Safe Boating Is For Life  

Boat Building Business Success Stories

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The following are not intended to be free advertising for the company or boat builder, although I do provide a link to their web site. These are stories about how they started a business building and selling boats and how it became a successful business. I want these to be not only an inspiration for new boat builders, but an illustration of how to be successful. 

"Don't tell me I can't. Tell me how I can." Peter D. Eikenberry Sr.

Wednesday night was a big one for Peter White-Robinson. The 59-year-old owner of Fitzroy Engineering and Fitzroy Yachts was named NZ Engineering Entrepreneur of the Year in Wellington. http://www.fitzroyyachts.com/

Hvalsoe Boats. Building and restoring lovely wooden boats since 1981   http://erichvalsoe.googlepages.com/home
I guess my site tells a fairly complete story.  I grew up with boats and was obsessed with boat design from a very early age. Three or four years after high school, I went to boatbuilding school to get a little bit of practical background which would lead me back to yacht design and actually finishing college. I found boat carpentry to be engaging on multiple levels. I started working outside of school on boat jobs during my second year. When I finished school I just kept working. For a variety of reasons, inertia (resistance to change?), not the least of them, I kept working in the trade. With a couple of brief exceptions, always self employed. Got some good press. Developed a reputation for doing good work. Established a relationship early on with The Center For Wooden Boats. Seemed to have developed a trademark specialty in traditional lapstrake, and a couple of trademark designs (13,16), but in general business terms have stayed flexible and versatile. Suffered through a series of mediocre shops before building the home shop in Shoreline. Chose to stay small, rather than building a business with employees.

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