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Boatbuilding, Downeast Style Gallery

Mount Desert Island, Maine, lies Downeast—about 100 miles northeast of Portland as the seagull flies. A century ago, most islanders made their living from the sea: fishing, lobstering, skippering yachts for "rusticators" (summer visitors), maybe a little bit of all three. In the winter the watermen built boats to use themselves or to sell. Today the descendants of those rugged old-timers
  • By Mike Smith
  • May 1, 2007
<p>Wilbur Yachts' customers include Billy Joel, Woods Hole, and even the Smithsonian.</p>

Wilbur Yachts’ customers include Billy Joel, Woods Hole, and even the Smithsonian.

At Ellis Boat Company, not every Downeaster it builds is a lobster boat.

Don Ellis and his Freisian horse, Deisha, in Southwest Harbor, Maine.

Here’s a scupper’s-eye view of boatbuilding at Ellis Boat Company.

Richard Stanley carries on the family tradition of building custom wood boats.

The Maine man himself: Ralph W. Stanley. Interesting to note: When he’s not building boats, he plays a mean fiddle.

Malcolm L. Pettegrow builds cold-molded wood and ‘glass Downeasters.

Mac Pettegrow.

Two yachts a-building at Wilbur.

Eric Clark of Marine Systems learned his trade from top Southwest Harbor builders, including Lee Wilbur.

Marine Systems also uses other local yards’ hulls, an approach shared by some builders worldwide.

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Mike Smith

  • Boats, Design, Photo Gallery

More Boats Design Photo Gallery

A high-angle, overhead aerial action shot of a sleek white and black Galeon 620 Fly luxury yacht cruising fast through dark blue ocean water. The three-deck flybridge vessel carves a sharp turn, generating a dramatic white spray and wake along its starboard side. The massive upper flybridge features extensive beige outdoor sofa seating under a white hardtop bimini roof with black support arches and radar equipment. Below, the teak aft deck cockpit shows a dining table setup, and large dark-tinted glass windows line the main salon deck.

Galeon 620 Fly

An elevated, high-angle aerial shot of a sleek white Riviera luxury sports express motor yacht cruising rapidly through deep blue open water. The modern vessel features sweeping dark-tinted hull windows, a large sunpad on the bow deck, and a hardtop roof with an open sunroof. The boat carves smoothly through the sea, casting a crisp reflection on the water's surface to starboard while leaving a powerful, foaming white wake trailing behind its teak-planked swim platform.

Riviera 4300 Sports Express

A close-up, high-angle view of the bow of a luxury motor yacht moored on calm water. The bow features highly polished, varnished mahogany wood decking with a stainless steel bow rail, a prominent chrome anchor mounted at the stem, and two braided blue dock lines stretching diagonally across the frame.

Eat. Cruise. Repeat.

1947 Chris Craft 25 Sedan

Gigantic Classic Wooden Boat Auction

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