... spending the time keeping the wood in top shape, or be able to pay someone who can. If you can afford these boats, the latter probably applies.
As for use, they probably are best as runabouts, rather than for functions like waterskiing and wakeboarding.
I know nothing about boats but everything about van dam’s operation seems painstakingly great.
If you know nothing about Singer Porsche’s, they’re insane. The level of detail and quality that goes into every nut and bolt of the car is crazy. Their slogan is “everything matters” and it shows. Seeing one in person (the Milwaukee commission) changed the way I thought about car design/quality/detail/etc. And if you know nothing about cars, you’d just think it was a nice Porsche from 25 yards away...similar to van dam, they do a small amount of cars each year. Just bring them a donor 964 (the only generation Porsche they work on) and roughly $1m.
They are located in Boyne City on Lake Charlevoix. You periodically see them out on the lake. The first time I ever saw one we were saying WTF is that. It was a very modern and sleek but with a classic look. One of the best looking boats I have ever seen. They are artists in boat making.
But truly wooden as opposed to wood and fiberglass. Hinckley boats are beautiful. And crazy expensive.
aka Gov. Fairtax
I bet they look great on Lake Geneva.
I don't deserve it. Knowing myself, it would not get the care something like that should have. Only the true aficionado should have one.
as much patrons of the arts and incredible craftsmanship as they are boating enthusiasts. You combine both in one purchase.
The men and women building these boats by hand are true artists IMO. And they are keeping alive a level of craftmanship that is incredibly rare.
In-house. Stuff like hinges. That’s a bit much.
Most artists don’t grind their own paints or weave their canvas, etc.
Henry Ford by comparison. They make 1-2 a year as well all by hand.
From their website:
MY PARTNER AND I HAVE SPENT OUR ADULT LIVES HONING THE SKILLS IT TAKES TO BUILD A SUSTAINABLE LIFE IN THE FOREST WITH A FEW IRON TOOLS AND A LOT OF ELBOW GREASE. A CHAINSAW IS USED ONLY TO CUT LOGS TO LENGTH BEFORE SPLITTING AND RIVING. BIRCH TREES ARE PEELED WITHOUT FELLING. VICTORIA DOES THE STITCHING, WHILE I DO THE WOODWORK.
WE CAN NOW BUILD A BOAT OR TWO IN THE SUMMER. WITH 2 PEOPLE WORKING, IT TAKES ABOUT 2 WEEKS TO FIND AND GATHER MATERIALS, 2 WEEKS TO PROCESS THEM, AND 2 WEEKS TO ASSEMBLE THEM INTO A WATERCRAFT, AROUND 500 HOURS OF WORK.
WE LIVE IN THE BUSH WITHOUT MODERN CONVENIENCES IN A 2-300 INCH SNOWFALL REGION OF RUGGED GRANITE HIGHLANDS CARPETED WITH A NORTH WOODS FOREST. WINTER TRAVEL IS ON TOP OF THE SNOW, ANOTHER FORM OF WATER TRAVEL. PLEASE BE PATIENT WITH COMMUNICATIONS. WE HAVE VOICE MAIL AND OUR AMPLIFIED CELLPHONE WORKS SPORADICALLY. USING PRECIOUS SOLAR ELECTRICITY, IT CANNOT BE LEFT ON AT ALL TIMES. WE GO INTO TOWN EVERY WEEK AND CAN WRITE A GOOD LETTER. EMAIL IS BEYOND OUR REACH.
expensive canoe" sort of way ... $7,000 for the full size version unless I misunderstood. Would that I could conceive of a place to keep it.
As with Van Dam, these are works of art but in a different style all together.
them for museum displays and then smaller ones for people to put above their fireplace. They really are special and artistic. I agree that $7K for a real birchbark canoe doesn't seem outlandish.
What other people enjoy enough to spend their money on is their business.
This is no different than buying a custom built, luxury home vs. a developer tract home.
If there weren’t people that appreciate the art and craftsmanship, I’d be out of a job.
The importance of design is something people in business need to learn to appreciate. Design should be mandatory in all business schools (not as some chapter in marketing class about branding). More than anything, you have to understand its role in your business, or any business.
The passion for quality and dedication to keep their boats in top shape for as long as heir company is around is very impressive.
Thank you for posting this.
I wonder if there is a similar small business dedicated to making hand-crafted birch bark canoes. Silently paddling one of those on an autumn day when the colors are changing on a lake in New England, Wisconsin, Michigan, or Minnesota would, I believe, be the closest thing to being in Heaven while still in this reality.
On the shores of Gitche Gumee,
Of the shining Big-Sea-Water,
Stood Nokomis, the old woman,
Pointing with her finger westward,
O'er the water pointing westward,
To the purple clouds of sunset....
And Nokomis, the old woman,
Pointing with her finger westward,
Spake these words to Hiawatha:
"Yonder dwells the great Pearl-Feather,
Megissogwon, the Magician,
Manito of Wealth and Wampum,
Guarded by his fiery serpents,
Guarded by the black pitch-water.
You can see his fiery serpents,
The Kenabeek, the great serpents,
Coiling, playing in the water;
You can see the black pitch-water
Stretching far away beyond them,
To the purple clouds of sunset!
"He it was who slew my father,
By his wicked wiles and cunning,
When he from the moon descended,
When he came on earth to seek me.
He, the mightiest of Magicians,
Sends the fever from the marshes,
Sends the pestilential vapors,
Sends the poisonous exhalations,
Sends the white fog from the fen-lands,
Sends disease and death among us!
"Take your bow, O Hiawatha,
Take your arrows, jasper-headed,
Take your war-club, Puggawaugun,
And your mittens, Minjekahwun,
And your birch-canoe for sailing,
And the oil of Mishe-Nahma,
So to smear its sides, that swiftly
You may pass the black pitch-water;
Slay this merciless magician,
Save the people from the fever
That he breathes across the fen-lands,
And avenge my father's murder!"
Straightway then my Hiawatha
Armed himself with all his war-gear,
Launched his birch-canoe for sailing;
With his palm its sides he patted,
Said with glee, "Cheemaun, my darling,
O my Birch-canoe! leap forward,
Where you see the fiery serpents,
Where you see the black pitch-water!"
"The company partners with several local school districts to funnel promising candidates from their technical programs into the boat-building school."
And the pictures. Really, really liked the pictures.
of Michigan. There are not tons of year-round jobs. But many people who grow up there like to live there and want to stay and companies like this give them a chance to do just that.
I would not be surprised if one or two people over the years leaves and starts a small company exploiting the woodworking knowledge to do something in a related field (hand-crafted wood [XXXX]).
They are also beautiful as you imagined. This company is from, Ishpeming which is just outside of Marquette in the UP. Lots of raw material up there. Here is their website.