The weather slightly redeemed itself this week and we were able to open the garage doors and enjoy some sun. Beware of snakes! Below, you can see Gary and Linda bossing us around.

We're still waiting on a part to complete the layout on the dash panel, but first he'll add more varnish to this piece and trim it to fit. 

Here's the before & after pictures of the steering linkage. Great job Nicolas!

I'd put a coat of varnish on before "the  big sand", which is currently in progress. I guess it's arm day. 

A quick game of table hockey on lunch break

Shane, varnishing.

Utility Deluxe
Jack has also been stripping old flooring this week, replacing it with new fresh stuff. 

Gary only works on fun stuff, so he's been prepping these beautiful white pine shelves to hang in the office. 

26' Sea Skiff
We moved the straps and stands to access the spots and holes we haven't filled yet. Shane is working on catching those up to the rest of it.

See you next week!

Despite the weather conditions and ice storm, we had another productive week! Although on Thursday we took a half-day due to the accumulating morning ice. We're looking forward to warmer, boating-friendly days ahead. 

Once the primer dried, he started work on any holes, gaps, and dents that still needed filling

Always plenty to do! As you can see Gary only works on fun stuff.

Gary showed me how to put steering linkage together. This was super fun!

Jack and Gary worked on a few engines this week

Hello again! Let me introduce myself. My name is Meghan. I've been working for Gary here at Lowell Boats for almost 11 months now. I'm really enjoying it. The work is challenging and fun, and the crew is really amazing! I stole the blog from Linda but don't worry, she's still the office manager here. So I'm here to bring you more boat updates and remind you we're on Facebook and Instagram and I'll be posting frequently now that we're settling in after the move. (See previous blog). Be sure to follow us for all your Lowell Boats news and updates!

'56 Continental
Hey, it's me! Here I am using a hand planer for the first time. Wow, what fun! Now I understand why Nicolas finds ANY excuse to use one when he can. I was doing some final shaping of the rear seat trim for the 1956 Continental. Gary taught me how to make a new one "from scratch". I really enjoy the woodworking aspect of boat restoration, it's very rewarding work!

Nicolas stained the stern light and bow poles to match the Walnut trim. When applied it almost looks black but after its wiped and left to dry, it brings out a deep richness in the wood grain!

Nicolas has passionately put hundreds of hours into this boat and it shows! This week he's been rebuilding and re-attaching the beautiful deck hardware, indeed a very meticulous process. In some cases, they are not always fit to be put on in the same way they are taken off; for example, he had to re-thread a bow piece in order for it to fit firmly and accurately in place using a thread cutting die. It's a time consuming process. See below, he's lightly tapping in fragile chrome work with a rubber mallet. There's no room for error in this business!

I painted the inside of the engine box on Tuesday and it took a full two days to dry. This job requires so much patience, but you can't work on wet paint! Once it finally dried, I was able to attach the cushion snaps.

26' Sea Skiff
Shane and I have been tag-teaming work on the massive hull this week. Sanding, epoxy, wait for it to dry, more sanding, vacuum the dust, fill large holes, apply 5200 sealant to the lower planks, wait for it to dry, more sanding, more cleaning... all while pretty much laying upside down. Soon we'll apply primer to discover more areas that need work.

19' Lyman
Shane finished painting the Lyman with a nice light gray. Looks great Shane, it's really coming along!

Century Coronado
Shane has been chugging away, applying multiple coats of varnish this week. One single coat of varnish takes nearly a full 24 hours to dry, depending on temperature and humidity. Like I said, patience is key. 

'55 Continental
This week, Gary put another coat of varnish on some of the trim pieces for the 1955 Continental. We have many more coats of varnish to put on the hull and top deck today and next week.

'40 Chris Craft Deluxe
Jack' finished work on the trailer and varnished the deck, it's looking beautiful!

We have some good news! We've moved. 
We're happy to say we've moved to a new location near downtown Greensboro. Who doesn't love a fresh start? Our new warehouse has a little more space, complete with a fenced-in backyard and a jacuzzi. Just kidding. We did build ourselves a really cool dust-resistant paint & varnish booth though. 
​Well, we're down to the last box and finally starting to settle in... 
Our new address is 127 Blue Bell Road, and we'd love for you to visit when it's safe. For now, we continue to be appointment-only.

Now let's update you on these boats!
​

18' Sea Skiff
​Nicolas and Gary installed the newly refinished wooden windshield frames to the 18ft Sea Skiff. After taking the boat off the trailer, Jack is working on the trailer bunks to properly hold the boat in a safe and sturdy position. Soon we'll be able to take it out for a spin to check the engine and systems. ​

18' Sea Skiff
These pictures are from Fall 2020, when a commercial photographer came to the old shop and used the Sea Skiff for a professional photoshoot!  ​We're happy to accommodate.

​Century Coronado
Shane has been meticulously varnishing the transom and the deck in a careful cycle of sand, vacuum, dry wipe, wet wipe, varnish, and repeat.