An Island man is hoping social media will help him find a wooden rowboat that was stolen from an unlocked shed in Hope River, P.E.I.

Gus Hillstrom says four boats were taken. But one of them, a wooden rowboat handcrafted by his father, has sentimental value.

"I'm so proud to be able to tell the story about how my father built it for me, so it really means a lot," said Hillstrom.

He says it took his father, Bruce Hillstrom, more than 500 hours to build the boat, a process he started in 1999. The gift meant a lot to him, and he'd hoped to pass the boat on to his daughter.

'I just want to get my boat back'

"Whoever took it, I need them to understand how special it is, and I just want it back in one piece."

On Friday night, Hillstrom created a Facebook post detailing the story of the boat, with a few pictures. He also outlined a few options for whoever took the rowboat. He'd like to see it returned to the shed, or left somewhere safe for him to retrieve.

Bruce Hillstrom, left, in front of the boat he built for his son, Gus Hillstrom. (Gus Hillstrom)

"I don't want to make it difficult for anybody, I just want to get my boat back."

HIllstrom says if the boat isn't returned, he'll keep searching for it until he finds it. In less than a day, the post has been shared more than 28,000 times. And he hopes people will continue to share it, until he's reunited with his boat.

'Give us a tip'

"I need people to spread the word, if they see the boat, give us a tip, go to my Facebook site, Gus Hillstrom, and just share what ever information they have."

RCMP confirm the theft has been reported, and say the investigation is on-going.