2023 Has Begun

Winter is certainly in full swing at the shop. Snow shoveling boats out is just part of the gig here, but I am certainly dreaming of days with the doors and windows open. Projects are moving along in 2023, and, as often as it may feel otherwise, everything is progressing on schedule.

Most of the focus thus far in the year has been on the Denver Boat Show, January 27-29, and keeping all the boats moving along as much as possible. The show was great, and I’ll have much more to say about it in the coming days on the blog and in the next newsletter.

All the boats are in different phases: Just Lovely (seen above), the 1929 26’ Chris-Craft Triple Cockpit, left Tuesday morning to go on display at the Denver Boat Show. Margo, the 1947 Chris-Craft Rocket, is getting stripped down to roll over for a bottom replacement. Jenny, the new Sponge Docks Skiff, is waiting on it’s last coat of paint before rolling over to finish the interior. The Wright-Build K-Boat has it’s original deck stripped off, awaiting a new one.

Last, but certainly not least, I am very excited to announce a very different upcoming project. Alongside my neighbor Mackenzie Hardt of Hardt Family Cyclery, I’ll be building a custom cargo bicycle for the city of Aurora! I’m currently beginning the process of designing the wooden cargo box that will store all necessary materials—including an umbrella—that will unfold when parked into a mobile promo stand for the city. Further updates will hopefully be coming soon!

From Around the Blog

And You May Ask Yourself: “How Did I Get Here?”

Denver Custom Boatworks launched in the middle of the summer, 2022, about a month after I moved to Denver, roughly a year before I thought it would ever be a possibility. Here’s the story of how things came to be.

Resource Review: Time

I am notoriously poor at keeping track of hours on projects and generally just as lax about prioritizing and accounting for my time. I have so much respect/jealousy for those who can just walk into work and know exactly what the highest priority is and how to budget time for it, but that ain’t me. These are the apps and resources that I use to keep me on track.

Want to Work on Your Own Boat?

Perhaps for you, building your own boat or restoring a classic woodie is the most satisfying piece of a boating hobby, and I completely understand! I also know just how overwhelming it may feel to know where to start or how to troubleshoot certain problems as you go.

You are not alone, which is why I have begun consulting and training individuals in just this position. Some are building a boat from scratch in their garage and others are looking to learn how to restore and work on their own antique boat alongside me in my shop.

Either way, you can expect to have me right there with you — providing guidance, an extra set of hands, access to specialized equipment, a fully-equipped shop, and all else in between. There are no projects too big or too small, so if you just acquired a boat and are not sure where to start or need some help with paint and varnish, we can work together to make it happen the way you want.

If this interests you at all, or if you’d like more information, contact me here:

As always, fair winds and following seas—even way out in Colorado,

Julius Spradley

Denver Custom Boatworks