Blue Ridge Boatworks

Blue Ridge Boatworks

is located in the

Town of Washington

By Lai kkn Ross

Special to the Rappahannock Nows

“Putting a boat in the water for the first time gives me a satisfying sense of closure." That is how Andrew Smith, Rappahannock boatbuilder, describes the feeling of the recent maiden launch of his newly finished 12foot Acorn Skiff. This was the culmination of thousands of hours of hard work - lofting, calculating, estimating, milling, shaping, laminating, painting, varnishing, fitting and seemingly endless sanding. After years of laboring next to the boat, this was the day to finally step inside of it.

Smith started Blue Ridge Boatworks, in the town of Washington in the summer of 2005. He divided his time between the boat shop, various construction jobs and Blue Ridge Mac, where he is a certified Macintosh technician. The challenge of building boats, parttime, in the mountains revealed itself from the start.

“The most difficult part was finding, estimating, and ordering materials,” said Smith. “If 1 was a half of a quart short of something - paint, varnish, glue - it could throw my schedule off for a week or two. But, 1 was bound and determined to build boats. And this is our home.”

And so, on the first warm.' clear Saturday afternoon in April. Smith towed the finished skiff" to a local pond. He and •Justin Corddry, a furniture and cabinet maker with whom Smith shares the Packing Shed shop space, easily carried the surprisingly light boat to tln> water's edge, and gently eased her in. Smith stepped inside, pushed off, and rowed to the far side of the pond. "I knew that it wouldn't leak," he said, “but 1 was thrilled