3 Takes On Classic Maine Style

The looks may be classic, but many craftsmen in Maine are giving their Down East builds something extra nowadays, whether working in wood or fiberglass.

- Laurie Schreiber

Farrins Boatshop in Walpole, for instance, has done everything from installing a lockable wheelchair space at the helm to building a doggie door on board. John’s Bay Boat Company in South Bristol designs ergonomic helm seats with curved backs to avoid wasting the valuable inches that cushions take up in tight spaces. Sabre Yachts in South Casco installs Volvo Penta IPS pod-drive propulsion, saving engine room square footage while giving skippers joystick control. Wilbur Yachts in Southwest Harbor recently built a custom base for a green stick, used in tuna fishing. These are not your granddaddy’s Down East boats.

BUILDERS AND FINISHERS

It’s a sunny day in early May, and Moonshot is flying across the water. “You can drive a lobster boat, but this is a whole new ballgame!” declares Josh Gray, who is at the helm and wearing a big smile. “This is not even the same realm. The handling, the speed, the pickup — it’s crazy!”

He and his brother, Seth Gray, own Newman & Gray Boatyard on Great Cranberry Island off midcoast Maine. Their team spent the winter finishing this boat, a new model called the Williams 38. She’s an example of the kind of boats that made Maine famous — that classic Down East style — but she also shows how much these boats have evolved. When her modern planing hull hits 40 knots, you realize that this is no ordinary lobster cruiser.