SW Boatworks buys Young Brothers Molds

Maine Coastal News
Feb 2010

Jennifer Anne a 40-foot Young Brothers owned by Jere Green of Harpswell, Maine.

LAMOINE – As we all know the economy has been depressed for a couple of years, and despite some bright spots here and there, people are still very reserved in their spending. One of the hardest hit industries has been the boatbuilders along the Maine coast. So why if the economy is down and the boatbuilding industry is not doing very well would you go out and buy a complete set of molds for several hulls? Simple, they are good designs and the price was right!

For several years the Young Brother's boat shop and hull molds were for sale. The price was right, but with the economy in its depressed state nobody wanted to add any debt. Well then the property was sold to a person from away, who just wanted the land, and the molds were for sale at even a better price.

Stewart Workman of SW Boatworks in Lamoine explained, "I was looking into buying the Young Brothers shop for quite awhile. I toyed with the fact about buying the whole property once they put up for sale. It was a good deal, but the way the economy was I didn't dare bite off any more since I already had the Calvin Beal models. So I kind of let it go by the wayside. I did sit here watching it and then I found out the building was sold and the molds went up for sale. I jumped on it, since the price was right."

"Actually Matt Cousins bought them from the guy who bought the property," added Workman. "and I bought them off Matt. He got them because he happened to be there at the right time and got a good deal on them. He had no desire to lay up the hulls. They are really nice hulls, sweet design, and very fuel-efficient and that's something to think about with the way fuel prices are. They also go along good with my Calvin Beal models, because they are a very fuel-efficient hull as well. They are also very popular and I knew that there are a lot of people out there that still want Young Brothers boats. So, I purchased them off Matt. Do I want to go out and spend all this money this time of year and the way things are? No, not really, but the opportunity was there and sometimes you got to do what you got to do when you can."

Colby Young's NANA MARIE just after she was launched coming into Corea Harbor.

The original Young Brothers 38 was a mold taken off an Osmond Beal hull, which launched them into fiberglass boatbuilding. After that they turned to Ernest Libby Jr. of Beals Island for the next models. The models they offer include: 30, 33, 35, 38 (old and new), 40 and 45.

Workman has all but the 35, newer 38 model, and the 40 at his shop. They are still over in East Blue Hill, but he will be marketing, selling and producing them if someone is interested.

Already there have been calls asking for prices. Workman said, "Actually I have had three inquiries already -- one 33, one 35 and one on a 40." Then while we were doing the interview he got a call on for prices on a 40.

Another plus he saw in owning the Young Brothers' models was that now he had a boat smaller than a 34 footer. He said that he got numerous calls looking for something between 28 to 32 feet, but had nothing he could offer them and now he can.

The problem is that most people are being very cautious. Workman explained, "We are getting a lot of calls on the Calvin Beal boats and people are very interested, but when it comes down to doing the deal they are holding off. It does seem that in the last few months things have gotten better."

As for present work they are busy. Workman said, "Right now we've got a 38 Calvin Beal hull that is in the schedule to be laid up. We have just delivered a 38 hull and top, which went down to Composite Yachts, in Maryland to be finished as a sport fishing boat. We are now laying up another 38 hull, which is going to Sargent's Boat Shop in Milbridge to get finished off for yacht club. She will have a top, but he is going to stick build his own. Then we are going to be laying up a 38 top for someone. Then after that we have another 36 foot Calvin Beal going to lobster fishermen down in the Portland area. That is going to Eric Clark's shop in Southwest Harbor to get finished off. We had a little dry spell in the lay up shop, but we picked the pace up and we are now about 10 weeks out."

Like many of the boatbuilders along the coast repair work has been the savior. "Right now in the shop, we have some repair work on a 40 foot Young Brothers boat," said Workman. "We had to take the engine out, put a new deck in, and replace the shaft and boxes. We also did some exhaust work. I have a wooden boat coming in next that needs a little bit of work done. She is a Mike Porter's hull, which he built for himself."

There are still a number of quotes out there that he is hoping to hear about soon. One is on a work boat for a power company, which he hopes to use the 38 Wesmac hull, which he laid up on speculation.

Workman said that right now he is concentrating on creating another website for the Young Brothers' hulls. He said, "I am going to be doing the youngbrothersboats.com. I am putting a lot of effort into that. I have been getting a lot of results on my websites.

As soon as the snow disappears and it begins to warm up just a little bit, Workman said that he will begin work on the Young Brothers' molds. He said, "When the summer comes around it will be a good chance to get in there and do some work on the cradles and the surfacing of the molds. I am also in the beginning stages of looking for a bigger facility for just doing the lay-up on the hulls. I want to keep the finish here. But, I am looking to either buy or build a new building for the lay up operations somewhere close by. I just want to make sure that the economy is going to be able to support it before I go out and hang myself."

The Young Brothers made a quite a name for themselves on the lobster boat racing circuit, but Workman said that he was not going to get into that. He said the amount of money needed to be successful is just cost prohibitive for the return.

So if you are looking for any of the Young Brothers hulls, you now know where you can them, S. W. Boatworks (207) 667-7427 or at www.youngbrothersboats.com and www.calvinbealboats.com.