This is a York 42 of Northeast Harbor, which has been in the shop for a major overhaul by York Marine of Rockland. They made modifications to the flybridge, repowered and made modifications to the interior. She is close to being finished and should be over mid-spring.
At Sargent’s Custom Boats in Milbridge, they are finishing off this Wesmac 46 as a lobster boat for a local fisherman. She will be powered with a 1,000 hp FPT.
Buxton Boats, Sunset
Last fall Peter Buxton, owner of Buxton Boats in Sunset, had a contract to build a Cayman cat. This meant he needed to go to the Cayman Islands and take the lines off three of their boats, which he did in October. Upon his return, he drew out the lines of the three boats and sent them to his customer in the Cayman Islands. They choose one and Peter then began lofting her out. He added, “It was surprising. At first glance they all looked the same but when I got them down on paper, it was amazing how different they were. It is just like lobster boats. First glance, they all look the same, but you get them on paper and really look them over, there are a lot of subtle differences. This particular one is the smallest. The biggest was 24 feet, this one is 20 feet 3 inches and 5-feet wide.”
He then lofted the one they had chosen and began looking for wood. He was concerned that this boat was going to be used in the tropics so they needed wood that was rot resistant. He decided to use Black Locust for the keel and this meant that he needed to make a trip to Connecticut. At 7 one morning he climbed into his truck and made a run to New England Naval Timbers in Cornwall and did not get back until midnight. It was not easy finding it, but this piece of wood does not have a knot in it. Even though the cost was high, Peter said it was well worth it.
So, when I arrived Peter had the keel together and was cutting in the rabbet line, which only took him a couple of days to complete. The station moulds are already and they will be put in place next. She will be carvel planked in cedar.
This is a simple open boat with a little bow deck below the gunwale for stepping the mast to, and three thwarts for seating. She has a simple cat rig with an unstayed mast right up in the bow. There is also a board for hiking out that will need to be made.
He has until the end of April to complete this project and then put it in a container and ship to the Cayman Islands. Peter will then hop on a plane and go down and put her together and make sure there are no issues.
Next to the Cayman cat Peter has his own boat in the shop, a Northern Bay 36 cruiser, in for some regular maintenance. He made changes to the spray rails. The former owner did not like the waves hitting them when he was trying to sleep so he cut out a section of the spray rails at the waterline. Peter replaced the rails and in getting them off damaged the paint and this forced him to paint her topsides. He is also painting the aluminum window frames. Next, he will put in an auxiliary oil pressure gauge and then do some varnish work. She will be ready mid-spring and he and his wife Sue are hoping to head south in the fall.
Boricua Boat Works, Steuben
The first bay was empty, which meant that the Mussel Ridge 46 being finished off as a sportfish/cruiser for a customer from Texas, was gone. Well, she is still there, outside, awaiting others to come in and do their part. She is very near done and when the engine hook-up, hydraulics, wiring, electronics, air conditioning and such are completed they just have to installed items already made and she is good to go. Getting these people in to do their part has not been easy and it makes it hard on Moises, owner of Boricua, to finish this project.
Coming in to fill this spot will be a Wesmac 50 x 20, which will be finished out as a split wheelhouse lobster boat for Chris Candage of Bar Harbor. She is going to have a full interior and will be powered with a 1,400-hp MAN.
In the next bay is a Northern Bay 41, the hull of which was laid up by Shawn Snow in Sedgwick. She is being finished out as a high-end sportfisherman for a customer from Connecticut. The interior will consist of a double berth forward, two guest berths, full head with shower and the galley is up in the shelter with settee and table. She will be powered with a 900-hp Scania. She came in the end of last August and they have been working on her when time allows. Moises is hoping to have her over in June. He has had the owner pick out his own cabinets so they only have to build a box they will slide into and that will lessen greatly the number of hours needed to finish this boat.
Next, they will have a Flowers 43 coming in to be finished off as a cruiser for a customer from New York. Moises was not expecting this hull to arrive until late summer.
Hodgdon Tenders, Damariscotta
Hodgdon Tenders, the Superyacht tender division of Hodgdon Yachts, announced that they have signed contracts with a repeat client for three 40-foot tenders, which will deliver in 2025 to a new build project currently underway in Northern Europe.
Design and Naval Architecture of the Limousine, Open, and Beachlander Sport tenders is by Michael Peters Yacht Design and engineering is by Hodgdon Tenders’ in-house team. All three tenders will have custom features, stainless steel detailing, and underwater lights to complement their mothership.
