Progress is steady in the Massachusetts backyard boatshop where Arabella is steadily looking more and more ‘yachty’ by the day. With every frame that is installed comes an easier view of the long sweeping sides that will soon bear planks. But before planking can begin, this boatbuilding and video making duo must first prepare … Read More
Woodworking superstar Jimmy Diresta has just completed building his first ever wood strip canoe. Built on a mold that he cut with his CNC machine, Diresta confesses to being “schooled” on this project, challenging his many finely honed woodworking skills and calling on some new ones, as well. Using fiberglass and epoxy resin together for the … Read More
Alix and Steve are building Arabella in their backyard and it’s no small task. They’re arguably at one of the most critical stages of their build, steam bending and installing frames, and like all the other tasks they take on, they have done serious research in advance. Because this is such a monumental moment in … Read More
We were thrilled to hear that YouTubing boat repair superstar, Andy Miller, has decided that making his videos full-time is the new direction for Andy’s “Boatworks Today” YouTube channel. In this recent video, Andy shows us how he completed the repair on the Boston Whaler patrol boat he has been working on. He is close … Read More
With the TotalBoat Sport Dory done and waiting for a nice fall day to show off her rowing prowess (next week!), Lou is back at the workbench, but this time he’s making some adjustments and showing us how it’s done on a brand new Ryobi Planer. The electric planer is a staple in Lou’s toolbox, … Read More
It’s been a while since we have had something worth showing you from our Live Web Camera in the TotalBoat Workshop. But since you were all so riveted by the Vela Restoration that we did a few years ago in the workshop, we thought you might like to see what we’re up to now – … Read More
The day has arrived for TotalBoat Sport Dory – It’s finally completed – and the smile on Lou’s face says it all! Louis has finished the build and he’s shown us some great boatbuilding and woodworking tips along the way, as he’s been known to do. From the beginning, this dory was meant to challenge … Read More
For over 40 years, Jamestown Distributors has been helping people love their boats more. Whether it’s about helping the handy DIY owner tackle a tough project – or if it’s helping the novice build their first boat, we have a soft spot for helping out those who share our passion for boats, and for building, and making … Read More
With only a few steps remaining, today Lou applies TotalBoat Wood Sealer and Gleam 2.0 varnish to the guards of the TotalBoat Sport Dory. Lou has suspended the boat upside down so that he doesn’t have to fight drips and drops on the interior wood of the dory, which he plans to oil, and not … Read More
The TotalBoat Sport Dory is very close to completion and after today’s video, it looks ready to row! Louis sanded down the 2-Part Epoxy Primer and is now ready to apply a thinned coat of TotalBoat Wet Edge Topside Paint. The secret is finding the right consistency for your project so that the paint flows … Read More
Today we find Lou in his Open Door Boat Shop, shaping a piece of quarter sawn white oak into the skeg for the TotalBoat Sport Dory. Using a table saw, a router, a hand plane, and some sandpaper, Lou – as you would expect him to – expertly fits and shapes the oak and then … Read More
The TotalBoat Sport Dory is finally ready for some paint and today Lou will show us how he prepped the surface of the dory’s bottom before priming. Using TotalBoat’s TotalFair fairing compound, Lou filled in the weave on the carbon/ kevlar cloth on his bottom and gave himself a nice smooth and fair surface to … Read More
A favorite JD Customer of ours recently was awarded the 2018 WoodenBoat Show Concours de Elegance-Professionally Built- Human Powered– Best in Show award. We were at the show and found their boat to be ingenious, especially knowing it’s a human-powered boat unlike any other we’ve seen. Have a look!
Lou is pretty excited at the thought of rowing his newly built TotalBoat Sport Dory. But in order to get rowing, Louis needs to first position the spot for installing oarlocks on the guards. Fitting a block on top of the guards will allow Lou space to firmly nest the socket into the gunwale. With … Read More
BEST PHOTO Montgomery Bauman We again had to choose more than one customer photo to win our Summer Photo Contest. Nearly every entry was worthy of winning something – but we had to settle on three and chose a winner in three categories: Best Photo (it is a photo contest, after all), Best Restoration and … Read More