CUSTOM CONSTRUCTION and Maintenance
Throughout our 40+ years of operation, constructing and repairing traditional wooden boats has been a major part of our buisness. We have brought back all types of sailboats, up to 40 ft. (the size limit of our repair bay), as well as classic runabouts and power boats. One specialty has been construction and repair of the Haven 12 1/2, as well as the classic Herreshoff 12 1/2. From replacing keets, planks and frames, to complete restorations where little of the original boat is salvagable. We have patterns, forms, and a lot of experience that enables these jobs to proceed quickly and efficiently.
Storage services
Here in Maine, the summer boating season is very short. Boatyards notice the time between their last "spring" launching and the first customer returning for the winter haul out can be surprinsingly as little as a week or two. Most pleasure craft have a three to four month season at most.
Our 5,000 sq. ft. storage facility is a safe, secure place for our customer's beloved boats to stay for the long off-season. We bring boats into our heated shops to accomplish repars and maintenance over the winter months, then return them to storage to await the next season.
At Eric Dow Boat Shop, we stress keeping our customers happy by having the work completed on time and boats launched and ready to use by the requested dats.
Weather you live nearby or will be in the area with your boat for a single season, please feel free to contact us to discuss your storage and maintenance needs. Our rates are very competetive.
Half Models
Eric began his life-long connection with carving half models in the early 1970's while studying this age old practice as a method of designing hulls. Through the 70's, he produced several rowboats and power boat designs by the way of the 1" to 1' scale model, most of which were built into real boats here at the shop. Through the 1980's he helped develop and priduce a series of late 19th century sailing craft half models for WoodenBoatPublication, and put them into kit form for home builders. The kits are no longer available, but the plans and instructions remain popular.
Eric had produced countless privately commissioned models for customers over the years, and still enjoys the challenge of carving a hull accurately and adding meticulous detail.
He has been sharing his medel skill with students in the always popular class at the WoodenBoat School for nearly 30 years.
