Welcome to Great Falls Boat Works!

Introduction

Great Falls Boat Works is a small wooden Boat Building company specializing in boats under 22 feet in length constructed in wood, plywood and epoxy.

Building Methods

I build in various means and methods to include Cold Molding, stitch and glue, tack and tape, glued lapstrake, strip planking as well as others. I do not however build in the more traditional methods such as riveted lapstrake, or carvel or double plank carvel. This is not due to a lack of respect for these methods, however, there are several builders with more experience in these more traditional methods who I could refer you to.

I choose to build in the methods I do as it allows me to take some of the best attributes of wood and construct a well built craft that can display the beauty of wood and enjoy the lightness and rigidity in a boat yet at a relatively low cost. The same sized 20 foot craft that I can build and sell at a profit that is at a price I can conceive of buying myself would cost at least 4 times as much in traditional methods. Now I truly do appreciate a craft constructed of traditional means, however I can not afford to buy one myself.

So How Does Commissioning a Custom Built Boat Work?

If you decide you would like to build a boat, a lot of consultation goes into it before I ever buy a stick of wood for it. The cost of this consultation, and the cost of all consultation while the boat is being built is included in the cost of the boat, and is not billed separately. Before settling on a design I want to know what your intended use is, what your experience level is and what your expectations are. You and I will both be happier if your chosen craft is decided upon with these considerations carefully reviewed.


A Core Sound 17, as featured in our ad in Maine Boat and Harbor.
Image © Graham Byrnes. See more images at B and B Yacht Designs.
All boats are a series of compromises. A feature of a boat will have both positive and negative attributes. For instance the dead solid sailboat that doesn't need a reef until a gale force wind is blowing, and is extremely forgiving, will likely also be the slowest boat in the fleet.

As a Favorite Naval architect friend of mine quoted to me one day, "Other than Marriage no other discipline requires more compromise than small craft design" As you are marrying yourself to the design for a while, it will serve you well to know well what the pros and cons and attributes of the boat will be.

What We Won't Do

On occasion a client does ask for something on a boat being built that the builder simply refuses to do. While at first blush the buyer may well resent this, it is not done lightly on the part of the builder. The builder however will have his nameplate adhered to the boat long after a buyer decides that the boat really does not suit him as he had it built. And aside from the negative advertising a poorly altered boat will have on a builder's reputation, the builder has continuing liability should someone get hurt on the boat due to a fault on his part. As such, I only build to designs drawn by recognized Naval Architects and will only depart from stock parameters with approval from either the original designer, or if he is deceased from another recognized NA who reviews the plans.

Materials of Construction - Yes, it does matter

I will only build with top quality materials, to include plywood manufactured to the tolerances of British Standard 1088. While there are many who claim that marine fir ACX is fine with a coating of glass on it, I am firmly of the opinion that it is a false economy. Can you tell which plywood is going to protect your investment the best? We select only top quality marine plywood conforming to British Standard 1088 for your boat. Once you add the labor cost and material cost of the glassing, very little is saved in a build. At most the savings amount to less than 5 %. If someone is going to be very concerned about saving 2-500.00 on a 12- 15,000.00 boat, I know I am going to be having problems through the whole build. While I do like the income that building provides me, I would rather walk away from potential problems with a buyer. It is still a hobby in many respects after all, and life is too short as it is to contend with such issues. Also, the long term satisfaction of the boat will be much better with the better materials. Paying for quality hurts when you write the check, but you feel the pain of economizing many times during your ownership.

There are other issues that I may strongly suggest, but acquiesce to your wishes. One such issue that came up recently on a build was my recommendation that a buyer place bottom paint on the bottom of his trailer sailer. I had recommended a modified epoxy bottom paint to the bottom not as a growth inhibitor, but rather in the event he ever wanted to leave the boat in the water for a few days at a time. He opted for 2 part epoxy topcoat instead. Now while he has not had problems with paint pealing with his boat, he has conceded that he wished he had taken my recommendation as there were times he would have wished to leave the boat in the water for a few days and did not as the paint used on the topsides is not recommended for immersion for more than 2 days.

This is just a taste of the consultations and discussions that take place during a build. Very often I try to consult with the buyer as I am very aware I am building them Their Boat. At times even ergonomics of the buyer come into play to make sure that the boat will be comfortable to their frame. Top