MISTER E., a Calvin Beal 44, finished off as a lobster boat for Nicko Hadlock of Cranberry Isle by S. W. Boatsworks of Lamoine. She is powered with a 750-hp John Deere, with 2.48:1 gear and reached a speed of 23 knots.
Belmont Boatworks, Belmont
For years Belmont Boats was only known for doing boat transportation, but now they are gaining a fine reputation in boat repairs and painting.
The repair work continues on MALACHI MUDGE, a 42-foot pleasure cruiser built by Newbert & Wallace of Thomaston in [????]. They have replaced front the windshield, put in a new cockpit hatch and the painting continues. A recent survey also showed that she will need some refastening below the waterline and that will be done when they drop the tent that is surrounding her hull keeping her moist so she does not dry out. The hope was to have her done sometime in March.
In the next bay they have an Alden sailboat that is having her decks replaced. This meant putting down plywood and covering them with Dynell. Just after she arrived they noticed that there was a problem with the stem. The little amount of rot they found at deck level actually went quite a ways down inside the stem. They have removed the stem and will replace it with a laminated one. They will also replace several planks before she hits the water.
Next to the Alden they have their boat hauling trailer in for maintenance.
They also are building a couple of floats for Come Boating of Belfast and they are almost done and ready for delivery.
Down in the paint shop they are Awlgripping a number of boat parts for a local customer.
As the winter progressed they have been bringing in a number of their storage boats and getting them ready for the season. Most of this work has been small repairs and paint.
They also have several jobs coming in. One will be in for some planking; and another is on the Holland 32 they worked on last winter, which will be in for some interior upgrades.
C. W. Hood, Marblehead
This winter they had an East Bay 38 in the shop for about three months. She received all new wiring, all new plumbing, engines were pulled and rebuilt, transmissions were pulled and rebuilt, new Soundown mufflers were installed, and a full cosmetic refresh.
They are now working on a 1956 41-foot Concordia, which was suffering from some rot issues. They are putting on a new deck, replacing the chain plates, rebuilding the cockpit, installing a new engine and rebuilding the transom. This boat has been out of the water for four years. Last fall they launched her and sailed her right up into December. She was then hauled out and brought in the shop. She will go back in the water early this summer, but she will probably not have all her work completed.
Also underway are five Hood 32s, which will all be launched this spring. One will be going to Connecticut, one to South Carolina, another to Thomaston, one out to Vancouver, and another to Long Island. The Hood 32 is a traditional looking daysailer, with a big cockpit, very lively, very quick boat and easy to single-hand.
They are now starting to introduce a 24-foot daysailer, which is a Stephens & Waring design. Hull #1 sails out in Chicago and next month they will start making the moulds so they can put this model into production.
A new 35-foot Express is just off the drawing board. We have it mocked up at Lyman Morse in Thomaston right now and they are starting construction. That will be a new Hood 35 powerboat, with twin jet drives. The Hood 57 powerboat flybridge is also underway at Lyman Morse and will be launched in May.
They have a 26 foot electric runabout that we are working on, which they will be bringing to the Maine Boatbuilders Show the middle of March.
They have just finished the design of a 65 foot sailboat and they will be advertising that and their service business has about 40 boats lined up for various service so like most yards they are hoping for a dry warm spring so they can get it all done and in the water on time.
Finestkind Boatyard, Harpswell
In the main shop they are doing a major restoration on the 44-foot STUART LITTLET, which they started on last year. They have got the bottom blasted and recoated; the hull is getting repainted; new integral water tanks were placed under the V-berth; a new integral fuel tank was installed under the engine; new teak cabin, teak and holly cabin soles; the entire interior is getting refinished; the masts are being repainted; and all the exterior varnish will be redone.
They have got a Hinckley Bermuda 40 in the small shop that they are doing varnish on. They will also be painting her mast.
An Etchells 22 was in to be refurbished. They put a new cockpit teak sole and re-did all the varnish work.
