A starboard bow quarter view of the 63-in. model under construction by Willis Beal of Beals Island.
This is the windshield for a Hinckley powerboat, which is under construction at Custom Composites in Bath.
John’s Bay Boat Company launched VIGILANT, a yacht for a custom from Friendship on Saturday June 8.
Newcastle Marine/Blood Boat Works, Newcastle, ME
Rob Blood was able to sneak his boat, the 36-foot schooner OUTWARD BOUND, into the water mid-spring. This winter they recanvassed her cabin house using traditional canvas. They also stripped all the varnish off her spars and oiled them, re-rigged her and then gave her a coat of paint. When she went over she hardly leaked and they sailed her from Barter’s Island to Wiscasset.
MONICA, a 36-foot Rhodes Whistler came in for some repairs. They worked on the stem and removed the hardware and stripped her mast and re-varnished it. She went over in early June.
There was a 36 or 38-foot double-ended Sparkman & Stephens design in for work. She got all new bolts in the stern posts and horn timber, probably 10 or 12 new planks back there, new rudder post and rudder. Next, they were going to do new thru-hulls fittings. The owner was then scheduled to come in and do all the painting.
The Hodgdon power boat has just had her cockpit sole replaced. Last year they worked on her backbone and that is complete, except for the shaft log, but they still need to plank that. They also need to re-install the fuel tank and then paint and varnish. They were hoping to have her over the end of June.
The Concordia is on hold as the owner’s other boat, an Apogee 50 suffered an incident and needed a lot of work done. All the wiring and systems needed to be replaced as well as refinishing the interior woodwork. They still have to have her hauled out and replace the wires in the mast. This project was in Kittery and that caused a little issue with logistics. They are hoping to get back on the Concordia late this summer or early fall.
When Rob took over the business in 2022 they had between 35 and 40 boats they stored. This has grown to almost 70 and they are hoping next year to stored around 90.
Custom Composite Technologies, Bath, ME
Owner Steve Hassett was starting to think about retiring and was looking for an exit plan. He thinks he has solved that issue. His son, Nathaniel, spent quite a bit of time in the shop learning the composite trade before moving out to the State of Washington. He worked for Stratos Aircraft in Redmond, Oregon running their shop for the last two or three years. While there he worked on a light passenger jet, which was built of pre-preg carbon. He has been back three years and running this shop.
One of the main projects is doing pilothouse and rooftops for The Hinckley Company in Trenton. They are doing these for four different picnic boat models: 37, 40, 43 and 57. They have also done some other smaller components. It is all about the level of finish, which is extremely high as shine sells. Nat was extremely helpful as he understands working through check lists which gives the customer exactly what they want, every time.
Another project they are involved in is the 95-foot sailboat under construction at Rockport Marine in Rockport. Steve explained, “They had a structural interior that they needed to have made. The whole inside of their boat as far as the main structure is all composite. We started off with three rather large carbon bulkheads. They are a complex laminate schedule to say the least and then we followed up with all of the other structural members which were the floor timbers and the structural longitudinals. We supplied them as needed through the project and we are on the last couple of parts for the longitudinal members, which are just carbon capping planks that go right over the top of all of the longitudinals.”
Once they are done with these there are additional parts and pieces Rockport Marine will need to have fabricated and they are quoting these pieces.
Steve added, “Another project was project panels for Bruce Farrin, built to his specifications. They were pretty much 8 x 8 or 8 x 10 by either a half-inch or three-quarter of an inch. We vacuum infused the panels with a vinyl ester blend with over width fiberglass. It had matte in there so he could grind on the panels. We made them, like 8 x 16 and then I cut them in half. He really likes them because they are flat and already smooth as they have peel-ply on both sides. You just peel the peel-ply off and start cutting and putting them in place.”
A lot of builders like buying panels such as this as it saves them a lot of time in the construction process. Steve said, “We did make panels for Moore Brothers. They needed some, essentially backup structure for their moulds. They were five feet wide and 56 feet long. They were infused with carbon and balsa core and then we post cured them in our oven. Then they were cut into sections, whatever length that they needed.
Custom Composites just does not do just boat parts and pieces. One project they have been working on is a BMW for VSR-1. They were building parts that you could not purchase off the shelf. They have also been building parts for robots, which work in a plastic cutlery factory. Steve added, “The parts that we have been building is just plating. We do get involved with the actual robot arm parts, These are not like robots that are walking around. These are robots that are moving something.”
They also have a couple of projects they cannot talk about.
