A Self-Taught Craftsman

A Craftsman of Great Talent (subtitles available in FR and EN) – Watch the video with its transcription (EN)

F-X Lachance was a self-taught man. Not only did he never study carpentry, technical drawing, or naval architecture, he didn’t even finish elementary school. But that didn’t prevent him from honing his knowledge and skills as he learned to work with wood, iron, leather, cloth, electricity, plumbing, and mechanics—all trades that were required to custom build every single aspect of the boats he so proudly presented as ready to sail, turnkey products.

A Very Talented Father (subtitles available in FR and EN) – Watch the video with its transcription (EN)

In the early years, he designed his boats using the traditional “half hull” technique, building scale models using layered planks. The planks would then be taken apart and the craftsman would build the boat, converting the model’s measurements to actual size.

Later, an architect who was friends with Arthur Vaillancourt taught him how to read naval architectural plans, which broadened the scope of his work and helped him land contracts from the public sector, including the Department of National Defence. F-X quickly mastered, and also applied, this new knowledge.

A Lot of Savoir-Faire (subtitles available in FR and EN) – Watch the video with its transcription (EN)