A Fornier 26 is in with an engine issue. The engine has a bad sleeve so they have removed the engine so it can be rebuilt. They are also going to put an Aqua Drive in that while it is apart.
Chip Johnson’s lobster boat THREE STARS is sitting out in the yard. She will be moved as soon as Chip has room in his shop. Right now he is finishing off another boat for himself and then THREE STARS will come in for her annual maintenance and then she will be sold.
The Finestkind boats have nothing major to be done this season, pretty much just paint, varnish and go over the systems.
The Willis Beal built 38-footer LIZZIE is still sitting outside waiting to have some major work done. She needs some reframing, refastening and a new cockpit deck. The big question is whether the owner wants to do it because if they go through with these new regulations he cannot use it. The problem is if they go to 25 trap trawls she is not really big enough to handle them.
Friendship Boat, Friendship
There are two boats in the shop. The one nearest completion is a split-wheelhouse Wayne Beal 36, powered with a 550-hp Cummins, being finished out as a lobster boat for a fisherman out on Vinalhaven. She has 400 gallons of fuel under the platform and a couple of cabinets down below so she is pretty spartan. They are now putting the finishing touches on her and it is thought that she will be going over sometime in March.
Next to her is a Young Brothers 42. Randy Young finished a Young Brothers hull for his father back in 1993 and this one will be going to one of his sons, who fishes out of Portland in a Young Brothers 40. Since there is no top, and they did not want to cut up an existing top from another builder they will be building a custom top for her. She will be going out as a partial completion. They will finish up the house before shipping her out and the owner will be putting in the engine (800-hp Caterpillar) and drive train as well as the platform.
A Mussel Ridge 28 (formerly the Wayne Beal 28) hull will be arriving soon to be finished out for a local young fisherman. It is thought she will be getting a 550-hp diesel and it is also thought she may be doing a little racing this summer.
After this there are several small repair jobs currently on the schedule, but nothing major. However there are a number of people talking.
Johanson Boatworks, Rockport
All aspects of the yard have been busy this winter. They have had six re-powers to do this winter, four Beta Marine diesels, a new Yanmar in a Duffy 26, and they are rebuilding a MerCruiser 260 for a power boat.
Just finished is a Bristol 45, which they did three custom fiberglass tanks. This was a big project as the old steel tanks had starting to leak. They had to lift-up the floor, get all the old tanks out, custom make all the tanks and put them all back in, and plumb everything up.
Right now they have just started on a C & C 40. They are doing new hatches, new windows, new windlass, stripping all the woodwork and painting the hull.
They have a little power boat in that they are going to be putting new windows in; and some engine work. The owner just bought the boat last summer, and he was having a lot of engine issues last year.
A J-35 was in and they did an insurance claim on her following a grounding last summer. This meant making repairs to the stringers and keel.
Presently in the paint bay they have got a Tartan 37, which they have done just about everything on. They just sprayed the deck non-skid and they are putting all the hardware back down. They also stripped all the woodwork back to nothing and building it all back up.
They store about 90 boats and are hoping their owners contact them soon if they need anything special done. With the warm temperatures we have been having lately I am sure the phone has been ringing.
Morgan Bay Boats, Frankfort
They have three boats, all Morgan Bay 43s, under construction. The middle boat is the one furthest along and she is being finished out as a sportfisherman for a customer from New York and the Bahamas. Presently they are working on her interior and systems. Her interior consists of a forward stateroom with a V-berth; a quarter berth to starboard and a head and shower to port. Up in the shelter the galley is to starboard with a settee to port. She is powered with a 1,000-hp 12.9 Caterpillar diesel. They are now down to the finishing touches and expect to have her over and gone by the end of spring.
The boat to her right is also being finished out as a sportfisherman for a customer from New York and Florida. This boat has almost the same layout, but the galley is on the opposite side. This one is powered with a 1,150-hp C18 Caterpillar diesel. They are also not far from completion on this one with just interior finish work and systems to do. They hope to have her over before the end of spring.