Gamage Shipyard, South Bristol
Maine Yacht Center, a full-service boat yard and marina located in Portland, is pleased to announce that they will be purchasing Gamage Shipyard in South Bristol. The acquisition is scheduled to be finalized on 28 June.
Maine Yacht Center has been in business for over 20 years. They offer winter storage and summer dockage in Casco Bay. Their team of 40 full-time qualified marine technicians provide the full range of boatyard services, from routine maintenance to large scale refit projects. They have a large base of long-term, satisfied customers, who bring their boats to them annually from all over New England for storage and service. Their customers rely on MYC for their high level of customer service and the quality of our workmanship.
They recognize the entire Gamage team for their commitment to the working waterfront and service to the local boating community. The team, like much of Mid-Coasts’ waterfront worked double duty during the past months bringing back the facility to operational capability following the damage from the January storms.
MYC’s goal is to continue this commitment. They will add qualified marine technicians to enhance the service capabilities of GSY and continue to improve the facilities as they grow the business. They will carry on the long-standing tradition and continue to operate the business under the Gamage Shipyard name.
Current GSY customers will experience a smooth transition. After closing, they look forward to meeting existing customers as well as new or returning customers and providing them with quality service over the summer months and winter storage and maintenance to follow.
Jeremy Beal/Wayne Beal Boat, Jonesport
Sitting halfway into the shop was MY TURN [formerly MISS MARIENA, a Wayne Beal 32], which was getting repowered with a 500-hp Cummins. During the winter Jeremy purchased the boat from his father, Wayne, who has opted to fish out of one of his 23s. She was then given a facelift and his daughter Mariena will try her hand at lobster fishing this summer. She will also try her hand at racing.
The Willis Beal wooden boat LITTLE BREV is in and they have fitted a 36 top to her. They had to narrow the top and the owner wanted the glass top to look like the original Willis had done. Next year, the plan is to do the trunk cabin.
Last fall there was an incident when Calvin S. Beal lost his boat offshore. Fortunately, she was salvaged and Calvin was able to purchase the boat from the insurance company. They have made repairs as needed and replaced the wiring and electronics. She will now have rubber windows, instead of aluminum as the aluminum ones take too long to get. Next, she will get painted.
Next in is a South Shore 38, which has been sitting in Friendship for about 20 years. They are going to strip her down to almost a bare hull and shaft. They then finish her out with a modified Wayne Beal 40 top.
They also have a 21-foot Repco, which has been lengthened to redo for a customer from Massachusetts. Then there is a Wayne Beal 36 to build and the motor that came out of MY TURN, a 600-hp Cummins, will be going in her. This will be followed by a Wayne Beal 42 for a fisherman from Boothbay.
Another boat that he worked on this past winter was THUNDERBOLT for Bruce Engert of Boothbay Harbor. Jeremy gave her a new paint job, but did not have time to add rails. Unfortunately, Bruce passed away in May and it was unknown if young Bruce would bring her out this year.
As for MARIA’S NIGHTMARE II, she has had some engine work done. Jeremy thought she might have swallowed some water on her run back from Portland last year. He removed the injector pump and had it cleaned and made sure the injectors were good. He decided not to do any other modifications so she will probably run about the same as last year. There are some gasoline powered boats sporting big power coming out this year, but they should not be a real threat. The only one Jeremy feels could be a threat is Cameron and Glen Crawford’s WILD WILD WEST, which they say will not be out this year.
Rollin’s Boat Shop, York, ME
In the shop they have taken on the Eastsail 25, which is being finished out as a motorsailer. This boat has been at Brion Rieff’s shop in Brooklin and then it went to Billing’s Diesel & Marine in Stonington. She was designed by Elliott Spaulding of Freeport in 1996.
They are putting in the systems, completing the engine installation (16-hp Beta Diesel), installing the chainplates, seacocks and electronics.
Paul Rollins said, “She is a mini motorsailer. I think it would be a cool boat to go down the waterway and out to the Bahamas in. I like being out of the sun and this one has a great shelter. It should be thrifty. The engine is not a V-8 diesel and cheap dockage, it is short.”
In the same bay is Paul’s wooden sloop, which was designed and built by Bud McIntosh in 1965. Paul found the boat in the back of WoodenBoat magazine in the section “Save a Classic.” She sat in a field up in Vermont for more than two decades, but that did not stop Paul. He had her truck to his shop and he began rebuilding her. After three years she was ready for the water. He has sailed her the past couple of seasons and is hoping to get her over again this year. The cost to put her over is a consideration, but also leaving her out is not good for her longevity. He plans to get her painted and may even change her helm from tiller to a wheel. Hopefully, she goes over this year and he enjoys a cruise Downeast.
