Spring at the Boat Yard

Spring has officially arrived, the ice is out and the recent warm weather has motivated northerners to head to the waterfront.

Boaters, sailers and fishermen are dusting off their vessels, stretching their sea legs and making their long anticipated trip to the ocean, lakes and ponds of New England.

It’s an exciting time of year as the Great Island Boat Yard is literally coming back to life. The timber frame is built, the windows are installed, and our crew is making the finishing touches to the trim.

Josiah Staples Homestead

Our Spring Timber Frame Restoration Project

The winter’s been tough on every house, particularly one that’s over two hundred years old. Snow damage was collapsing the entire west side of the building. Owner Judith Johnson, who has lived in this historical home since 1976, knew something had to be done before the entire building was compromised.

Luckily, she called our capable Houses & Barns crew and we began the task of restoring this beautiful structure to its former glory – along with a few modern updates.

Demolishing of the garage, old stable, kitchen, living room area, and the connector to the main house took place back in November. Soon a new foundation was poured, and the timber frame went up early January (in between snow storms).

Blending new construction into old homes takes skill and patience. Each piece of timber from the new frame was antiqued to match the timber in the main house.

Since the late 1700′s ten families have lived at the Staples Homestead. With skilled craftsmanship and an eye for detail, we are proud to say our work will be enjoyed for the next two hundred years. The land in which the home sits on is part of the Bakerstown Grant.

Heading to the Docks

Our Houses & Barns team is still rolling forward with our Great Island Boat Yard timber frame construction.

The exterior trim, Bodyguard® is currently being installed. Bodyguard® is a durable pressure treated, natural wood product manufactured from kiln-dried, finger-jointed and primed timber, with a paint-ready finish.

We are also happy to report that the roof is now complete, and shingles will be put on next week. With spring here, we can make our way down to the docks!

With all our projects, we concentrate on staying ten steps ahead of each construction phase we undergo. With Great Island Boat Yard, we had to prepare for the timber frame construction, installation of the Structural Insulated Panels, and docking before making the trip over to Harpswell. Having these materials prepared at our Freeport workshop ahead of time, allows our team to move seamlessly from one step to the next.

We’ll keep you posted on our work and a few other spring projects we have just around the corner!