The third hull is being finished out as a Coast Guard inspected charter boat. This is a fairly simple boat with a V- berth, a separate berth to port and freezer chest below, not sure what will be in the shelter and she will be powered with a 750-hp John Deere diesel. This boat was supposed to go out last fall, but was delayed due to Coast Guard requirements. Now she may have more done here before she leaves.
After the middle boat goes out they will begin on their new model, which will either be a 46 or 47. The 43 has proven to be a real slippery model and those that own one have said they would be interested in the new model. Right now they have two customers who have stepped up saying they want one. They are not going to change the design much, maybe a little bit wider and raise the sheer a bit.
As for the 43, they have others interested in finishing them off as a sportfisherman. They really do not like doing kits as some of these are not finished off as they should be. There are certain builders who can certainly finish it out properly and balance the boat so it performs well.
Padebco Boat, Round Pond
There are three Padebcos and a flybridge cruiser on the floor in the main shop. They are doing major renovations on the three Padebcos, two 21s and one 23. One of these is the first 21 built prior to a mould that inspired Bruce Cunningham to put them into production. Her problem is that the fiberglass fuel tank had gotten soft and was leaking so they are replacing the fuel tank. The other 21 sank at her mooring, because she also had a fuel leak and the fuel caused the flotation foam to turn into a jelly and when the bilge pump turned on it sucked this jelly into the pump and caused it to fail, thus causing the sinking. They also found that the automatic bilge switch was not working because the wiring had corroded. They have a 60 gallon aluminum fuel tank coming and that will be installed and then they will put in a new platform. They will also rewire the boat and they are also having the 150-hp outboard gone over at New Meadows Marina in West Bath.
The other Padebco on the floor is the original 23 footer, launched in 1998, and she sank at the dock on Cape Cod due to owner neglect. They thought they were going to be able to save more, but it was not prudent. She is getting a new liner and deck, outboard extension and will be totally Awlgripped. She will also get a new 200-hp outboard instead of the 150 she had.
Back at the Maine Boat Sow in Portland last October they sold a new boat, but because of the work-load they already had they opted to finish up the repair work and several other projects that had lingered a bit. One project that has lingered is on a Tiara 36, which had her gas engines replaced with twin diesels and now they are working on her systems. However her owner keeps adding more to the work list, but they are hoping to get everything done and get her launched this year.
Another project they are finishing up on is a 24-foot powerboat, which they have repowered. She started life with a jet drive, but her owner did not like it and had them removed. Now she was overpowered and they are now installing a 70-hp Volvo. This is in and now they are making some modifications and doing some cosmetic upgrades.
Other projects include: redoing the bottom and replacing the windows on a Sabre 30; a Padebco 32 is getting new fuel tanks; a Mariner 40 went aground last summer and she having repairs made to the area around her keel; and a Padebco 27 is being converted from a jet drive to a standard inboard engine.
Rockport Marine, Rockport
Not yet underway, but will be shortly, is a 45-foot sailboat designed by Bill Tripp for a customer from southern New England. It will be modern construction with a lifting keel and will start sometime in March.
One of the big winter projects was restoring a Concordia. She has received a new fore foot, new keel plank, new floors and some new frames and planks. She will be finished up early this spring.
The boat just behind her is a 10-tonner designed and built in Ireland in the early 1900s. She was in to have her stem replaced.
To the right of the Concordia is WIND ROSE, an A. Neilson design. She was built by Brion Rieff of Brooklin and is in for some system work.
The little powerboat, designed in-house, with a 200-hp outboard on her transom is nearing completion for her owners from Texas.
They just finished up a major refit on a fiberglass powerboat, BEACH COMBER, which came up from Florida. She had a new hard top put in, systems work, new windshield and she has been loaded on a truck and sent home to Florida.
