“We would go to the dump and get a sheet of roofing metal to form the boat and then we would go to Mr. Terry’s grocery store to ask for an orange crate to make the transom.”

— Charlie Donevan, March 21, 2022

While boat building was a common full-time job in this area, it was also a popular activity for local children who used leftover building materials to create their own boats. In the 1930s Charlie Donevan (who later became the celebrated local hardware store owner), and his pack of friends began making tin boats when they were six years old. These resourceful amateur builders used scraps of tin from the local dump, orange crates, roofing tar and nails to make their home-built creations.

The friends had great fun paddling around the St. Lawrence River in their personalized tin boats. There was only enough room for one child per boat, and hands were used as paddles. The Tin Boat Crew splashed around nearby islands like Tremont and Apohaqui, and often rode the waves from the local ferry which ran daily between Clayton, New York, and Gananoque.

While tin boats were not seen for many years after Charlie and his friends grew up, these creations made a revival for local celebrations in the 1990s. At 75 years old, Charlie helped the newest generation of local kids create tin boats for their very own adventures.

Tin Boats in the Museum collection:

The tin boat Target was built in 1999 by 10 year old Adam Allore and his father Paul, with the help of Charlie Donevan. Adam won the Tin Boat Race with Target a few days later! Much like Charlie, Adam is a lifelong River Rat and is now the President of Wavve Boating, a widely-used navigation tool for boaters.