The boating season is rapidly drawing to a close, and for most area boatshops it seemed like it was a pretty good year. The winter season seems to be shaping up well for local shops as well. The slow market in new boats seems to be offset somewhat by the busy repair and repower demand. Let’s hope that demand carries through the off season. In the meantime, we have lots of things going on in and around our Chesapeake boatshops, so let’s see what’s happening.
Jake Glover at Ferry Point Marina in Trappe, MD, starts us off this month with this report: “Our paint shop recently completed a topwork Awlcraft application on a 28-foot Robbins Bay Boat. We also had a Formula 45 yacht in the shop to address failing clearcoat. Over in the fiberglass shop the team is completing a new transom for a 24-foot Grady White. Our mechanics team—led by two certified Master Techs—is wrapping up several repower and repair projects and gearing up for the busy winterization season. With a cold spring and an early fall, this boating season has been flying by. Deposits are coming in quickly for both our indoor and outdoor storage options, so don’t wait to reserve your space. Attached are before-and-after photos of a Whaler collision repair we completed this summer.”
Bill Griffin forwarded this update from Zimmerman Marine in Herrington Harbour North in Tracys Landing, MD. “Transformation complete. You might remember this Selene 60, Coffee Break, when we first shared the prep work underway for a full Awlgrip hull refinish. From prep to final coat, our Herrington Harbour team handled every detail with precision, and it shows. If you’re considering a refresh, now’s the time to start the conversation.”
Andy Dize of Roudebush Yacht and Engine Works in Dundalk, MD, sends us this newsy report. “Hope all are doing well this fall and looking forward to a great winter season! It has been a busy end of the year for us, and it looks like it will continue strong through the winter. We recently completed and delivered the second of two 28-foot by eight-foot, six-inch aluminum dive support boats for Marine Solutions. The boats are powered with two 150-hp Suzuki outboards. Boat one has already seen service off Thomas Point Light and has supported the Maryland Department of Transportation with bridge inspections. Boat two is headed to Kentucky. The customer is considering increasing our project scope to a third boat which will be slightly larger and will have a cabin.
“On the repair side, we are deep into the engine replacement on an ex-U.S. Coast Guard 41-foot utility boat for Aberdeen Proving Ground. The project involves the replacement of two older eight-cylinder Cummins diesel engines with two six-cylinder turbocharged diesels, control system, transmissions, and propellers. This project will take us into late fall to complete. We are also in the process of completing an inboard engine replacement on a Morgan Out Island 41. The project required major structural repairs and system replacements to support the new engine installation. A project we recently picked up was for a Sundancer 280 starter replacement. However, once we got into the project, which required removing the engine to replace the starter, a number of other issues were found, from outdrive component replacements to belts, hoses, and filters for the engine.
“Between these specialized projects and our fall storage and cleaning work, there may be potential for adding to our workforce for 2026. RY&EW is a full-service repair yard able to dock, lift, and repair boats up to 45 feet. We are also able to design and build custom boats in aluminum or fiberglass. Reach out to Andy to discuss your future repair or new construction project.”
Eric Detweiler of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Micheals, MD, forwards the following update from shipyard manager Robert Leiby: “The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum’s (CBMM) shipyard has the 1920 Chesapeake Bay buyboat Winnie Estelle in the spotlight this fall. As part of an extensive refit, the vessel’s Santa Maria bottom planking—a remnant from its time in South America before coming to CBMM—has been carefully reclaimed and given new life as the new sole bearers in her hold. The rebuilding of its bulwarks and rails is now underway. This process will return its silhouette to its original, graceful form with open rails and slimmer lines. At the same time, new cypress bottom planking is steadily being laid and should be finished by late fall. With steady progress on all fronts, we’re confident that Winnie Estelle will be back on the Miles River by next summer.”
Rob Hardy of Composite Yacht in Trappe, MD, winds up this month’s reports with an upbeat summary. “We’re plugging along, doing just fine. We’re still working on the 55-foot yacht tender and the 46-foot research vessel for St. Mary’s. We’ve got a CY 26 under construction and coming along; she’s about halfway done. We have another 26 to do after that. We have a contract to build a 62-foot offshore boat, an offshore convertible. We are still in the preliminary design phase on it. We know what she’ll look like, but we are in the middle of putting in the place holders for all the equipment and things like that. The naval architect that we’re using is working on the bottom and working out the balances. We’re excited about that. This is our first foray into the real offshore market. One of the things that has become a fair portion of our business is government contracts, making parts for the military,” he concluded.
When asked about the state of the business, Rob replied, “Things have been going well. The brokerage side of the business has been a struggle, but I think that’s been true across the board for everyone. But we are doing fine. We also do a lot of ancillary work. We work in conjunction with Ferry Point, so we have a lot of paint jobs, upgrades, refits, repowers, repairs, and things like that. At this point we are fully booked for the winter. We are actually pretty well booked out well into the spring. We are still getting a lot of inquiries. We’ve still got another 26 to build; we are getting ready to start waxing the mold for it. We just took an order for a new 62. So, we are doing well, and we remain cautiously optimistic.”
Thanks, Rob. We always like to end on an optimistic note. As you plan to put the boat away for the winter, consider doing without the shrinkwrap cover this year. The recycling issue with these large plastic items continues to be problematic. If you plan to use shrinkwrap, check now with your marina management to make sure they have a plan and a way to handle the problem in the spring. If you are a do-it-yourselfer, check with the Marine Trades Association of Maryland for their plans and recommendations for recycling. You can contact them at mtam.org.
Enjoy the fine fall weather on the water and be careful out there!
By Capt. Rick Franke