Looking For Restoration Person (PacNW Troller)

[Barnguy]

Ok Ok...I admit, the recent article in WB did partially and effectivly change my direction from that of a potential pilothouse sailboat type to that of converted troller wannabe. The bottom line is I want to give a top notch restoration guy looking for work..work. I have some money stashed away that I could very easily start sending to someone who would like to help me on this endeavor. As luck would have it or not have it depending on the point of view, my biz (Converting old barns into custom homes around the country) is is hopping and I don't have the time to do..read learn this type work and do the work myself. I could however make time to get hands on next summer and am hoping someone out there can send me in the right direction. Not rich, have $125K-$150 to spend over the next year or two so if any of you know of someone who can help me, please feel free to give them my email...Barnguy1@aol.com...Thanks Much and Have Great/Safe New Year....>Sean Tracy

[mark g]

If you havent found a good restorer I know of a few in Ct where I live. I am a professional hardware restorer and know many yards you can contact

[Allen Foote]

Maybe you should consider the East coast with such a project....I know a few people that don't have as much work this year.

[tjdono]

Actually Barnguy, I would suggest looking out near Bellingham, Wa for your project. The trollers are abundant, and the area is awash with wooden boat shipwrights and suppliers. I would think the transport costs worth the expense. Buying a NW troller on the East Coast seems to be asking for a long search for the right boat. There are literally hundreds to search in a relatively small area. Check it out! Cold water, good wood, able workers........

Tim

[Art Read]

Or Port Townsend, perhaps? I believe there's a few such projects under way there now.

[Barnguy]

Thanks for the input guys. Since the boat will ultimatly reside in Pac. Northwest I'm looking to find both the boat and the boatwright/s there so I can keep it simple.

[Armedmariner]

Barnguy,

Go no further than Sam Devlin. Devlin Boat Works. His website shows a couple restoration pictures. He puts out 20-40 boats a year. He is an icon of wooden boat building and he has a couple of wooden trawler designs that are exceptionally well designed.

I have NO connection to him. Eventually though I think I'm going to build his 23 foot Surf Scoter. He has an eye for design. You'll like him too, I've talked to him on the phone a couple of times and he is really available to you.

My only concern, can he take in the work or is he too busy? You'd have to call him to find out. 360-866-0164 (Olympia, WA).

Cordially,
Armedmariner

[Terry Etapa]

I had Paul Pipes, of Pipes Marine Repair (http://www.home.earthlink.net/~tetapa/Pipes_Marine.html) in Seattle, do the cabin on Pacific Glider (http://www.home.earthlink.net/~tetapa/). It was his first troller conversion and, he blew the bid. The estimate was bad but, the work was good. I think, the second time around, he'd get the estimate correct.

Another option is Bakketun & Thomas Boat Company, 206-282-8790. They keep many a wooden halibut schooner up and fishing.

Also, RGM might have a suggestion or two.

[ 01-06-2003, 09:19 PM: Message edited by: Terry Etapa ]

[rstraghan]

I bought a 1980 vintage 52 ft. Wahl troller last October, and it goes back in the water tomorrow as a pleasure boat. Jim Breckon of Coquitlam BC did the work, and it is 1st. quality honest work, at a more than fair rate.
He can be contacted at 604-202-9965

[Nicholas Carey]

Well...all I can say is come out here, go down to Seattle's Fisherman's Terminal and rummage around.

Dock after dock of trawlers, gillnetters and crabbers, many with a 'For Sale' notice on them.

The fish biz is not, how dow you say in your language, doing so well these days.

Ditto, I'm sure for other ports as well.

BTW, I'm told Ernie Baird of the Baird Boat Company in Port Townsend does fine work at very reasonable rates. I know he's done some not insignificant work on MV OLYMPUS (http://www.penmar.com/olympus.htm)

http://www.ledgermarinecharters.com/boats/oly.jpg (http://www.penmar.com/olympus.htm)

(bigger picture here (http://www.classicyacht.org/aboutclassics/images/Olympus.jpg)) and they've been happy with the work.

And I'm fairly sure our own Roger Morris' employer, Lake Union Drydock Company (http://www.ludd.com/), would be more than happy to look at a project like that.

And there's a whole lot more very competent shipwrights around these parts.

[ 07-14-2003, 09:43 PM: Message edited by: Nicholas Carey ]