Gannon and Benjamin Marine Railway

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Gannon and Benjamin Marine Railway Located on Martha's Vineyard, our mission and passion, is designing, building, repairing, maintaining and sailing wooden boats.

Established in 1980 by Nat Benjamin and Ross Gannon, Gannon and Benjamin Marine Railway has built over 50 substantial vessels, mostly to Nat’s designs. With design inspiration from classic yachts and traditional boats, and built with the highest quality materials and meticulous craftsmanship, our boats are intended to take owners, family and friends sailing in a comfortable, safe and seamanlike fashion. Built in plank-on-frame construction, our boats range in size from an 8-foot dinghy to a 65-foot schooner. Every step of the process, from design to selection of wood, construction, rigging and outfitting takes place in our shop, allowing the construction to move forward in a harmonious, cost-effective, quality-controlled manner. We have extensive experience with a wide variety of vessels, capable of building or repairing boats for a row around the pond, to a cruise around the world.

Photos by Onne van der Wal from this year’s Pat West Gaff Rig & Schooner Race.
10/19/2026

Photos by Onne van der Wal from this year’s Pat West Gaff Rig & Schooner Race.

Join us at the Gannon and Benjamin Boatyard tomorrow, Saturday, October 17th, for a special pop-up clothing show with XO...
10/16/2026

Join us at the Gannon and Benjamin Boatyard tomorrow, Saturday, October 17th, for a special pop-up clothing show with XOOMBA!

Our friends Heather and Nils, who live in Burkina Faso, Africa, grow organic cotton, dye and weave the fabric, and design and make beautiful, colorful clothing.

Doors open at 3 PM, followed by a presentation and fashion show at 5:30 PM.

We hope to see you there!

10/13/2026
Welcome Home, Brad!After 2.5 months and roughly 5,000 nautical miles, Brad is back from an incredible sailing adventure ...
10/07/2026

Welcome Home, Brad!

After 2.5 months and roughly 5,000 nautical miles, Brad is back from an incredible sailing adventure to Greenland aboard “Calabash.”

Built at Gannon & Benjamin in 1988, “Calabash” is a 44-foot gaff-rigged schooner and Nat Benjamin’s first schooner design.

The voyage took Brad and his crew from Martha’s Vineyard to Newfoundland, Greenland, and back, with ice, wildlife, wild weather, and plenty of memorable moments along the way.

This winter, Brad will share more stories from the journey in a special talk. Stay tuned for the date!

09/30/2026

Reliving the 2026 Pat West Gaff Rig & Schooner Race!

It was a beautiful day on Vineyard Sound with a great fleet of schooners and gaff-rigged boats. “Rebecca” took first place in the Schooner Class, and Shayna Stratton captured some beautiful moments of her racing, along with a few clips from the post-race celebration at the Beachfront Shop.

Last fall, Maaike Bernstrom Photography spent a day around the yard capturing the people, boats, and everyday moments th...
09/23/2026

Last fall, Maaike Bernstrom Photography spent a day around the yard capturing the people, boats, and everyday moments that make this place what it is.

Plenty of sawdust, familiar faces, and, naturally, Blundstone USA.

Another Pat West Gaff Rig & Schooner Race in the books!This past Saturday, a beautiful fleet gathered in Vineyard Haven ...
09/22/2026

Another Pat West Gaff Rig & Schooner Race in the books!

This past Saturday, a beautiful fleet gathered in Vineyard Haven for a competitive day of racing on Vineyard Sound. The day started with a moderate northeast breeze, gradually lightening up throughout the day and making for an exciting race from start to finish.

Congratulations to “Rebecca of Vineyard Haven” on taking first place in the Schooner Class and “Lark” on taking first place in the Gaff Fleet.

Thank you to everyone who raced, joined us on the water, and came together afterward at the Beach Shop to celebrate another year honoring Pat West and his lasting legacy in our sailing community.

📸 Mark Lennihan aboard “Calabash”

09/15/2026

September scenes at the Beachfront Shop!

It’s that time of year again! We’re getting excited for another Pat West Gaff Rig & Schooner Race, taking place Saturday...
09/03/2026

It’s that time of year again! We’re getting excited for another Pat West Gaff Rig & Schooner Race, taking place Saturday, September 19.

Visit our website to learn more and sign up.

📸 Mark Lennihan

A wonderful evening at the shop celebrating “Little Lady” with the MV Fishermens Preservation Trust. Thank you to everyo...
08/29/2026

A wonderful evening at the shop celebrating “Little Lady” with the MV Fishermens Preservation Trust.

Thank you to everyone who joined us to learn more about her history, hear about the plans for her restoration, and look ahead to the next chapter for this special Vineyard vessel. We’re grateful to be part of the project and excited for what’s to come.

Address

30 Beach Road, Apt A
Vineyard Haven, MA
02568

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

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