Big Picture: Sandusky Harbor

In 1875, Bernard Lyman, a cabinet maker by trade, started a boat company in his hometown of Cleveland. He had previously made boats only as a hobby, but demand had encouraged his new venture.

The boats were clinker-made — with overlapping pieces of wood comprising the hull — and the rounded hulls became famous for being particularly well-adapted to navigating the choppy waters of Lake Erie. In 1928, Bernard Lyman retired at the age of 78, turning the business over to his firstborn son, William. The company left Cleveland for the shores of Sandusky a year later.

Lyman Boat Works was able to weather the Great Depression, and received government contracts during World War II, even as wooden boats were on the verge of obsolescence in warfare. The use of marine-grade plywood helped Lyman continue after World War II, when other boat makers faced shortages in their preferred construction material —mahogany.

By the 1950s, Lyman could turn out an outboard hull in 35 minutes and an inboard hull in seven hours. However, fiberglass was replacing wood for boats, and the skilled woodworkers — many like Bernard Lyman with cabinet-making experience — were retiring, with no replacements in the offing. Lyman stopped making boats in 1973.

Today, Lyman Harbor in Sandusky — where the boats used to be made — is a popular entertainment destination, with a banquet hall, dining options and, of course, a marina where boats can be docked. In fact, in the summer, more than 40 years after the last one left the factory, it’s not uncommon to see Lyman boats still patrolling the North Coast.