Antique And Classic Wooden Boats Are Our Specialty!

Welcome to Classic Watercraft Restoration. We run a fully equipped wooden boat restoration and custom wood boat building shop in Maryland, catering to just the little guys - the CLASSIC AMERICAN RUNABOUTS. That's right, the Chris Craft's, Gar Wood's, Hacker's, Lyman's, Pen Yan's, Century's and Riva's, just to name a few! We are located near historic Annapolis, Maryland, home of the US Naval Academy and the Sailing Capital of the World.

We are the only classic wood boat shop in Annapolis that offers small boat repairs, wood boat reconstruction and finishing services for all types of antique and classic watercraft. We combine traditional and modern techniques to obtain the original look and finish of your historic vessel. In addition to wood boat repair projects, we are also in the business of building classic wood boat replicas based on the original manufacturing specs.

Our restoration services are completed in a timely manor-which allows you to continue cruising and having fun out on the Chesapeake Bay!

Need To Bring Your Classic Back To New Life?

3,000 Brass Fittings
Dave Hannam has been doing quality restorations for years. He takes great pride in his workmanship and attention to details.  No project boat has ever been proven to be too difficult. Loose leaky planks can be easily replaced with a new bottom. While the old bottom is off, we also inspect the keel, chines and frames for damage.  Rotted or weak planks are always replaced or repaired where applicable.

Can you say 3,000 brass fittings. Yep - that's how many were replaced in a recent 1928 Cruiser refit project. "Funny part about my work - sometimes it's never even seen. But I'll keep you afloat"! 

Need to match your varnish? We have always taken great pains to match the original stain color of the vessel, making sure that the coverage of the stain is even along the length of the entire hull. We use the finest quality varnishes - for show quality results. We are always happy to discuss our restoration work. Give us a call to make an appointment to stop by the shop to see how we can make your boat a show winner too.

What Is In The Shop Now?

 1958 Chris-Craft Capri 19ft
Dave just drove down to Newport News, VA to pick up his customers 1958 Chris-Craft Capri 19'. The boat had sat in a barn for an unknown number of years and the owner inherited it when he recently bought the house and property. 

 "It took a few of us to identify the actual make and model, based soley on the original hardware and upholstery color. 1955 Capri's were gold, 1956s were special flame, 1957s were mint green, 1958s had tango red & white upholstry" said Hannam.Then after some major peeling away of layers - we found the original Chris-Craft serial number imprinted on the starboard engine strut.

The classic Capri, which is distinguished for its blond mahogany King Plank is in the shop for a complete restoration which will include; structural repair to the stems and frames, a new cold-molded bottom, replacement of deck and top sides, and a mechanical installation of a small block V8 engine for delivery in early spring.
As you can see in the picture to the left, numerous original frames were broken and needed both half and full frame replacements.
All of the broken frames have now been repaired and replaced and sealed.
Next step, shows the first layer of 6mm okoumie skins getting laid out on top of the frames, which is now the start for new planking and a cold-molded bottom. Complete application of the 2nd skin has been permanently affixed using Smiths epoxy.

Phase 1 of the bottom project has been completed with a few coats of Petit Copper Bronze Hard Racing paint which will compliment the red leather interior. Replacing old mahogany bottom planking with a new cold-molded bottom can be more cost-effective and will offer a water tight option depending on the owner's preference.

 Flipping the Chris-Craft was easy, Hannam's custom rigging system is in place and can easily be adjusted to fit any small runabout.

 Once we had a chance to sand down the top deck, we could see that a few mahogany boards on the bow will need to be replaced prior to new coatings on the deck and sides", said Hannam as he continues with Phase 2 of this complete restoration.
We utilized the heat gun and a tungsten bladed scrapper technique to remove all the varnish from the deck and topsides, which saved time and money. You start by scraping with the grain of the wood, being careful not to gauge or scorch the wood. The heat gun must always remain in motion.


Sections in the original King Plank were replaced and primed.The King Plank, cockpit combs along with the hatch cover have been redone and the boat is starting to now take on the character of a Chris-Craft Capri 19-foot.
After a couple coats of CPS sealer, final sanding with 180 grit and 2 days of warm weather, the first coat of varnish has gone on with an additional nine coats to follow. 


Now that's a nice varnish job - after just 3 coats and performing a white out sanding procedure in-between each coat. We still have an additional coats to go to complete the deck and topsides.
We are finally seeing the end to all of the varnish that needs to go on this old classic Capri - it's been nine coatings in nine days to the deck and topsides. After beading out all the seems on the deck with white 5200, we've got some shine and contrast to this classic woody. The boat will undergo one more round of 120 grit sanding, prior to applying the last coat of varnish. Next step, will be the mechanical installation of the GM 350 V8 engine.

