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.
September 11, 2017
On the last weekend in August, a new boat was launched into the waters of the Miles River at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum; the draketail Pintail.
September 5, 2017
Summer is nearly over. The days are getting shorter, the nights a little cooler, and the first hints of autumn are in the air. It has been a busy summer for Chesapeake country boatshops.
August 8, 2017
As we enjoy the “lazy, hazy days of summer” and the recession vanishes into the realm of good riddance memory, some effects still linger.
August 2, 2017
This write-up gets personal; it is about a father-son relationship with a Boston Whaler outboard-powered boat, a boat brand that was integral in my relationship with my own son.
July 11, 2017
On a recent vacation on the west coast of Florida, I was driving to the beach when an electronic marquee sign caught my eye.
June 27, 2017
In last month’s custom boat building article we emphasized the importance of clearly defining the boat you want and iden
June 8, 2017
The spring boat shows have come and gone, the on again off again spring is finally behind us, and the mad commissioning rush is finally nearing an end.
May 17, 2017
In PropTalk’s monthly Boatshop Reports, we chronicle regional boat builders’ projects in progress, many of which are custom-made for their clients. We reached out to a handful of custom boat builders…
May 8, 2017
One of the most enjoyable aspects of assembling this column every month is the great variety of projects and stories that come my way.
April 14, 2017
The worst of this strange and unpredictable winter is finally behind us. The winter boat shows are winding down, and the spring shows are just around the corner.
March 16, 2017
Winter is nearly over, the ospreys will be returning shortly, and the spring round of boat shows is on the horizon.
October 18, 2016
In Part Three of “Return to the Classics,” I’ll update the progress being made on my 1948 Chris-Craft 25-foot Sportsman boat restoration project by Wooden Boat Restoration in Millington, MD.
June 10, 2016
Our reluctant and windy spring has finally departed, and summer has arrived at last.
May 23, 2016
“There’s a lot of winging it,” says Jack Elstner about the boatbuilding project he’s conducting in his Kent Island garage.
May 13, 2016
Howard Johnson and Whirlwind boats have several things in common. Johnson was born in the immediate aftermath of World War II, as were Whirlwind Boats.