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.
November 17, 2020
It is hard to believe that the fall is here without the Annapolis Boat Shows to mark the end of the boating
October 27, 2020
With all of the lifestyle changes and different effects of the “New Normal” imposed on us by the Covid-19 pandemic, what have been the effects on
October 12, 2020
As summer slips away into fall, it takes some time to get used to the “New Normal.” While the busiest season in recent memory continues and area shops can look forward to a busy winter lay-up seaso
October 6, 2020
We were running at 3000 rpm on the engine’s tach, and all five of us had a cushioned seat on this Lyman 23.
September 14, 2020
As we gradually grow accustomed to the “new normal” one of the more surprising aspects of that “normalcy” is the apparent rediscovery of
August 19, 2020
As we gradually become accustomed to the “new normal” of masks and distancing, it is reassuring to see that boating see
August 10, 2020
Over the winter and spring, the pages of PropTalk have included three installments about the refit of a long-neglected Legac
July 28, 2020
The lifting of the recreational boating ban seemed like the first glimmer of hope that there was a world out there which would return after our long Covid-19 nightmare.
July 14, 2020
This is the final article in Ralph Cattaneo's Return to the Classics series, detailing the restoration of his 1948 Chris-Craft Sportsman, "Copasetic."
June 15, 2020
It has been quite a spring.
May 29, 2020
This is usually the busiest time for spring commissioning and launching.
May 28, 2020
In the third installment in the restoration of a much-neglected Legacy 32, the focus is now on outward beauty while previous work focused on function.
April 10, 2020
The days are longer, daylight saving time is here, and shrink wrap is rapidly disappearing in area marinas, and with that, Captain Rick Franke brings us the April 2020
March 27, 2020
The BoatU.S. Foundation is the proud new owner of a 1953 17-foot classic Chris-Craft Sportsman that was acquired through the foundation’s boat donation program.
March 11, 2020
As we all look forward to the start of another great boating season, with a strong economy and stable fuel prices, area boatshops are busy and optimistic.
February 3, 2020
Along about the end of the month it seems as if winter will never end. The holidays are behind us, and regardless of what the groundhog says, it is still cold and often dreary outside.
January 13, 2020
In the last installment our readers will recall the opening chapter in the saga of a long-neglected boat, a Legacy 32, a
January 10, 2020
Once again as winter closes in, we retreat indoors and concentrate on projects that have been put off for a while. Family and holiday events add a special note to this early wintertime.