Do You Love The Old Woodies!

V6 Original Engine
So do we - Dave Hannam at Classic Watercraft Restoration is bringing 35 years of boat building and restoration experience to this organization. We call him the "Go To Man". In a pinch - he has even been known to have a customer put the cell phone up to the engine and he has diagnosed the problem on the spot.

V6 Rebuilt Engine
Here you can see an example of a V6 220 hsp engine which was found in an older 42' fishing vessel. It was one of two original engines. Project consisted of engine haul out, rebuild, re-wirering and replacing the original transmission from a 2:2 reduction ratio down to a 2:1. End result-brand new engine placement in a much smaller runabout for tons of power. It may just look like a simple red "hot rod" paint job, but it was well worth the find - to repower another old classic.


One Woody At A Time!

Customers love our unique philosophy in the restoration industry...we only work on one boat at a time.

Classic Watercraft Restoration offers 100% individual and detailed dedication to your scheduled project.  It's in and than out the door before you know it, no waiting at this shop. Our open door policy allows our customers to see the progression each week and our open communication helps them to understand the methodical steps
taking place during the restoration. We also photograph the complete project, so you will have a visual record of the work that was done. This can also be helpful when providing evidience for insurance or to a new buyer.

What Are My Restoration Options?

A restoration on any wooden boat consists of repairing and replacing everything necessary to bring the boat up to new condition, strength, finish, and making it reliable. The extent of a restoration is always customized and can vary a great deal. Below are a few options to help get you started.
  • Bow To Stern Restoration: Some of our customers prefer to do a complete restoration bringing the boat back to the original condition using traditional materials. Others like to modify the design and use more contemporary materials.
  • We Finish Boat Projects: Nothing is ever too far gone. Many boats I have restored have been done in different stages over a number of years, which allows the owners to use the boat in the summer
  • Together We Can Finish Your Dream: Get R Done. Some customers like to do parts of the restoration project themselves. We help get things started like replanking, cosmetic finishes or mechanical or electrical systems and than you take the boat home to finish the additional work yourself

Latest News

PropTalk's Boatshop Reports:
Be sure to read the monthly updates on the latest Classic Watercraft Restoration news currently listed in PropTalk's Magazine Boatshop Reports. Now you can always stay up to date on our latest restoration projects in the works. And check out our new Marine Services advertisement placement in the back pages every month.

Annapolis Lifestyles Magazine:

The Annapolis magazine recently highlighted Dave under their feature People of Interest section, in an article called "Taking Life One Boat at a Time".Hannam talks about the vanishing woodwright shops and describes his unique company philosophy, "My clientele are passionate about their boats. They want a product they can be proud of"."It's not just a matter of the best deal - it's about personality, communication and service, building relationships and conversation" said Hannam.
Click here to read more...

PortBook Directory:
Classic Watercraft Restoration is currently listed in the latest PortBook Marine Directory/Annapolis under Woodwork & Restoration Services

St. Michaels Boat Festival:
We had another great time, showing off at the Annual St. Michaels Antique & Classic Boat Festival. The crowd was amazing, and couldn't believe how far along the Gar Wood 16' Speedster Replica had come since last summer. Everyone is looking forward to seeing it complete and varnished, including it's 210 hp V6 GM velvet drive engine.
 
At last years event, we won an award from the ACBS Chesapeake Bay Chapter for the "Best Land Display" for our newly constructed Gar Wood. We were honored to have participated in such a great event, which included close to 100 antique and classic boats on display.

Gar Wood 16' Highlighted in The Annapolis Capital Newspaper

Dave Hannam of Edgewater stands beside his pride and joy, a replica of a 1935 Gar Wood Gentlemen’s Speedster. He has been building the 16-foot powerboat from scratch and original plans since February and hopes to have it finished by spring including the philipine mahogany planking on the sides and deck. The above copy was highlighted from the Annapolis Capital article on September 25, 2011.

What the Heck is Crab Derby Racing?

Smith Island Crabbing Skiff 20-Foot
In the late 1890s, soft shell crab harvesting on the Chesapeake was done by single-sail bateau or by throwing crab netting at low tide. In 1919 Captain Lawson Tyler, a noted Smith Island carpenter designed a sturdy single cylinder motorized long and narrow 20' skiff. Over the years the engines were upgraded and the speedy little skiffs bows would spring out of the water and eventually would be used for weekend racng. They were built mostly out of pine or cypress wth botom planking running lengthwise, rather than the common cross planking, allowing faster movement through the water.

The skiff race has found new life, a select few craftsman here in MD & VA have decided to build replicas, insert a Kohler 20 hp lawn mower engine and enjoy the thrill of racing on the bay. Click below to see a few of the racing skiff videos posted on YouTube.
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