January 18, 2012
To get ready for the New England Boat Show, we have taken some time to look at ourselves, and reflect on what we have to offer. Here are some observations.
Our technicians have over 700 years combined experience in boat repair.
We have more experience flying boats with helicopters than anyone in this country.
Looking at how we spend our leisure time, 75% of us own a boat and another 15% consider themselves active boaters.
The average age (and experience) of our dock staff, are numbers that probably embarrass them
We started heated indoor storage in New England by buying a Tennis Club
In the early days of the yard, when work slowed down, the staff dug soft-shell clams for sustenance.
Floats we made out of native pine 40 years ago remain in service.
There are still work marks in the carp shop floor for boats built 50 years ago.
For 50 years, we have helped monitor the endangered Roseate Tern on Bird Island, these days with Mass Wildlife
These random things make up the personality of this yard and I am very proud of it
Chris Bryant
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I remember in the early 70’s, when getting a work order to install a VHF radio on a boat was an exciting and new project. Very few boats had them, and launch operators only responded to three blasts of the horn. As VHF radios and other technologies were introduced, the old ways of passing skills down from foreman to younger workers were not enough, and outside education and training became necessary.
Fiberglass work is now composite technology. Nine horsepower outboards with a shear pin taped to the tiller are now 300HP engine plants, serviced with computerized diagnostics. Rigging is now more than bending on the Dacron sails. It is furlers, rod rigging and hydraulics. Work on Atomic 4’s means stabilizers, water makers, and generators. Installation of the VHF became radars, AIS, autopilots, and plotters.
The amount of education that our technicians and management continually undergo is both daunting and impressive. We also do safety training, response training and environmental training.
Yet, with all the credentials needed these days, the most important basic skill remains; a love for fine boats and boating. I am very proud of what we do here, and look forward to any opportunity to show it off.
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