We’re excited to show you the progress being made on the new Lobster Boat project! Things are moving along steadily as we work out way through the long process of building the seat mold. We’re making significant strides in bringing this versatile and capable vessel to life.
Seat Refinement: A Labor of Precision
Since our last update, we finished the framing-in and moved on to fairing and painting. Achieving a flawless finish requires patience and skill, and our team has been working through successively finer grits of sandpaper as we chase that elusive gloss. While the process is time consuming and labor intensive, from 10 feet away it doesn’t look like anything is happening at all – but the final result will be worth the effort.
The framed seats have been sheathed in MDF
To get to this stage we first sheathed the frames from last update with the ubiquitous MDF. We then applied copious body filler to fill all the seams, screw holes, and other imperfections. After an initial sanding to smooth everything down we applied a coat of sanding primer, which is where we are at as of now. From here, additional rounds of sanding and filling will bring everything to a smooth, glossy finish.
You may notice in the latest pictures (below) that one side of the seats appears shiny and black—this is due to the sanding primer we’ve applied, which highlights areas that need further refinement. The matte black & cow print side is part of the “flawless finish” process, as we sand down imperfections and fill in the last few divots.
If we take the time to do things right at this stage, we will end up with a perfect seat for every boat – no further polishing required.
Mast Step & Centerboard Trunk: From Row to Sailboat
Initial construction and design the mast step plug
We’ve also started construction for the mast step plug. You can see the initial MDF form above, as we finalize the shape. Below is the refined shaping of the plug. From here we will go through the same process as the rest of the interior, from shaping to fairing to priming and sanding until it matches the finish of the rest of the boat.
Additionally, we’re about to begin work on the centerboard trunk mold, a crucial component for those looking to enjoy the Lobster Boat’s sailing capabilities. The centerboard trunk will be built around the outside of the mold, which means we don’t need a plug to start – we can build the mold directly. We’ll be using a material called Richlite for this – like MDF, it can be shaped to our needs; but it is much more durable.
What’s Next? Upcoming Key Milestones
Once the seats are finished to our satisfaction, we will start applying non-skid surface. We create this texture in-house by laying up thin sheets of fiberglass on a flat textured mold. Our team then cuts out the desired shapes and glues them to the plug. The result is series of textured panels on the seat and floor that both look good and keep you from slipping and sliding around the boat.
As time allowed in the overall production schedule, over the past few weeks our laminating team has been producing these sheets in batches, and installation is set to begin soon.
If all goes as planned, we anticipate building the seat mold in the next one to two weeks.
Our target project schedule needed to be revised a bit:
- Finish Plug by Halloween (done!)
- First hull done by Thanksgiving (done!)
- Seats mold done by end of year (In-progress, end of February 2025!)
- Deck done mid-April
- Finished prototype done by May <— Orders Open for Regular Production
- Preorder production begins May 2025
The Legacy of the Lobster Boat
The 15′ Lobster Boat is a design inspired by the 1930s Maine lobster fishing regulations, blending the best of sailing, rowing, and motoring into a single, highly adaptable craft. This vessel is designed to be:
- Stable and safe for a variety of water conditions.
- Fast and efficient, whether under sail, oar, or motor power.
- Ideal for family outings, fishing trips, or coastal exploration.
The GH Boat’s Team appreciates your continued interest in this exciting project and will continue to keep you posted as we hit key milestones.
We have ONE remaining pre-order special for a Lobster Boat sailing version at $2000 off regular price. Email us here or call us at 253-851-2126 if you want to call dibs.