By Kim Ploughman
Maxwell (Max) J. Bursey knows a thing or two about boats.
On his seaside property in St. Philip’s, with Bell Island shining in the background, seven boats bask in the spring sun. Max estimates he has built over fifty boats, including those gracing the seashore across the road from his house.
The fire crackles during a recent visit to his home, radiating a cozy warmth. All around, even in the rafters, are memorabilia of his working life in the public service as well as his passion for the sea, including a three-foot model dory crafted just last year. Leaning back on the sofa, feet perched on a coffee table, Max chuckles at his cherished kingdom. “This is my indoor shed,” he says. The 84-year-old says his penchant for making boats emerged a few years after the then-husband and father of two settled in St. Philip’s in 1964.
Born in Caplin Cove on the north side of Conception Bay, Max was no stranger to the sea and fishing. He fished as a young boy, but admits he had no exposure to boat building. In the early 1970s, his close friend and fishing buddy, Roy Snelgrove, built a “Glovertown” style speedboat that piqued Max’s interest and eventually, his desire to build a boat. “We spent hours going over the details, and then, he provided the frames to construct an 18-foot speedboat,” he recalls. From there, the eager crafter cut logs for the planking and laths, and in the spring of 1972, laid the keel for his first boat. He soon used his creation to fish for cod, lobster, and hunt seals. “When I saw what I could do, I built four more speedboats from the same frames,” Max explains.
By 1980, his neighbour Harold Sheppard, a boat builder and master carpenter, constructed a 30-foot “Newfoundland/Cape Islander” style trap skiff from a scaled model he designed. “It was a beauty, and I wondered if I could build one. Skipper showed me the tricks of the trade using the scaled model, which he eventually gifted me.”
In 1982, after two years of gathering timbers and planking, Max laid the keel for his largest boat, a 30-footer. He shares that he had his 23-year-old son, Randy, in mind to take over the vessel, as he “was a born fisherman and lived on the water.” Several years later, he crafted a trap skiff he christened the “Amanda Christine”, after his granddaughter and daughter, respectively.
Around this time, tragedy struck Max and his family. Randy was killed in 1984, as the crew were returning home from a fishing trip. Max soon lost his gumption for boat building and sold the “Amanda Christine.” Eventually, the grief eased and Max regained his desire to craft more boats, including another “fairly large” 25-footer. In 1991, by age 50, Max retired from public service. Three years later, he would lose his wife, Effie, to an aneurysm. “I don’t think she ever got over the loss of our son,” he shares.
Over the years, Max has repaired many dories used in the annual Portugal Cove-St.. Philip’s Regatta, himself a championship rower in both the main race and later, in the “Old Timers” section. He and his second wife, Beverly Ashford, competed together in these popular Conception Bay races. Max also constructed several boats he calls “The St. Philip’s Flat,” a 14-foot wooden vessel. “Everyone had a flat when I first came here,” he remarks, explaining that back then, they were the fishers’ preference for tending nets and hauling pots.
In his 70s, Max sought out a new boat-building challenge, leading him back to his roots in Sunnyside. He recalls that as far back as 1958, when he came to Sunnyside as a school teacher, he was captivated by the little boats which symbolized the “workhorses” of the inshore fishery, known as Rodney’s. “All this time I never built a Rodney,” he admits. “They were great to row or scull and were beautiful under sail.”
In Sunnyside, he connected with his friend, Dereck Penney, who then owned a 75-year-old Rodney, handed down from his father. The boat was a gift to his Dad by his grandfather (Hayward) in October 1941-42, when he returned as a Merchant Marine in the Second World War. Placed in storage in 1985, the treasured boat was about to get a new lease on life. Max transported the boat to St. Philip’s and dove into his labour of love. Using the rebuilt Rodney as a unique mould, Max and Derrick constructed three more fibreglass Rodneys.
Since early settlement, fishermen here have been known as skilled boatbuilders. When asked what fires his boat-building propensity, Max quickly responds: “I really enjoy using a chainsaw and working with wood,” adding that time with his friends in the Point Leamington woods also helped hone his skills.
“A lot of work goes into making a bigger boat, especially if you cut your own lumber. I enjoyed it so much. I was at it every day, even while working full time,” Max explains, standing to showcase a few of his treasures, including the scaled model used for his first boat.
Max finds a small grapnel welded by his son, using part of a lug wrench and motor connecting rods. He still lovingly clings to his son’s memories and memorabilia.
At 84, Skipper Max still likes to get out on the water to catch a few fish, and occasionally, takes his Rodney out for a row with his Cape Shore water dog, Willow. Reflecting on his role as a boatbuilder, helping to connect the sea heritage to his people, community and province, Max remarks that, “Looking back, I do feel a certain sense of pride, for sure.” The senior recalls when the “Amanada Christine”, which he considers the pride of his fleet, was transported to Bay de Verde in 1996. His younger brother, Byron, relayed that many fishermen praised her as “the finest boat in the harbour.”
He laughs as he reflects on how Byron, who built a few vessels of his own, jokingly teases him after he crafted each boat. “Not bad for a government pencil pusher.”
