Probably not news to anyone, but Lackey Sailing in Whitefield Maine (lackeysailing.com) restored #1212 in 2014, documented in great detail on his website. He's done a variety of boats, all extensively documented with Project Logs, gives you a good idea of what's involved with any project. He's one guy - Good Luck getting on his project list.

In New England I'd head to Bob Vaughn at Seal Cove Boatyard in Harborside, Maine. Great reputation and lots of Ensign experience.

Fleet 23 at Canandaigua have been going to Clint Samson at Samson Marine, 6311 Waters Road, Red Creek, NY 13143. Phone (315)764 0050.

Clint did a really good job on both the Hull and deck on Questar and he has done hull and deck work on 3 other Ensigns in our fleet.

I don't know that he has done a complete refurb job on an Ensign recently but I believe he learnt all about Ensigns while doing complete refurb jobs when he worked at Great Lakes before starting his own Boat works business.

He and his employees do a lot of work on J22's and J24's so have a good expertise on sailboats, fairing and finishes for hulls and decks.

Bud Brown

281.468.6909 cell and text
410.489.5426 home and office

Without a doubt it would be Mike Derushsa in Menominee Michigan. The three boats he has redone are by far the best race boats out there. Unforetunately you probably can't hire him. Second up is Andy Bohn  in Cedarville michigan, some of his boats are super beautiful. 

There are very few options near Fleet 72 at Saratoga Lake, NYMany of us have used De Luke Marine, 305 Craigie Ave, Scotia, NY 12302, 518 - 281-3161, for repairs to our Ensigns. For example, he replaced the aft deck of #150, and has repaired other boats after collisions and such. However, I do not believe he has ever done a full restoration. Many of us have had our boats painted and had minor repairs done at Alcove Marina, 866 Route 4S, Schuylerville, NY 12871. Bob did a great job on #150, painting the hull a beautiful red, and making minor repairs to the foredeck and then painting the deck. To the best of my knowledge, Bob has never done a restoration. Alcove was operated at that time by our long-time boat hauler Bob Guay. (Bob moves our boats to and from SLSC and the launch ramp on Saratoga Lake.) However, Bob recently sold the marina so he could concentrate on boat hauling. That sale was a bust, and Bob may be back running the Marina, but I do not know if he is back in the boat repair business.A year or two ago, #920, one of our Fleet 72 boats, was sent back to Ensign Spars for restoration, which, I believe, speaks to the lack of local resources. Vic Roberts#2032

OK, Folks....

Let's go about this in a different way...

If your Ensign could be restored, repaired or improved at no cost to you, who (in your local area) would you trust to do the work?

Chad Lewis (Ensign Spars), our Class Builder, has proven himself with numerous rebuilds in the Marquette, MI area, as has Tom Meeh (Waterline Works) on Galveston Bay.

But who would you choose that is located close to you.

The courtesy of a reply would be much appreciated!

Let's build a network of reputable marine service companies.

Best regards,

Bud Brown

#1085

ECA Rules Vice Commodore

Another quite experienced Ensign restoration company near Marquette, MI is our own Chad Lewis of Lewis Boat Works and Ensign Spars.

They have restored many a beautiful Ensign, so there are plenty of examples of their workmanship.

For all the Ensign owners in the northeast (Region 2/3 - Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Vermont and New Hampshire) ... What marine service companies would you recommend to do an Ensign restoration?

Best regards,

Bud Brown

#1085

ECA Rules Vice Commodore

I’ll even start it off...

Waterline Works, owned by Tom Meeh (pronounced ‘May’) is located in Seabrook, Texas on Galveston Bay.

He knows his stuff, has been in business for at least two decades, and he is a bit pricey.... but you get what you pay for. He cuts no corners, and he’s straight, up front and accurate with his estimates.

Best regards,

Bud Brown

#1085

ECA Rules Vice Commodore

A question for my fellow Ensignites...

In your region or area, who is the absolute BEST at restoring Ensigns? How long have they been in business, and how does their workmanship compare to their cost?

Looking for lots of opinions here...

Best regards,

Bud Brown

#1085

ECA Rules Vice Commodore