Progress Towards Spring

First off, the Denver Boat Show in January was fantastic—booths were visited, boats were displayed, and awards were given. Check out the blog post below to read more!

In the days following, I have managed to get the shop put back together, roll Just Lovely back in, and get back to the regular work of getting boats on the path to being ready for spring. First on that list was to roll over Margo, the 1947 Chris-Craft Rocket. I recorded a short, 7-minute video of that process and posted it on my YouTube channel if you’re interested in seeing how that goes.

After flipping the boat over, her owner Kim stopped by to see the progress and even lend a hand at stripping the bottom paint off. As it turns out, the more we removed paint, the more I realized that the bottom was in great shape and the source of the leaking was in fact gaps that need to be filled and exhaust pipes and water intake ports that need to be resealed (along with a faulty bilge pump that will be addressed when it’s flipped back over).

I know you’re not supposed to have favorites, but the Chris-Craft Rocket is certainly one of mine. It’s a spritely boat, only 16’ in length (great for garage storage) and has a great name. Kim was doing some research and informed me that the name “Rocket” was in honor of 1947 being the year Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in his rocket plane. It’s just a great boat!

All the other boats are moving along, too: the K-Boat’s new deck is getting resawn and planed to thickness, and some initial design work is starting on the bike project. Check in on Instagram and following newsletters to see how they progress as well!

From Around the Blog

The 2023 Denver Boat Show

The end of January found me working a booth at the Denver Boat Show alongside the tremendous help from my dad. Just Lovely came along, too, and this is just a brief reflection of how everything went.

5 Wooden Boat Myths

When I speak to people about wooden boats, certain responses are bound to come up. “I just think about all the work that I’ll have to do.” “They’re just so expensive to maintain.” “They can’t be that durable.” I came up with 5 of the most common myths that seem to be rather common regarding wooden boats and responded to them here.

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