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.
December 3, 2018
Sixty four year old Bruce Blackway started his model workboat building business a little over two years ago with a line of boats that epitomized the Chesapeake Bay.
November 13, 2018
After this summer of record rains, heat waves, and a debris-filled Bay, all topped off by a hurricane scare, we could certainly use some of the quiet, peaceful weather we often have this time of year…
October 15, 2018
Captain Rick Franke has our October 2018 Boatshop Reports from marinas and boat yards around the Chesapeake region.
September 5, 2018
After the soggy spring and a series of heat waves interrupted by monsoons, we are all looking forward to a quiet late summer and fall.
August 14, 2018
Summer is now in full swing, and we hope that our readers are getting out on the water and enjoying these warm sunny days. For a while it seemed like they would never get here, so enjoy.
July 6, 2018
Once the sun finally came out and the temperature started to go up, everyone wanted their boats ready, so it’s a busy early season for all.
June 7, 2018
First of all, my apologies to Bill Judge of Judge Yachts for my incorrect identification of his Chesapeake 36 in last month’s column (see below).
May 24, 2018
Perched on the banks of the Choptank River, Composite Yacht (CY) has a reputation for building strong, light, and fast boats.
May 10, 2018
Winter has finally retreated, the shrink wrap is coming off, and the boating season is beginning. Think spring!
April 6, 2018
Late winter in Chesapeake country can be a weather roller coaster: 70 degrees one day and thirty degrees the next.
March 8, 2018
Winter has not yet completely loosened its grip on Chesapeake country, but there are encouraging signs.
January 31, 2018
Winter definitely has Chesapeake country in its clutches. However, there are hopeful signs around us already. The winter solstice is well behind us, and the days are getting measurably longer.
January 5, 2018
Now that the holidays are behind us and winter has set in for real, the work in local boatshops has slowed somewhat to a less frantic pace.
December 8, 2017
The boat shows have come and gone, daylight savings time is over, the nights are frosty, and rockfish season ends shortly.
November 7, 2017
There can be no doubt; fall is here.
October 24, 2017
Lover’s Lane is a sleepy little lane in Deltaville, VA, where it appears as if nothing more exciting than the grass growin
September 29, 2017
This story originally appeared in the December, 2007 issue of PropTalk.
September 29, 2017
Fall has arrived in Chesapeake Country. With the cooler weather, area boatshops are finishing up summer work and planning winter storage and repair projects.