About Brooklin Boat Yard

Joel White in his design office. Note that his pencil has no eraser.
He drew fast and he usually got it right the first time.
Photo by Billy Black

Brooklin Boat Yard was started in 1960 by Joel M. White and is presently operated by Joel’s son Steve White. The yard is located in Brooklin, Maine, on the Eggemoggin Reach. The Reach lies between Blue Hill and Penobscot Bays and is in the heart of the best cruising grounds on the coast of Maine.

Steve White
President of Brooklin Boat Yard

Brooklin Boat Yard is a full-service yard specializing in wooden boat design, construction, repair and maintenance but working with boats of all construction types be it fiberglass, aluminum, steel or composites. They offer new boat construction and classic yacht restoration services. Their design office can provide new boat design drawings and shop drawings. Their service department provides repair services along with routine storage and maintenance services. In addition to the above services they also have an on-site yacht brokerage office.

Their 80 Metric Ton Travel Lift allows them to haul out and service yachts of considerable size. There is 16,000 square feet of inside storage space and a deep water dock. In addition to their regular carpentry, painting, rigging and mechanical services, they offer a complete machine shop and a modern paint building.Their main shop can accommodate boats up to 120 feet.

With a highly skilled and versatile 60+ man crew, Brooklin Boat Yard offers the yacht owner a “one-stop shopping” destination for any project large or small. Brooklin Boat Yard custom-built boats are built to be strong and long lasting. In 1979 they started using the WEST system epoxies as a construction method and in 1981 they began vacuum bagging their laminates. This is now a common and time-saving practice in their operation. This system produces an exceptionally light and stiff hull. Today the majority of their new construction projects are cold molded, with an occasional hull still being traditionally planked.

Many of the boats built at Brooklin Boat Yard have been designed by BBY founder Joel White. After Joel’s death, the reins of the design office were taken over by Robert (Bob) Stephens who, along with partner Paul Waring, have recently formed the independent firm of Stephens Waring Yacht Design. Along with the previous in-house designs of Joel and Bob, other new boats built here at Brooklin Boat Yard have come from the drawing boards of some of the world’s leading yacht designers such as: Sparkman & Stephens, Dieter Empacher, Alden Yacht Design along with Stephens Waring Yacht Design. They continue to maintain a design office at the yard as several employees of the company are qualified yacht designers in their own right. Having qualified designers on-site is a tremendous resource for all the projects taken on by Brooklin Boat Yard.

Brooklin Boat Yard's crew represents the finest craftsmen in the state. They are committed to building the best boats for their customers, on time and on budget. Brooklin Boat Yard has built well over eighty boats since our start in 1960. Maybe yours will be next?

Another Brooklin build, the 56' Anna, at rest in Maskels Harbour in the Bras d'Or Lake on Cape Breton Island.