Wooden Boat Restoration
New life for old wood boats; renewed joy for wooden boat owners.
For most of us, owning a wooden boat is something we've waited for, and really wanted for a long time. It's a dream that we hope will someday come true. But not all wooden boats get the care and maintenance they need. At Great Harbor Boatworks, we love to bring wooden boats back to life as much as we like to build them.
The wooden boats we restore for customers become a part of our family. The very first Friendship Sloop we built is nearly 50 years old – and is still enjoyed by the family of the original owners.
From a full rebuild to installing or upgrading systems, or interior and exterior repairs and refinishing with a custom paint or varnish job, Great Harbor Boatworks has everything you need for the proper restoration of your wooden boat. We utilize the best of cutting edge technology within our framework of traditional wooden boat building to provide our customers the best value.
Give your wooden boat a new lease on life. We'll help you get her back in the water. Just give us a call today at 207.244.3795.
Testimonial - Rescued from a shed, restored to perfection
Chip Lumb
“Ralph is a prolific designer and Richard can build anything he designs. They know what they are doing and have the experience.”
Refinishing and maintaining Mambo, a 40' wooden sailboat, built in 1959.
She'd been living under a shed for about three years before Chip Lumb bought her, renamed her Mambo and delivered her to Great Harbor to have the interior reconfigured and new electrical systems installed.
“I knew the sister of this boat so I knew the potential she had,” Chip said. “I can't say enough about Richard, Lorraine and their crew as far as getting this boat up to an absolute jewel.”
Chip loves that Mambo is a wooden boat with a beautiful design. He also appreciates her impressive racing record and plans to race her this summer up and down the East Coast and Bermuda.
He was familiar with Great Harbor Boats having spent summers in Southwest Harbor, reading WoodenBoatmagazine, and hearing compliments from friends and other boatowners. As a photographer for Sailing magazine, Chip also became familiar with the quality and construction of boats and boat builders in general, ultimately choosing Great Harbor for their excellent reputation in the industry.
“Everything was well-handled and done efficiently,” Chip said. “Richard [Stanley] and I went over everything we needed to do, what had to be done first and what could be put on the back burner. We had no problems communicating at all, even though I was in Florida.”
In the past, Chip was interested in Down East lobster boats, and said that Ralph Stanley is one of the most famous builders of this style. In fact, some of his favorite Down Easters where designed by Ralph and built by Richard.
Chip said Richard put it all together and now “everything works perfectly” and Lorraine, whom he describes as an “artist” and his “favorite painter” did a custom paint job, mixing colors for just the right contrast tones.
“Most people look at Mambo and say they thought she was a fiberglass boat because of the shine,” he said.
When boatowners ask Chip for a boatyard recommendation, he suggests Great Harbor Boats every time.
“They are the best – thorough, knowledgeable, reliable, and skillful,” he said.
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