About the Author

Willits Ansel is a retired boatbuilder and author who lives in Georgetown, ME. He worked at the Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard at Mystic Seaport for many years, researching and building whaleboats, dories, seine boats and ships' boats. Walt Ansel is a senior shipwright at Mystic Seaport. As a boat/ship rebuilder and restorer he has worked on various projects, including the whaleship Charles W. Morgan. Walt has taught at the WoodenBoat School in Brooklin, ME for fifteen years and currently teaches the John Gardner boatbuilding classes at Mystic Seaport. Evelyn Ansel grew up and around the water in Mystic, CT. She graduated from Brown University in 2012 in B.A. in visual arts and the history of art and architecture.