JD Winter Photo Contest – Working in the Workshop

While it might feel like time has slowed down this spring, the winter was busy for our customers who have been working inside their garages, boat sheds, and workshops on many great things. What emerges in the springtime is anyone’s guess, but we always like to catch a peek inside while the hard work is being done, and so we ask you to submit your best photos of your hard work. We had a number of great submissions for the Winter 2020 Photo Contest, and once again we had a hard time choosing only one winner – so we chose two!

Here’s a bit about each winner and their winter project:

THE WINNER! This is Matt Young’s 38-foot sailboat he’s built single-handed from boards to boat. This project started as a dream for Matt 5 years ago, then turned into reality when he started bending the first boards around a frame in an old loafing shed in North Central Washington state. After five years of work, she is scheduled to hit the water this summer!

Way to go, Matt! We can’t wait to see her afloat!

Runner Up:

Paul Schoenfelder’s grandfather was a carpenter, a true craftsman, and he passed away in 2014. Paul had always valued his craftsmanship, but only as an adult did he realize how important it was to him to carry that spirit into the future. When Paul saw Lou’s “Tips From a Shipwright” videos, the way he worked reminded him so much of his grandfather that he was inspired to take on a new kind of project—a boat. So in July 2018, he dove into building a Herreshoff dinghy.

In June 2019, Paul picked up a co-boat builder in his girlfriend Mandy, who has since been with him in the boat shop every step of the way. Building this boat been one of the most challenging endeavorsPaul has undertaken, but knocking the rust off his grandfather’s tools and seeing them produce a beautiful wooden boat has been extremely fulfilling. It’s now March 2020, and the plan is to get the boat completed in time to show it at the Wooden Boat Show in Mystic, CT this summer.

There were so many great photo submissions sent to us and you should see them all. You don’t need to have a Facebook account to see the album of photos! Have a look and get inspired! Thanks to all who submitted photos! Stay busy!

*Please note: The 2020 Winter Photo Contest asked people to submit photos of work being done in their shops. Many sent photos of just boats. We want to see you at work! So take some snaps or have your assistant snap some pics while you work this spring and summer! We love to see busy hands and smiles for inspiration!

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