every project. Reach out if you have a project in mind, or just want to talk wooden boats.
