christening of the bows, the process of building a ship was long and enduring but was usually met with the exhilaration of success when the vessel was completed. For many vessels, the initial step in the shipbuilding process was the construction of a half-model of the hull. This was designed to view the dimensions and requirements of the proposed vessel. The half-model could be used for more than one vessel by making alterations as needed. (11) The timber for the vessel was usually cut in the winter and hauled out of the woods by oxen or horse teams. This was a demanding job, but many farmers took the opportunity to make some extra money. Specially selected curved branches had to be cut for ribbing, and the roots of trees, especially Juniper, were needed for the Ship's knees. The transformation of a tree into the specific fittings and requirements of the vessel was surely astounding. The timber was stored in a large open area near the construction site. At the first sign of spring, shipyards throughout St. Peters were busy with the initial stages of vessel's construction. The workers involved in the construction received wages of thirty to forty shillings a month. (12) The rigging of the vessel was chosen according to the prevailing demand of the market. Throughout the 1830s the production of schooners dominated. It was around this time that St. Peters became one of the more important shipbuilding locations on the Island. (13) Many of the completed vessels from St. Peters were transferred and outfitted for the coastal trade and seal fishery in Newfoundland where a bustling market had opened up. The seal trade required tough vessels, which resulted in many of the vessels built in St. Peters receiving additional strength by a sheathing of iron to protect them from the ice. (14) Resident builders invested much into these vessels destined for Newfoundland . (15) Keeping up with the demanding preferences of perspective buyers, they soon began to construct larger vessels rigged as Brigantines.* Between 1841 and 1850, 426 vessels were built in PEI shipyards, 27 of which came from St. Peters . (16) Trailing only behind Rustico (41), (28), and The Hillsborough River (28), St. Peters ranked high in the number of vessels produced at this time. Two boats built within this time worthy of special note were The John Hawkes and The Arrow . Built in St. Peters in 1842 by Peter Kelly , The John Hawkes was a brig of 173 tons. This brig sailed out of Biddeford, England , and was mastered by Mr. William Richards . Richards made many trips after 1845 BRIGANTINF- a vessel with two masts, carrying square-sails on the foremast, and fore and aft sails on the main mast; generally 100-250 ton capacity, although some Island-built vessels exceeded 400 tons. Taken from: Lewis R. Fisher , "The Shipping Industry of Nineteenth Century Prince Edward Island : A Brief History." IheJ^landJylagazlne no. 4 (Spring/Summer, 1978), 16. 31