Lauchlan McKay

Lauchlan McKay was born in Shelburne, Nova Scotia in 1811 and completed a shipwright apprenticeship in New York under Isaac Webb. He wrote the first comprehensive American text on shipbuilding, 'The practical ship-builder' which was published in New York by Collins, Keese and Co in 1839. The book provided mechanical and philosophical information on constructing different types of vessels. McKay went on to command a number of ships designed by his brother and passed away in 1895.