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.
May 12, 2016
The days are longer and warmer, the roadside signs advertising shrink wrap have been replaced by signs for slip rentals and sailing lessons, and our boatyards are once again bustling and full of do-it
May 3, 2016
In Part One, published in the February 2016 issue of PropTalk, I wrote about the acquisition of my new-to-me boat, a
April 15, 2016
It’s been 20 years since I took on a boat restoration project of this magnitude, attempting to restore a 1948 Chris-Craft 25-foot Sportsman.
March 31, 2016
The days are getting longer, the record setting snow has melted, the ospreys have returned to Chesapeake country. Spring cannot be far behind.
March 7, 2016
Few names in the history of boat design inspire the awe of the Rybovitch legend.
February 4, 2016
February is oyster season on the Chesapeake. Old timers will tell you that cold water makes plump oysters.
January 14, 2016
Originally published in January, 2016.
January 6, 2016
Winter is tightening its grip on Chesapeake country, and January is a good time to settle down in front of the fire and reflect on the past year as well as to make plans for the coming one.
November 30, 2015
The boat shows are over, the ospreys and the snowbirds have gone south, the marina do-it-yourselfers are few and far between, and the rockfish season is about to end.
November 14, 2015
In our December issue, Jonathon Newton of Hartge Yacht Yard details a 1950s-era Trumpy project they're just wrapping up.
November 4, 2015
Dave Hannam with Classic Watercraft Restoration in Edgewater, MD, reports that after replacing 2860 fastener
October 29, 2015
Today we look at some of the fiberglass boats designed and built in the '50s and 60's that were style leaders in small pleasure boats. Fiberglass boats appeared on the market as the United States’…
September 8, 2015
Late summer, to my mind the prettiest season of all, has arrived on the Chesapeake.
August 10, 2015
Summer is here at last and, as always, seems to be flying by much too fast. There are still many fish to catch, trips to take, crabs to eat, boats to enjoy and not enough time to do it all.
July 14, 2015
Summer has finally arrived on the Chesapeake Bay. Big rockfish, steamed crabs, fireworks, and steamy days mark everyone’s favorite boating season.
June 12, 2015
The spring boat shows are over, the rockfish season has started, and the spring commissioning crunch is winding down.
April 13, 2015
The month of May makes it official: Spring is really here! In-water boat shows, warming temperatures, and longer days bring out the do-it-yourselfers.