John Gardner

John Gardner was an influential American maritime historian, boat designer, and author who dedicated his life to preserving traditional small boat designs and building techniques. Working primarily from Mystic Seaport Museum, Gardner documented and reproduced hundreds of traditional American small craft designs. He wrote extensively about traditional boat building methods and was instrumental in the revival of interest in classic small boat designs. Gardner's work included detailed research and reconstruction of historical boat types, from Native American canoes to New England working boats. His books and articles served as invaluable resources for boat builders and maritime historians. Gardner's efforts helped preserve traditional boat building knowledge that might otherwise have been lost to modernization.