Not long ago, Maine was synonymous with traditional wooden boats. Today, however, the Pine Tree State builds virtually any type of vessel: large or small, production, semi-custom or fully custom, new builds or refits, cold-molded, steel, aluminum, fiberglass, carbon fiber or wood. From Portland to Mount Desert Island, boatyards line the coastline and fill hidden coves. Beyond the harbors, small shops tucked among the pines quietly take on commissions and repairs.
Alongside established production builders such as Sabre, Back Cove and Hinckley, and major yards like Hodgdons, Brooklin Boat Yard, Rockport Marine, Front Street Shipyard and Lyman-Morse, dozens of smaller shops—many with only a handful of craftsmen—produce everything from classic inboard lobsterboats to modern outboard-powered and electric-drive craft. These smaller yards often blend wood with advanced composites and tackle complex projects with meticulous craftsmanship.
Samoset Boatworks
Samoset Boatworks, led by Matt Sledge, occupies an industrial park off Route 27 in Boothbay. The shop is a working boatbuilder’s tableau: table saws, a dust collector, sanders, planers, a chopsaw, a drill press and a heavy-duty Powermatic bandsaw with a 12½-foot blade. Epoxy jugs and Awlgrip cans coat the benches, wood stacks against the wall, and rolls of fiberglass hang from a mobile cart. Tools and materials sit where they’re used most.
Sledge, a Landing School graduate, founded Samoset in 2007 and has kept the shop busy ever since. His team of four builds fishing and recreational boats and supplements new construction with refits and repowers. Sledge’s approach blends traditional wooden-boat techniques with modern materials and finishes, and his crew is comfortable taking on a wide range of custom work.
The yard’s latest launch, Last Call, is the first Holland 34—an extended iteration of Glenn Holland’s celebrated 32-foot lobster hull. Holland’s 32 became well known in the 1980s and ’90s through racing and commercial use; over 180 of the 32s were built, many of which were finished by other Maine yards. For this build, Holland constructed and stretched the hull, then delivered it to Samoset for completion.
Owner Jack Thomas of Cumberland wanted a boat that could cruise comfortably while still serving as a working lobsterboat for tending his 40 pots in Casco Bay. Thomas requested two extra feet of cabin space, and Sledge responded by moving the main bulkhead aft, raising the cabin top nearly four inches for headroom in the head, and widening the pilothouse roof slightly to shed water. The boat’s exterior retains the working-lobster aesthetic, with subtle refinements: varnished handrails, a removable teak stern bench and an integrated swim platform that doesn’t detract from the vessel’s utilitarian look.
The interior mirrors classic Maine styling. A port-side galley offers an icebox, a two-burner propane stove and a sink; the bow V-berth and an enclosed starboard head include a small utility closet for hydraulic and helm electronics. The sole is unfinished teak, the ceiling is varnished Alaskan cedar, and the cabin is finished in white with mahogany trim and Awlgrip paint throughout. The woodwork was crafted in part by Sledge’s late father-in-law, Jack Barry. Thomas paid $325,000 and takes pride in having the boat built entirely by Mainers.
Hylan & Brown
Hylan & Brown in Brooklin has earned a reputation for high-quality custom work over more than two decades. Doug Hylan founded the yard in 1999; Ellery Brown joined in 2007 and became a partner in 2012. Today nine employees handle new builds, restorations and refits. Hylan focuses on design and detailed construction drawings while Brown manages day-to-day operations.
Their recent launch, Scout, is a plywood-hulled Coastal Commuter 43 based on a Reuel Parker design and sits on a mooring in the Benjamin River. The owner, Erik deBoer of Key West, previously owned a 36-foot Parker commuter and wanted a larger, shallow-draft boat for exploring the Everglades and other shallow waters. Although plywood is uncommon for a 43-foot boat, Hylan & Brown combined modern materials and techniques to create a very functional, efficient hull.
