Viability of a One Man Boat Shop

I have been studying for quite a while now, the idea of starting a small boatbuilding business. I have gained a lot of insight from this forum, but I'm still not sure. I plan to build custom skiffs for flats fishing, and I believe there is a market for this here. There are many fishing guides here who buy new boats every few years, and many of them would give their right arm for a custom boat. Mostly in the 18-22 foot range, flat or semi-v center consoles. I am looking hard at using epoxy over ply construction, and finishing with awl-grip, or a similar paint. I chose this method due to the ability to build one-off boats, and no molds required. Another avenue I have investigated is refurbishing older Makos or Grady-Whites for resale. I have experience restoring my own boat, and have guesstimated costs and time considerations. It seems viable, but I'd really like to build new. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

I can reply here. Reworking older hulls require a lot of bull prep work and is a slow and tendious job. Finding clients that will pay full price for work by one person, and the amount of time that is required to do a project such as a 20 foot hull, becomes a big full time selling job, along with doing the work. Have you documented the hours in your project? You will need to spend a lot of down time searching out parts, taking apart, billing , all needs to be figued into a price, which you never see it in the glitchs of the finish job. Clients down't ever see this, at tne end of the week.
Building a flats boat, 18 to 20 foot, epoxy plywood and glass, requires a retail price of around 40 thousand dollars, without power. A hull 18 foot long requires around 400 hours to finish, yacht standards. Some plan sellers will tell you that a hull of 18 foot can be built in around 90 to 100 hours. Yep that right. And who will you sell it to unfinished?

There is an old saying that goes something like this:
If you want to make a million dollars in boating business, start with two million dollars. Have you clients inked long before you rent or build your shed. I have some references in Texas, that I can give you, that are in the same business, you can visit, around Magnolia Bay.

 

Be forwarned ....this only an opinion
If you plan on building to feed the family you need to think "PRODUCTION" one off glass over wood is a laborious way to get to the same end as you could using a mold and glass. I think glass would be the way to go! If a one man shop is all you want there are all kinds of ways to be creative and make your life easier. Once you get over the plug and mold construction your home free. (not really) laying up a hull in a mold is cake compared to sanding and fairing a one off hull every time you sell one. you could build them cheap and quick with a chopper gun and/or hand layup, bagging would be even better. You could build a much more consistant boat too that should help them sell as your reputation grows for high quality, fast, lighter boats!
I feel glass and resin is far cheaper than man hours when you do the math to figure what you need to charge for your boats. I wish you all the luck in the world!
8Knots

 

It is possible. I raised a family like that. We weren't rich though Check out shops like Pulsifier. He seems to be doing OK>

 

Gonzo said "We weren't rich though"

It's one of those "life choice" thingummajigs the edifikated folks keep talkin' about. I (and gonzo as well, apparently) preferred to be happy over being rich / well off / scraping by.....
I _still_ don't regret it.

Steve ;-)

 

As one with absolutely no experience and thus no right to comment - here's my comment
As with all things in life, if you are very good at what you do - preferably better than all the others - then people will always come to you for the benefit of that skill. That's why the likes of Gonzo, Steve and many others who contribute here have managed to make a go of what would on the surface seem to be an unprofitable vocation.

 

I don't regret it at all. BUt I do look back at the non-paying hours, I put in, at the end of the day. I do think it is getting harder to survive as a one man band, with the increased regulations put on the industry of boating and small business. I never said I didn't survive, but looking back, planning for a retirement income, in this type of business, takes a lot more than just a survival wage. Thats the harsh cold reality. You maybe the best at what you do, but marketing is everything. I found the amount of time it took for this, was dead weight to the overall gross receipts. Referells will come, eventually, but location is everything at the beginning..

 

2 MORE CENTS

Craig: My point to all that blather is... I have seen my dad and alot of his freinds who all have talent in things that will make your eyes water. Most of them are history buffs who know how to make things the old way. but they allways lose to the guy using modern techiques and materials. I have seen my dad forge a 48" octagon barrel for a 1780 french fowling piece out of flat stock and all the other furniture for that gun. I think he had 400 man hours in that gun. It sold for only a few hundred more than others around using machined barrels and cast steel mounts. I think you need to look at your target market real hard. even tho your boats are better.... The guy 3 towns over will beat you to the sale 99 out of 100. there are customers willing to pay for the best.But the average guy who just wants a safe cheaper boat to take his family fishing is the guy you need to cater to. Tell the guy who wants custom " Yeah we can do that but it will cost X and you will get it when I can get to it!" the majority of your customers are looking for the best deal. So I feel you need to do it cheaper and faster than the guy 3 towns over.
I have been in the sign industry for 14 years now, I run a wholesale materials warehouse to service about 160 sign shops in AK. I have customers that can build you the Cadillac of signs but most of them Just keep the lights on week to week. I have customers that run em in and run em out day in day out. Those are the guys driving Escalades 2 houses and a garage full of toys! set your sights on volume and service the market you have and you will win the game! Thats my opinion my friend.
8Knots

 

Huh?

"Building a flats boat, 18 to 20 foot, epoxy plywood and glass, requires a retail price of around 40 thousand dollars, without power..."

Hmmmmmm did I misunderstand this? Where are you located and what kind of 18 foot unpowered ply flats skiff are you selling for $40,000.00 ?!?! Cuz I wanna move there and build some!



Joe

 

I mentioned that to give an idea to anyone before taking a leap, to compare the market to fiberglass stamped out hulls. This is the cheapest that one can build one. BUt marketing is everything. We have several people in the area, that attempted to market a flared outerbanks skiff, a trend that seemed to be a marketable item, and the 18 footer retailed for 54 grand, 22 retailed for 76 grand. Divide that by the hours and materials and you will find why these boats were not purchased of the street by the masses. There is one listed in Morehead City, N.C. by an outfit , 1997, used 19 footer , sitting at a place called Bogue Sound Boat COmpany that is asking 49, grand. That boat was built by one of the largest outfits that builds larger boats. Still sitting with what appears to be a new Suzuki motor, there the last time I went by it.......

 

Thanks for all the good info, and by all means, keep it coming! Y'all have given me a lot to chew on, as well as some local folks in the business. They all concur with the fiberglass molded hull being the cheapest and easiest to produce. I was concerned with the cost of building the plug, the mold, and how many boats I'd have to sell just to recoup those costs, and I'd be stuck building one boat. That is why the one-off approach appealed to me.
On another note, a local boat dealer put the bug in my ear to build a flats skiff with an inboard and Power Vent drive. Any thoughts?

 

Shallow water and jet drives don't like sand being sucked up. Great idea, a lot of weight issues though, for how many inches you gain in shallow draft. A jet drive is very costly compared to an outboard, and jack plate, The perfect combination is still a tunnel style flat bottom, for a speciaty boat. Do a Google search for flats boats in Texas, kind of a glut, and look a the market there. A plug and mould will run around 6 grand, if done right for an 18 foot boat. One word for the startup, you got to be a w..re in the first few hulls. Find yourself a good laminator from another shop and pay him five dollars more an hour, and tell him after one year, you will pay him one percent of the proceeds from each boat hull sold. By then you will know if you want to continue. By then he will know if you two can work together.

 

I think he means power vent, like this.


Gary

 

I did misread, the post. BUt that configuation requires an inboard power delivery system, with the fixed shaft. When you get aground, you are stuck in flats fishing situation. Weight, one of the most critical parts of a flats boat. Next is draft. In Texas, a six inch draft boat, is useless.

 

I'm with you there. I would hate to pay for the repair of that prop.

Gary