The Mudcat

My First Boat

The Mudcat was built in 2017 out of two sheets of plywood, some strips of lumber, screws and a lot of silicone caulking. It can accommodate up to four people very comfortably and has been powered by an electric trolling motor and most recently a gas outboard. Taking only two weeks to construct from start to finish, this boat has made countless memories out on the water and is still going strong.

The Guppy

My Second Boat

Following the construction of the Mudcat, the Guppy was designed to be a sleeker and smaller boat with more advanced construction and waterproofing techniques. The wood frame was covered with plywood, fiber-glassed, painted, then finished with multiple coats of varnish. Once it was tested in the water, a steering system and custom throttle were added for both an electric trolling motor and a vintage gas outboard.

Mast and Mallet Boatworks

As I made my way through design school, I was inspired to get an internship where I could apply my design skills to boat building. I ended up with a summer job, near Annapolis MD, assisting the shop owner Joe Reid with various boat restoration projects. I worked on boats from 10’ to 50’ long and did fiberglass repair, varnish work, painting, etc.

Shown above is the 50’ “Impromptu”, which I did a lot of work on over the summer. In these photos, I show the swim platform that I refinished and the bottom that I repainted. I also did some varnish work, lots of cleaning, and prepping the boat for the owners to use.

Shown below is a smaller 25’-30’ that had been sitting in the water for a while and needed a lot of refinishing done on it. These photos show the railings and mahogany transom that I refinished with a marine varnish. I also did various other projects on it including repairing a crack forming on the keel of the boat.

Winter

A year after my first boat job, I wanted to get another job related to boats but also incorporate boat design into my scope of work. I got a job at a custom yacht builder near Emerald Isle NC and was able to assist in the construction and design of certain components that we needed to make for the boats.

The finished photos below were found on the WCY website

Shown above are two of the boats I worked on in various stages of their construction. While working at WCY, I helped in many steps of the boat building process. From new fiberglass construction, to electrical and duct work in an almost finished boat, I was able to be exposed and learn many steps of the boat building and maintenance process. I was also able to help design various components of the boats that needed to be manufactured on the CNC router.

Below are photos of a prototype waterproof hatch that I designed to improve upon the current hatch model at the time.

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1986 Chevy Suburban