"We have a great, great labor force of quality people. 

 Also our coastline and surrounding waters just naturally are 

 a big factor." Another asset for boatbuilders is the state's 

 geographic location. It's almost perfect for receiving sup- 

 plies or sending large vessels by truck or by water. 



"And you can't overlook the background — the history of 

 boatbuilding in North Carolina," adds Smith. A hundred 

 years ago, boatbuilders wrought wood into commercial 

 fishing boats at Markers Island and Wanchese. Many of 

 their descendants still carry on the tradition. 



There are other reasons, too, that boating biggies come to 

 North Carolina to build, says Johnson, who recently sur- 

 veyed 52 companies that manufacture saltwater recrea- 

 tional products in North Carolina. The survey was part of a 

 Sea Grant study with assistant professor Rick Perdue of 

 North Carolina State University. 



Labor is one of the biggest enticements, says Johnson. 

 Some firms came to North Carolina because company offi- 

 cials believed the labor force would not unionize. In addi- 

 tion, managements knew initial investments would be high, 

 but in the long run, the move would pay off. 



Another lure for boatbuilders is the value of real estate in 

 North Carolina. Companies can buy more property here 

 than, say, southern Florida or New England, and build 

 larger plants. Besides, "It's a nicer place to live," he adds. 



North Carolina has been nice to them, too. One company 

 in the study reported a 250 percent increase in business in 

 two years. Bayliner's business went up 60 percent. "It shows 

 this industry is important to the state," says Johnson. 



These larger corporate conglomerates bring in about $40 

 million in retail sales, says Johnson. But backyard boat- 

 wrights and other small operations also make a contribu- 

 tion. "They may make only $50,000 in net income each 

 year," says Johnson. However, the commercial wooden- 

 boat builders surveyed clearly make a difference, espe- 

 cially in isolated areas where they have a larger impact on 

 the local economy. 



As long as there are fishermen and the national economy 

 stays strong. North Carolina's boatbuilders predict smooth 

 sailing into the future. 



— Sarah Friday 



Keeping the tradition afloat 



Building Wooden Boats 



By Sarah Friday 



Few things 

 come easier to 

 Jimmy Gillikin 

 of Radio Island 

 than building 

 wooden fishing 

 boats. Like 

 a cook who 

 knows which in- 

 gredients to mix 

 for a perfect 

 dish or an artist who uses the right 

 colors to create a masterpiece, Gillikin 

 "just knows" how to build a boat. 



Gillikin is one of a few such crafts- 

 men left in North Carolina. Of more 

 than 100 boatbuilders in the state, 

 about 35 make wooden boats, says 

 Stephen L. Phillips, chief of the Boat- 

 ing Standards Branch of the U.S. Coast 

 Guard. Demand for the product has 

 dwindled, but some, like Gillikin, have 

 stayed in the business and carried on a 

 prideful tradition made famous in 



North Carolina. 



Some of Gillikin's talent may be 

 inherited from his father and grand- 

 father. They ran boatwork operations 

 on Harkers Island for more than 40 

 years during the heyday of boatbuild- 

 ing. Gillikin was 10 when he first 

 started helping in the boatyard. 



Today, Gillikin is owner of Gillikin 

 Craft Inc. He runs a seafood company 

 and builds custom wooden boats part- 

 time. Right now he's working on a 75- 

 foot trawler. 



Gillikin starts with an 8-foot piece of 

 plywood and a pencil. No blueprints. 

 He sketches his plans on the board and 

 works from those. He cuts the pine and 

 shapes the boat, trusting his "rack of 

 eye" more than a ruler to get the parts 

 straight. The outside mostly complete, 

 he outfits the inside to suit the buyer's 

 needs. 



"Today's boatbuilder is a welder, an 

 electrician, a carpenter and a painter, 



but mostly he's a fool," says Gillikin, 

 half jokingly. 



Some of the state's boatwrights who 

 work with wood have hit rocky shores 

 in recent years. The increased use of 

 fiberglass and high interest rates forced 

 many out of the industry. But the 

 market for wooden boats remains 

 steady, say most. 



"I think it's going to be good," says 

 Harold Varnum, a 35-year veteran 

 boatbuilder from Holden Beach. 

 "We've had these ups and downs be- 

 fore, but never this long." Varnum quit 

 the business in 1981 when interest rates 

 soared to 21 percent, making loans for 

 building out of reach. But he hopes to 

 pick up his hammer and nails again 

 soon. 



"There's always going to be some- 

 body who's going to want one," says 

 Gillikin. 



Wooden boats are for people who 

 "really know what they want," says 



