Falling leaves, shorter days, and migrating flocks of geese all tell of a fall rapidly sliding toward winter. Most reports of the recent summer boating scene are positive. Attendance at the fall boat shows was very good and most of the shops sending in reports indicate full order books for winter work. We locals know that late fall and early winter can also offer some very pleasant boating days, with clear but cool weather and hardly any other boats on the water. While enjoying the fall weather, keep your radio handy since the Chesapeake can be at its most changeable during this time of year. Enough of that. Let’s hear from our boatshops.
Jake Glover from Ferry Point Marina in Trappe, MD, checks in: “A Regulator received a full set of new Yamaha F350s, and a classic Shamrock is now running strong with a fresh 5.7L FWC MPI engine. Over in our paint shop, production has stayed steady. Recent completions include a full transom replacement on a Grady White, an Awlcraft finish for a Brooks Boatworks, and a variety of smaller paint and gelcoat repairs. Looking ahead, winter will bring a few major projects to the yard—a pilot boat undergoing collision repair, a 35-foot Markley slated for a full Awlcraft refinishing, and several offshore sportfishing boats in from the ocean for their winter work lists.”
Alex Schlegel from Hartge Yacht Yard in Galesville, MD, sends this report: “Another good year. We have picked up four good techs in the shop and a knowledgeable guy in the stockroom, J.J. Williams. We need a few more. As of September, winter dry storage is full, and our indoor spaces booked up for the winter. In the attached photo you can see several boats we worked on in September and October, from left to right: Muriel Eileen, a 61-foot buyboat we have done major work on for years, is here for some paint and varnish. Next to her is a 55-foot Trumpy having her hull painted. Over the past year we have removed her deck house soffit panels above the side decks; sanded, primed, and painted the underside of the cabin top; made and installed new soffit panels; and made and installed varnished mahogany cabin side windows, screens, and panels. She looks like new and should be in a museum. In the engine room some wiring was replaced and re-run in a more orderly fashion, dual Racor fuel filters and fuel lines were replaced, and the Detroit 4.53 engines are getting annual maintenance.
“Onshore is a Princess V65. She is having the old metal name removed and fastener holes filled, gelcoated, and polished. A backlight name is on the way. We are applying Propspeed to the underwater hardware while she is on the hard. The next boat to the right, in a slip, is a 1978 Shamrock 20-foot center console with the original Ford Pleasurecraft 302. She is having the fuel pump replaced, fiberglass repairs, and Awlgrip touchups. In a slip next to the Shamrock is a Mainship 34 here for gelcoat repairs, searchlight work, and miscellaneous mechanical maintenance. Also in the picture is a nine-foot Boston Whaler, one of 200 built, having nothing done. Next, to the right, on the other side of the pier, is the bow of a Rybovich Yachtfish 54. It is flawless! We are giving some of the brightwork another coat. For this boat, we removed all the hardware such as stanchions, that are fastened over varnished mahogany, for an extra sharp look.
“Work on boats not in the photo includes a Kadey Krogen 42, which received new fuel tanks, a Stamas 240 Family Fish also had the fuel tank replaced, and an Eastport 32 had a few minor mechanical items looked after. Also hauled out and adjacent to one another, are a wonderful variety of boats: A 1936 New York 32 (waterline length) is long, narrow, heavily ballasted, and loaded with sail, making for an easy motion under way. She was designed by the renowned Olin Stevens and built by Henry Nevins Yacht Yard in City Island, NY. Next to her is a Corsair, a modern high-performance trimaran, light, and 23 feet wide, that has what might be called a kinetic ride. In front of the New York 32 is a diesel 55-foot tugboat, custom designed for a local marine contractor, built of steel with an aluminum superstructure and viable pitch propellers.”
With 27 full-time employees and six part-time, it takes a lot of customers to keep them busy, and they do stay busy.
Tim Kraus of Annapolis Gelcoat and Osprey Marine Restorations sends us this update. “Winter work at Annapolis Gelcoat and Restoration is full. We have a brand new Brazilian-built Schaefer that fell off the trailer with major damage before she ever got wet. We also have a Tayana that was in a collision with another boat and a Jeanneau that lost an argument with a day marker. Also, Osprey Marine Restorations in Tracys Landing, MD, just completed restoration of a 65-foot Fleming that had fire damage on her starboard side. So, we are going to stay busy for a while.”
Smokey Glover of Lake Assault Boats in Portsmouth, VA, sends us this report of a completed project. “We conducted sea trials and fire pump test of a new 28-foot Lake Assault Landing Craft Fireboat. The hull was fabricated at the Superior, WI, facility with rigging, wiring, engine, and fire pump installations taking place at the Portsmouth, VA, facility. She is powered by twin Yamaha 150-hp outboards with joystick maneuvering to assist in station holding during firefighting operations. A hydraulic bow ramp permits loading and offloading of equipment or personnel as well as in-water recovery of divers or swimmers. This boat will provide fire and rescue service at Eagle Bay on Fourth Lake in northern New York State.”
Chesapeake area boat builders have established a reputation nationwide as this excerpt from Judge Yacht’s Facebook page indicates. “Judge Yachts may be OEM with Suzuki Marine USA and Honda Marine, but as a semi-custom boat builder we subscribe to building boats to meet our customer’s desires. We are able to offer other brands such as Yamaha Marine, like for this 36 Chesapeake, being built to head to the Florida Gulf Coast.”
Rob Hardy of Composite Yacht in Trappe, MD, brings us up to date with this note about his shop’s latest creation. “Since we had her out today for her initial sea trial, this week’s spotlight is all about the CY26—our compact powerhouse built with the same precision and craftsmanship that define every Composite Yacht. Rock solid construction and terrific performance, with a warrantee to match. There’s nothing “production” about it—just pure Composite Yacht quality!”
As I see the acres of shrinkwrap spreading in local marinas, I do feel I should repeat a question I have asked several times in past columns: Do you want to use shrinkwrap or should you consider a more permanent canvas cover? If the answer is shrinkwrap, check with your marina management to make certain that they have a disposal plan for spring when it comes off. If you are a do-it-your-selfer, check with the Marine Trades Association of Maryland (MTAM) for their plan and recommendations for recycling. You can contact MTAM at mtam.org.
Enjoy the fall, be careful on the water, and have a happy Thanksgiving. See you next month.
By Capt. Rick Franke