John Kelleher

John Kelleher President of Dorchester Shipyard, is a boat guy, and he has been all of his life. He started working on Clam Boats when he was just 10 and captained his first fishing vessel at age 17.

In 2005, John purchased Dorchester Shipyard as it was going out of business, and made it a family affair. The family worked hard, through many lean years, to re-invigorate the yard. Today, Dorchester Shipyard continues to service Fishing Vessels, Barges, and Tug Boats, providing a quality alternative to going out of the area and out of state.

John Kelleher is committed to providing expert workmanship for shipyard tasks such as sandblasting, painting, steel-work, alignments, wheel and shaft work, bottom repairs, annode replacement, hydraulics and general repairs, in an affordable manner.

John sums it up: “Dorchester Shipyard is small enough to give every customer personalized service, and big enough to get the job done completely, quickly, effectively and efficiently.”

Dan Pron

Dan Pron, Shipyard Manager, has been with Dorchester for over 4 years. He earned a BA in Engineering from the University of Delaware and started in Heavy Highway Marine Construction building bridges and other public projects, before coming to Dorchester. His background, attention to detail, knowledge of boats and boat engineering have proven invaluable to the daily success of Dorchester shipyard.

Tommy Thompson

Tommy Thompson, Parts Manager, is the go-to guy for your boat needs. In addition to maintaining inventory for the shipyard and current jobs, Tommy is building inventories of filters, hoses and general hardware for the vessels in our area. If you need it, we will have it or get it. Tommy’s shrewd purchasing results in savings to our customers.

Our Team

Our staff of welders, painters, sand blasters, mechanics, hydraulic experts, and maintenance professionals are all highly experienced and talented. Many have been with John Kelleher from the first day and the rest have many years of service here. Employee stability means that the great job we did for you and your last boat will be duplicated this time and next time. Employee longevity is testimony to how we treat our employees and ultimately how we value our customers.