You can go into a big-box shop, fork over some money and buy one of thousands of cookie-cutter machine-made items this holiday season. Or you can pay a visit to Doug Park at Redd’s Pond Boatworks in Marblehead and buy one of the coolest looking sleds, wagons, or toboggans anyone within miles will own.
Since no one is actually boating in these parts during the winter, Park’s boatbuilding and restoration work slows down. So he and his wife, Liza, put their heads together to come up with a winter-themed project. While in Germany on business, Liza saw outdoor Christmas markets where handmade wooden toys were hot sellers.
“I thought building toys would be a fun way for Doug to keep busy during the winter,” recalled Liza. They finally settled on sleds and toboggans as most fitting and it was what Doug found most interesting. A craftsman who is keeping the ancient tradition of building wooden boats alive in Marblehead, Park is delighted to be branching out with his own line of sleds, wagons, and toboggans.
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Doug ParkFirst, he searched for the right type of wood that would bend. He and Liza drew sketches and came up with designs. Park uses fresh sawn ash wood from western Massachusetts for the bent pieces. Finding the right lumber at the sawmill and bending it are the most time-consuming and challenging steps in the process.
“For the sled backs and runners, I have to find the wood they’ve just cut and pick through the pile for ones clear of defects,” said Park. “Once you have all the material, the first thing is getting the bent parts right. I have developed templates for the seat bottoms and legs so they come together quickly. Finally, once everything is held together with screws and glue, I put five coats of marine varnish on top to protect them in all weather.” It takes about two weeks from start to finish.
William Park, Doug’s father, “is the varnish department.” A retired finance professional, the elder Park likes helping out. For the finishing touch, Park can carve or paint a child’s name on a Redd’s Pond Boatworks brass plate to make the item truly personal.
The sleds can double as wagons simply by unbolting the brackets, which can be done by hand, and fastening on the pneumatic wagon wheel set. Toboggans come in four-and six-foot lengths, to seat one or two adults respectively, and cost between $200 and $300.
For the second year in a row, Park will sell his wares during Marblehead’s Christmas Walk, December 4 through 7. Last year, customers from out of state purchased the sleds. This year, he’d like locals to “walk home with a sled.”
Not everyone buys Park’s creations for the thrill of barreling down a slope. One purchaser hung a toboggan on the wall of the family ski house. In these days of mass production, Park’s handmade sleds and wagons are indeed works of art. reddspondboatworks.com