The Limousine tender will include luxury interior accommodations for 15 guests, climate control, leather upholstery, integrated champagne storage, and a glass roof. Highlights of the Open tender will include a spacious cockpit which lends itself to a variety of guest activities, large aft sunpad, and generous storage areas. Ideal for watersports and fishing, the Beachlander Sport tender will have a forward hydraulic bow ramp, folding composite t-top, and day head.
“Having delivered numerous American built tenders to top projects, we have had a full order book at Hodgdon Tenders and we’re grateful for the opportunity to build three more,” said Audrey Hodgdon, Director of Sales & Marketing.
Little River Boat Shop, Cutler
Nick Lemieux’s lobster boat PHANTOM was in to be repowered. They then put Norbert Lemieux’s lobster boat in and added a hydraulic tailgate and lobster tanks under her deck.
Now in the shop is a Young Brothers 40, which is being finished off as a lobster boat for Ryan Lemieux, who was in need of a bigger boat. He explained, “We took it, cut it below the waterline. We would cut it every 4 feet, leave 3 inches, 4 feet, leave 3 inches so that established where we are going to cut it. We put 7/8-inch pine boards that were our molds, screwed those to the hull and then we got 4 x 6s that are 4 feet on center and placed across the hull. Then we got those pieces to slide it out. Right here where the bulkhead is we have got ¾-inch threaded rod to pull the sides out. So, we ended up pulling it out 6 inches on each side, and layered her up. We have got eight layers of 3205 on top of the pine boards. I had Stewart (SW Boat Works in Lamoine, who laid up the hull) widen it a foot on the stern so that squared the sides up a little bit and then of course we widened it another foot so it is 15 feet wide right at the bulkhead and then it is 14 feet wide on the stern. When you take and cut the sides and slide them out it ends up bringing them ahead so we lengthened the boat 2 feet, so it is basically 42 x 15.”
A few years ago, they did this to a Young Brothers 33, which they lengthened and widened. Ryan added, “That boat is awesome, I just outgrew it. The new boat is powered with a 1,150-hp C18 Cat with a Twin Disc gear. I am actually quite tickled with how low we got that engine because I figured I was going to have to have quite a tall engine box but she will only be 8 or 10-inch tall. Down below she is going to have one big bunk and I will put crates underneath. We have got all my panels and everything laid up. My roof is hung up over there. All the side panels are laid up so we can build the top quickly. Just like going up to Darling’s and buying a brand-new truck and cutting it all to hell.”
They are hoping to have her done the first part of May. They have about 10 workers and they can get a lot done in a short period of time. The hull alterations took just over a week to complete, which is impressive.
Long Cove Marine, Deer Isle
Owner Eric Smith left Billings Diesel & Marine four years ago and opened a small engine shop and went lobstering the first year. It was not long before he had plenty of engine work, so much so, that a year ago he built a new 60 x 80 metal building with an overhead hoist. Early on the stock room did not have much in it, but that is not the case now, in fact it is not big enough. They have a good repour with Billings as many of the new engines come through them.
In the shop they have Tony Bray’s INTUITION, which is in to be repowered. She had a QSE 500 and will be getting a QSL 9 Cummins. It was not a bad swap as most everything lined up. They did replace the exhaust as that was bad and they rewired the battery.
In the other bay is GRAND ILLUSION owned by Sean Haskell. They removed a 430 Cummins and are replacing it with a QSL 9. This one was much more involved as they had to replace half the platform, went from dry exhaust to wet, rewired the entire boat, all new hydraulics and a new shaft, which is going to be stepped up from 1¾-inches to 2-inch.
Recently they pulled a C-18 Cat out of a Wayne Beal 40 and Eric did a bare block rebuild. They also gel-coated the engine room, rewired the boat, new cutlass bearings, new hoses and they removed the windows and resealed before putting them back in.
Next, they have a boat coming in to be repowered with a QSL 9 Cummins. She now has a QSE 500 in it.
Oceanville Boatworks has a new lobster boat underway in their shop and they need to do the engine hook up, wiring and hydraulics on her. Oceanville’s next boat to finish is a Calvin Beal 44, which will be getting a 750-hp John Deere and they will also be doing her installation.
