Boatshop Reports

Captain Rick Franke's monthly Boatshop Reports feature news on new boat builds, maintenance, and boat restorations from area boatbuilders and shops across Maryland and Virginia. 

October 1, 2022
Where has the summer gone? A lot of us have asked ourselves that question lately, as our first fairly “normal” summer has flown by.
September 6, 2022
Where has the summer gone? About this time of year many of us start to ask ourselves that question. This summer seems like the first more or less “normal” one since 2019.
August 5, 2022
Real summer weather is finally here, and it is great.
July 11, 2022
Now that we are officially into the summer season, the mood at local boatshops can best be described as cautiously o
June 14, 2022
The spring boat shows will be over, the real spring weather has arrived, and the boating season
May 1, 2022
For most area boatshops it has been a busy winter, with lots of work and many shop and marina upgrades.
April 14, 2022
As spring arrives and the pandemic recedes in the rearview mirror it seems to be leaving behind
March 16, 2022
As we work our way through the dark ages of winter it is good to remember that spring is not very far away.
February 9, 2022
Now that the New Year is well under way, it looks a lot like the old one.
January 10, 2022
As we say goodbye to 2021, it’s tempting to reflect on some of the trends we saw this season.
January 4, 2022
The John D. was designed and built in St. Michaels by the Higgins Yacht Yard in 1981 and used to shuttle guests to and from the The Inn at Perry Cabin.
December 15, 2021
The triumphant Annapolis Boat Shows have come and gone, signifying the end of the boating season.
December 14, 2021
In 2022 an iconic American design, the grandaddy of the modern American runabout, the Boston Whaler, wil
November 17, 2021
The record-setting fall boat shows are behind us, the long lazy days of summer are a fond memory, and
November 9, 2021
Tari-Ann is a 48-foot motorsailer ketch based on the design of Chesapeake buyboats. She was designed and built in Nova Scotia.
October 25, 2021
It’s October and the fall boat show season is just behind us. The second season of the pandemic boating boom was very busy. Supply issues, while not all fixed, are beginning to ease.
September 13, 2021
It seems hard to believe but summer is slowly slipping away.
August 30, 2021
Over the last few years, it seemed as if we had been receiving Boatshop Reports of work being done on a 55-foot 1950