Considering a New Boat Yard

Doug Oliver · Post by **Doug Oliver** » Jul 13th, '11, 15:37

I have been looking in to a new boat yard for off season storage and, although this new (to me) yard seems very nice and is in a great location, it has many more restrictions then the previous yard. I applaud their efforts to be environmentally conscious but I am having a little sticker shock. Does anyone out there have a yard apply their bottom paint and at what cost? If it's by the linear foot, do they go by length overall or length waterline?

I want to do the right thing environmentally but I don't want to be priced out of the sport.

Joe CD MS 300 · Post by **Joe CD MS 300** » Jul 13th, '11, 16:11

Doug,

What are the two yards that you are refereing to? I chartered with Johanson Boatworks for many years before buying a boat and went with them when I finally bought my own. They have done all types of work for me including a repower two years ago and all maintenance. Being sort of a mom and pop operation they are pretty responsive and their rates are very reasonable. Peter Johanson runs the yard and operations and Mary his wife the charter operation paperwork. They do a lot of fit out work also.

They operate a little differently in that their yard is inland on Rt 90 in Rockland. They launch and haul their boats in Rockport trucking the boats to and from their yard. Being inland maybe they don't have the same environmental issues you would next to the water.

Joe

Doug Oliver · Post by **Doug Oliver** » Jul 13th, '11, 17:49

Thanks Joe for the response. The yard I have been using for the last few years is Winterport Marine and they have been very good about letting owners do their own work. It's located several miles up the Penobscot River. The yard I'm looking at is the Atlantic Boat Company yard in Brooklin. The yard is under new ownership and the new owner is putting much less emphasis on building boats and more on supplying the needs of current boat owners. He has a wonderful facility and is a super nice guy. I have a few things I would like done on my boat and this yard has some very skilled craftsman. But, I bet you're right about less restrictions when you're not near a body of water. I may call down to Johanson's to see what's up there. Thanks again!

Joe CD MS 300 · Post by **Joe CD MS 300** » Jul 13th, '11, 20:23

That might not be the place if you want to do your own work. I'm not sure what their policy is but can't recall seeing an owner doing anything significant there. Anything I've dome myself was pretty much on items that I removed from the boat.