Bell Boatyard

The Bell Boatyard was a boatbuilding facility which operated as part of Alexander Graham Bell’s laboratories in Baddeck, Nova Scotia from 1885 to 1928. The boatyard built experimental craft, lifeboats and yachts during the first part of the twentieth century. The Bell yard was notable for its dual focus on both experimental and traditional boats and for its employment of large numbers of female boatbuilders.

The laboratories and boatyard were located on the large estate that Dr. Bell acquired in 1885. Dr. Bell bought a large portion of a peninsula that jets out into the Baddeck Bay and named the estate Beinn Bhreagh. The 600 acre estate was originally built as a summer residence, but was later used year round by the Bell family. From the beginning the estate including laboratory facilities and a boathouse which grew in size to match Bell's interests and later wartime needs. The laboratories located on Beinn Bhreagh were used for various experiments Dr. Bell created. These included his tetrahedral kites, sheep farming, manned aerial flights and development of hydrofoils. The laboratories employed carpenter, plumbers, engineers, boatbuilders and unskilled labourers. At its peak it employed 40 people working on air and water craft, both experimental and traditional.

During the years after the flight of the Silver Dart and up to the start of the First World War, Bell used his laboratories to develop hydrofoils. Dr. Bell and, long-time collaborator, Casey Baldwin started their first major designs of hydrofoils in 1911 after viewing Enrico Forlanini’s hydrofoil while on a world tour in Italy in 1910. In order to build the experiments labelled HD 1, HD 2, HD 3, and HD 4, (HD standing for Hydrodrome) Dr. Bell and Casey used the laboratories and staff to construct the various pieces needed.

As work progressed on the hydrofoils the main focus was for them to become submarine chasers. Before a full working prototype could be completed World War One broke out. As a citizen of the neutral United States, Dr. Bell did not want to risk breaking his countries neutrality law. So he switched the boatyards focus from developing the military applicable HD crafts, to building life boats for the Canadian Navy.

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