Once again we refuse to pick just one winner, thanks to all of you and your inspiring submissions of your busy winter boat workshops. We found three winners that we feel embody what most of you look for in a good winter boat project – a restoration, a cool new build and an inspirational resurrection.
Let’s start with the new build. We were enamored by the “Shop Night” held by this crew in a garage in New Bedford. They aren’t newbies to the Shop Night scene, they’ve built boats here before (Patience was at our Customer Boat Show last year at the Tent Sale) and this winter they built not one, but 2 boats. The team at Patience Boat Works is hoping to have both new boats at the JD Tent Sale on April 14th.
Then there is Ed Dow who is transforming an old 1974 Cigarette to a center-console with a cuddy cabin to better accommodate his growing family. This story reminds us of the Vela Project, wherein a great old fiberglass hull is repurposed and beautified for a new life. The ultimate in recycling, these old hulls have plenty left to give. Why not find a great one and make it what you need it to be!
And lastly, we should award the prize to anyone who has to live in the condo of Peter Cross in Michigan. He has turned his great room into a boat shop and is completing a long restoration right there where the fancy dinners should be held. We find this a far better use of this space than fancy dinner parties, and we think there will be plenty of you who agree!
Check out the winners projects here and CONGRATULATIONS to Patience Boat Works, Ed Dow and Peter Cross! We will be adding a $50 credit to your Jamestown Distributors account so you can finish up and get on the water!
BEST NEW BUILD: Noel Martin & Victor Pinheiro: Catspaw Sailing Dinghy – Patience Boat Works is just a bunch of friends with a common interest in all things that float. For the most part, we all made our initial acquaintance aboard a boat or because of a boat. There are no expert ship-wrights here. We are lawyers, electricians, chefs, florists, engineers, auto repairers, insurers…some retired…some not. The blog link here chronicles the building of some very interesting craft. In the spring of 2017, we completed the build of “Patience”, a Ninigret 22 designed by John Atkins. Currently, we are working on a “Catspaw” sailing dinghy…designed by Nathaniel Herreshoff and modified by Joel White as well as a DC-10 sailing dinghy. Welcome to the PBW blog where every new step is an adventure!
COME SEE THE CATSPAW DINGHY and the DC-10 Skiff being built by Patience Boat Works at the Jamestown Distributors Tent Sale on April 14th! Meet the builders and see the boat!
BEST RESTORATION: Peter Cross: 1948 Chris Craft 18 ft utility # 18U 509
I have been working on my 1948 Chris Craft for 18 months in my great room of my condo here in Michigan.
The timeline is to be done by the A.C.B.S National show in September 2020.
The picture was taken from the stairs leading up to the 2nd floor.
How many people have a full-size boat in their living room? I have the original drawings from Chris Craft on the wall.
Jamestown Distributors has supplied screws and I will use TotalBoat Penetrating Epoxy to seal all wood.
Thank for the opportunity to share with you.
Peter Cross – Rockford, MI
BEST INSPIRATION & RESURRECTION: Ed Dow – Cape Cod – I’m working on a 1974 Cigarette 28 open concept, converting it to a center console with small forward cuddy cabin. I always loved center consoles, but needed a cuddy for the new baby (and an Intrepid was out of the budget!). The boat looked good from a distance, but upon inspection, you can see that the previous “restoration” at a small shop in Miami was simply covering up huge fiberglass issues with Bondo and ZERO reinforcement. Now, Seven layers of paint have been removed, dual consoles removed, and countless pails of rot/filler/foam/etc. Bring on the TotalFair Faring Compound.
I swapped the trailer from another boat, scrapped the trailer that this boat sat on. Sourced a like new Etec G2 300, as well as a console and T-top from a de-commissioned Fire Department boat.)
— in Monument Beach, Massachusetts.