Week 12: The Final Week

The last week has been a busy one: I conducted an interview at the Village Community Boathouse, assembled my presentation, made a video, and began breaking in my 20HP Tohatsu outboard engine. 

At the Pier 40 boathouse, I spoke with several members about their program. I asked one of the administrators about costs, which he explained had increased by roughly $1,000 per boat since pre-COVID (from $4,000 to $5,000). This cost is substantial, but what he then revealed made it make more sense. All of their costs are covered by donations, their rent is paid for by the city government, and work is done by volunteers. Their operation is incredibly unprofitable, but that’s largely because profits aren’t a goal. In today’s world, where most boats are made of fiberglass, metal, and plastic, wooden boats have become a novelty, and factories that once kept the craft tradition alive have stopped producing them. For instance, Correct Craft stopped manufacturing its iconic wooden boats and now produces only aluminum and fiberglass ones.

I also learned from the interview that most members of the VCB are drawn to membership not to build the boats, but rather to row them. Most of the rowers contribute to construction, but are mainly there for the rowing aspect. They also told me the history of the boathouse, which started less than twenty years ago. They used to have more skilled boatbuilders, but not anymore. It is the only place like it in the region. 

What I took away was that rising costs, the not-so-apparent demand for boat-building experience, and limited supply have all contributed to the decline of boatbuilding and craftsmanship today. 

Additionally, this week I assembled my presentation and made an accompanying video that provides a brief explanation of my project and includes footage of my finished boat in action.

Link: https://youtu.be/ziruVsBRSng

The footage is all from the last few days. I have been driving the boat around the coast near where I live in Connecticut to start breaking in the motor. It takes 10 hours to break in before it can run at full throttle consistently. I’m currently halfway there, so when I take it into the city for the presentation, it won’t be fully broken in.

Either way, with a marina slip reserved at Chelsea Piers, I am looking forward to driving it in tomorrow afternoon.