Well, the early forecasts of a mild winter didn’t turn out so well. But at least it is almost over. The groundhog has spoken, and the days are getting noticeably longer, so spring can’t be too far away. In the meantime, area shops are staying busy; most are reporting full schedules and plenty of work.
We’d like to take a moment to congratulate Tiffany Yachts of Burgess, VA, on an important anniversary. The following excerpt from their Facebook page says it all: “As we start 2025, it’s not just a New Year, it’s our 80th year of being in business! Join us on this year-long journey as we highlight the past, as well as feature current projects in the works. Patriarch Tiffany Cockrell started building boats with his father in the 1930s and then took a break to serve our country during World War II. Once he returned, Tiffany and his wife Betty Lee went full steam ahead with Tiffany Yachts. Today, the fourth generation of the family is leading the company into new directions.”
Rob Hardy of Composite Yacht in Trappe, MD, starts us off this month with a quick update from his busy shop. “We're still humming along with several builds and refits underway. We're building a CY 55-foot yacht tender which will be in a walkaround configuration and powered by a pair of Cat C18s connected to jets. Also underway is a CY 46-foot research vessel being built for St. Mary's College. This will have an open transom and a large, hydraulic actuated gantry/winch system to assist with the scientific operations. We also have a CY 34-foot walkaround and a CY 26-foot center console in production. We're wrapping up a major refit on Miss Magic, a 38-foot North Bay, as well as a 36-foot Palm Beach which, interestingly enough, once belonged to Burt Reynolds. And of course, the repowers, paint jobs, and repairs continue to move through the schedule as always.”
Eric Detweiler from The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum (CBMM) in St. Michaels, MD, reports that things are pretty slow at the museum’s shipyard due to the cold and snowy weather. He also reports that some work continues. “In CBMM’s Shipyard, work continues on its extensive refit of the 1920 Chesapeake Bay buyboat Winnie Estelle. The team has made great strides on the new keel and begun replacement of the side planking. For regular video updates on the project, visit CBMM’s YouTube page at youtube.com/CBMMorg1965.”
When we stopped in to see him, we asked J.J. Williams at Osprey Marine Restorations in Tracys Landing, MD, what he expected in the near future. “As far as the immediate future is concerned, we are booked up for the rest of the winter. We are scheduling work for the spring. We just finished up a beautiful paint job on a 47-foot Catalina. As soon as we rolled her out of the shop, we pulled in a 58 Sea Ray sedan bridge for hull paint and a lot of small detail work. The owner is going to take the boat to North Carolina, but he wanted the work done on the Chesapeake because he liked the facilities here. We are going to take care of that.
"We have a Beneteau trawler in for all paint and a lot of other work. We have a big Viking in for a total restoration. We just finished up a Grady White re-core. We’re just waiting for the weather to break so we can bring more boats in. It looks like a busy year.”
Susan Campbell from Campbell’s Boat Yard in Oxford, MD, checks in with this newsy update. “It has been a cold and blustery winter in Oxford, and we are looking forward to spring being around the corner soon! This winter we have been working on two Island Packet sailboats replacing the chain plates. Another is scheduled (an Island Packet 380) for the spring.
“Three Hamilton jet drives systems are being serviced this winter. These systems are perfect for shallow water navigation and ease of dockage. For the service we replace the system’s anodes, inspect ram seals, check steering controls and linkage, as well as wear rings and impellers. We are also repainting the entire system to help protect it and keep them boating! The indoor storage buildings allow us to perform varnish work all winter on several boats so they will be looking great for the 2025 boating season.
“Nate Dunker attended the Yamaha Electrical Systems training in Georgia in early February, putting him closer to having the opportunity to become a Yamaha Certified Technician. In January we launched our updated website. Take a look if you have a moment: campbellsboatyards.com.
We have some slips still available for the 2025 boating season (floating and fixed docks). Call the office at (410) 226-5592 to inquire. Coming up, Campbell’s is planning to host a Nautical Flea Market on Saturday, May 31 at our Bachelor Pt. location. Our slip holders and customers will be able to set up tables and sell their items to attendees. Mark your calendar to attend!”
We stopped in to see Hank Reiser at Marine Services LLC at Pocahontas Marina in Edgewater, MD, to see what he was working on and to meet his new dog. In the center of the shop was a Chris-Craft blue flathead six. Hank explained, “It’s a Chris-Craft Model K, 95-hp, late 1930s vintage. It’s going into that 1934 Chris-Craft Special raceboat over there. We are doing a total restoration on that boat. We are also doing a complete restoration on a 1947 Century Sea Maid 19. She’s getting a new transom and a lot of work.”
One employee, Master Varnisher Owen Horton, was completing a gorgeous varnish job on a swim platform for a 1994 Lyman 24.
I asked Hank about his view of the business, and he was optimistic as always. “Our season has been good; winterization is over. We have a variety of projects that will carry us right on through till springtime. We are looking forward to a good year. We are always looking forward to a good year.”
Fred Probst, at Phipps boat works in Deale, MD, was equally optimistic. “We have been as busy as ever, lots of jobs coming through the shop, a couple of big paint jobs. This Downeast style yacht in the shop now had a rotten deck caused by a leaking butterfly hatch. We had to take that apart and re-core the deck and fiberglass it and now we’re getting ready for paint. We have a Whaler in the shop, getting new brightwork. We’ve had several small powerboats through this winter with a variety of small repairs and refinishing. A lot of leak damage, leaking windows and delaminating floors, plenty of sea cock work. There is a lot of stuff going on here. There is plenty of work to do. The outlook for the new season is strong, but it’s hard to find people to do the work.”
Before we wind up this month’s column, we’d like to invite readers to visit the website of the Marine Trades Association of Maryland, mtam.org. Check out the invitation to the Safety at Sea Seminar sponsored by MTAM and scheduled for March 29-30 this spring. There are multiple programs offered for all levels of experience.
And on the same website, click on Shrink Wrap Recycling 2025. There is a concise and easy to read description of how to recycle used wrap. There is also an instructive video explaining the operation of the whole program. Both are well worth reviewing.
And remember that we still have some winter to get through. Be extra careful around docks and small boats this time of year. The water is still dangerously cold and even a light frost can make docks slippery. Stay safe and warm, and we’ll see you next month.
By Capt. Rick Franke