Scout features a wide, flat stern, a 10-foot-5-inch beam and twin 200-hp outboards, allowing the boat to plane readily. The systems were challenging: deBoer wanted quiet overnight air-conditioning without running the generator, so the yard integrated 15 Firefly carbon-foam batteries that recharge from the outboards or the generator and an electrical system designed with a consultant’s help. The davits and dinghy placement were custom designed to suit the outboard configuration. Built over 18 months with a small crew, Scout demonstrates Hylan & Brown’s thoughtful approach to modern, owner-driven detailing.
Artisan Boatworks
Alec Brainerd opened Artisan Boatworks in Rockport in 2002, starting small and gradually expanding into a respected shop focused on classic wooden boats and high-end restorations. The operation now employs around 10 craftsmen and occupies two large sheds filled with beautifully restored and serviceable classic sailboats and powerboats, including notable projects such as the 1957 Newbert & Wallace wooden lobster boat Vim, restored to acclaim in 2014.
One current project is a 28-foot Camden Class Knockabout, a cold-molded hull built to B.B. Crowninshield’s 1915 design. Artisan is finishing a hull that had been dormant for years, reusing original hardware from an early example of the type and splicing new mast sections where rot had occurred. The yard plans to launch the boat for the Camden Classics Cup.
Recent refit work includes the 1961 Concordia Yawl Dame, a 40-foot classic that received extensive updates: new bronze fittings, modern electronics, an updated head and a removable furler for cruising ease. Artisan’s team relocated exhaust outlets aft, installed new bronze foundations for autopilot and electronics, added Dyneema lifelines and ran wiring within deck beams—modernizing systems while preserving classic lines and craftsmanship.
Padebco Custom Boats
Leon and Sara MacCorkle acquired Padebco Custom Boats in Round Pond in 2013 and have continued the tradition of building Downeast-style boats that Bruce Cunningham started decades earlier. Leon’s attraction to boatbuilding began as a child and led him through a variety of trades before returning to the boatyard life. The MacCorkles now run a two-yard operation and expanded winter storage, while Padebco remains ABYC-certified and services a large fleet of power and sailboats.
Cunningham originally designed a popular 21-foot Downeast-style boat in the early 1980s and later extended it to a 23-footer to accommodate heavier four-stroke engines and create onboard seating. Over time, four models in lengths from 17 to 32 feet were developed, and the MacCorkles have kept those models in production. More than 160 Padebco boats have been completed, with the 21- and 23-foot models making up about 80 percent of the fleet. A recent 23-footer with a 150-hp Yamaha lists fully equipped at roughly $115,000.
Leon manages daily operations and a six-person crew, while Sara, with an MBA and a marketing background, serves as company president and keeps the business running smoothly.
Six River Marine
Chip Miller and Scott Conrad, long-time friends and skilled craftsmen, converted a former chicken coop in North Yarmouth into Six River Marine’s 15,000-square-foot shop in 1997 after years of mobile repair work. Both men honed their skills in Maine: Miller attended the boatbuilding apprenticeship program at the Maine Maritime Museum and worked with noted builders, while Conrad developed skills as a fine furniture maker.
Their early success included the restoration of the 1926 38-foot Lawley cruiser Chautauqua, a project that won awards and generated steady restoration work. Six River often favors traditional designs, including Miller’s adaptations of the West Pointer 18. Variations of that design—cold-molded, strip-planked and plank-on-frame—have been built for lakes, launches and private commissions.
One recent custom skiff was strip-planked in eastern white cedar with white oak frames and steam-bent ribs, Alaskan yellow cedar stringers and a Douglas fir sole. Brightwork used Honduran mahogany cut from a single large board, and the deck was finished in plywood covered with Dynel. The boat’s color palette was chosen by a group including the owners and friends, resulting in a handsome boat powered by a 60-hp Yamaha that won best new-construction powerboat in the professional category at the Mystic Wooden Boat Show.
Across Maine, these smaller yards—Samoset, Hylan & Brown, Artisan, Padebco and Six River—demonstrate the state’s enduring mix of tradition and innovation. Whether building new custom boats, restoring classics or modernizing timeless designs, Maine boatbuilders continue to deliver craftsmanship, thoughtful engineering and boats built for real use.
This article originally appeared in the August 2020 issue.