Outside they have the lobster boat BABA BUOY, which needs to come in and be repowered with a C-7 Cat. SLICE OF LIFE is out in the yard. They have removed her engine, a 430-hp Cummins, and Eric will be doing a bare block rebuild.
Sargent Custom Boats, Milbridge
They have two boats in the shop they are finishing with more work outside waiting to come in.
In one bay they have a Wesmac 46, which they are finishing off as a split wheelhouse lobster boat with a custom top for a local fisherman. She will be powered with a 1,000-hp FPT. Down below she will have a V-berth, big rope locker under the pot hauler, storage for 15 crates and a 500-gallon fuel tank under the platform.
The house is built and the platform is framed out. With a custom house the owner is not limited and can change the design to suit what he wants. The main bulkhead is 31½ feet from the stern, but the windshield is about where it would have been. They are looking for a late spring launch on this one.
In the other bay they have a 23, which they are finishing out as a sportfisherman for a customer from New York. She has a berth down forward with a shelf and will be powered with a 200-hp Yamaha outboard. This is the first 23 with the extended top and she will be completely enclosed: winter back, sliding door and fold up sides. She will be done late winter or very early spring.
Out in the yard they have a Calvin 38, which they built 17 years ago for Jeff Alley, Jr. She is in for a refit and a repower: a continuous duty 600 hp FPT, which Kennedy Marine will be doing. They have already removed everything from the bulkhead back as they used plywood then and will now replace with composite panels and beams. As soon as the 23 is out she will go in that bay to be finished.
Next, a Northern Bay 38 was lengthened by Shawn Snow in Sedgwick and they will be finishing her out as a sportfisherman for a customer from Long Island, New York.
Wayne Beal’s Boat Shop, Jonesport
The push was getting another Wayne Beal 36 hard chine lobster boat finished and out the door. She is being finished as a sport/commercial fisherman for an owner from Martha’s Vineyard. She is powered with a 900-hp 13-litre Scania with a quick shift transmission 1¾:1. Down below she will have a simple V-berth and a head. Under the platform aft she will have about 350-gallons of fuel. When she is launched the owner will be bringing a friend who is interested in a 32.
They were making progress down below and Jeremy Beal said he needed to fit a visor. He also said that he was going to give the interior of the cockpit a skim coat of Polyfare so she will clean up easily.
In the back of the shop, they have a Wayne Beal 42, which will be finished up as a lobster boat for a fisherman out on Vinalhaven. She will be powered with a 730-hp MAN. They will start on her this summer.
They then have another 42 to lay up along with a 46. Someone on Vinalhaven is also talking about a 32.
For repair work they have a Calvin 38 and out in the yard there is a Wayne Beal 40, hull #3, which Wayne built for Benny Beal, who used her as a dragger. They have got to tear up the platform and lower it at least 5-inches. They have made a new split wheelhouse as the old one had balsa core in it. They also had to replace some of the washboards. The top is on, but needs to be attached more securely as they feel a good wind might be a problem. Jeremy said, “The floor has got to come out; fuel tank has got to come out, new ones go in; floor lowered; fish hole lowered; all new windows; rip off the 2 x 6 spray rails they have got on her and lower the waterline. They had the waterlines four inches higher than normal. It is going to be a procedure that I need to have done by June.”
They also have a 36 Stanley out there that had been hit by another boat. Jeremy explained, “She is caved in on port trunk just under the trunk, corner of the trunk house. I don’t know when I will get to that. Next winter, David Osgood is going have chines put on a Crowley 33 along with a few other things.”
York Marine, Rockland
In one bay they have a York 42, which has been in for a couple of years getting a major upgrade. She came in for new engines and ended up getting a lot of other things. The flybridge has a new dash area and new electronics. When repowering they needed to upgrade the fuel system, exhaust system, cooling system and they redid the interior of the shelter and the lazarette. They are down to the end of the list with just hooks up left and then sea trials, which they think they will do in May.
They have got a couple York 18 sailboats being built. One is getting ready to go to Annapolis, the other one is in the mould. The Young Brothers 40, which is going down to the Bahamas, is progressing. They created an interior mockup and that has been approved. They have modified the hull and top and now will start on the interior. A Holland 32 is in for an Awlgrip job, bow thruster, swim platform, and they blasted and barrier coated the bottom.
The new storage building out on Route 90 is full and the 35 storage customers will all need to be ready for the upcoming season. Owner Mike York said they have a two-year back-log of work and it does not look like it will slow up.
