Boat Design Process

When clients approach Great Harbor Boatworks about designing a wooden boat, the first step is always to sit down and ask crucial questions. How will you use your boat? In what part of the world will you use her? What is most important to you about your boat – safety, speed, comfort? Adherence to tradition, or ease of maintenance?

Our first conversation will help determine many things in designing the right boat for you. Next, we'll develop a plan by coming up with sketches and ideas, envisioning the boat you describe to us. If you already have a plan, we can talk about anything you'd like to customize. Then it's on to computer lofting, a process that helps us create a full scale model, or blueprint, of your boat-to-be, showing all of the lines. We'll follow this pattern to make the molds.

After that, we'll discuss your preferences for materials such as wood, fasteners, and hardware, and we'll also make recommendations. At Great Harbor, we prefer using native woods, as they are most suitable for the area in which you will enjoy your boat. In a boat built for local waters, Richard would prefer to use gray/red oak for framing. For planking he would use Maine white cedar (noted for rot resistance), or Maine white pine, which is also very durable, bends well, and can at times be more clear and more readily available. (Clear meaning knot- and rot-free)

We usually accept a deposit from you to cover the cost of lumber and materials, and once they've arrived, we build the keel, and plank the hull. We invite you back to take a look at your boat's progression and let us know your thoughts on the deck layout. You may have some changes at this point and we want to be sure you're happy with the way the boat is coming together.

Next, we'll build the deck and house, have you take another look, and make any additional changes before we confirm the finish and accessories. As your project reaches the final stages, we help you to define your needs and make suitable choices in marine finishes, electronics and many other details. At Great Harbor, we think the finishing process is well-executed when it is highly collaborative between owner and builder.

The first step is a conversation. Please send us a note, give us a call at 207.244.3795 or drop in to say "Hi." Click here for a map