Schleiff Boatworks - News and Events
My life as a craftsman has evolved from helper to woodworker and eventually to Boatbuilder. Along the way I have done heavy equipment operation, sheet metal work, welding, and even masonry. This history along with the skills I have learned along the way provides a solid foundation for Schleiff Boatworks LLC. Here are some of my past projects , recognitions, and annoucements - relating to boats, homes and furniture-, that I feel are special enough to be featured on this site.
August 2011: The Coquina has been sold and now sails out of Brooklin, Maine!
June 2010: The Vixen was launched in Mystic just in time for the WoodenBoat Show. I delivered her to her new home, Lake Winnipesaukee, NH the following week. There are new photos of her on the water at speed and at rest in the Vixen gallery .
June 2010: WoodenBoat magazine has puplished a feature article on me and my rescue minor! Read all about me in issue #215.
April 2010: I have applied and been accepted into the North Bennet Sreet School's Furniture and cabinetry program. This will be a chance for me to learn more about traditional furniture making using traditional handtools, live in Boston, hone my woodworking skills, and gain lots of new friends. I am honored to be studying under Dan Faia, Steve brown, Alex Krutzkey, and the legendary Lance Patterson.
October 2009: I have decided to buy a bandmill so that I can take care of more of my sawing needs, and use more locally harvested lumber. The Sawmill page will grow as I complete the building that will cover the mill and begin to produce lumber.
September 2009: After a busy summer of Boatbuilding, Boat shows, a family trip to Germany to visit relatives, I am finally getting a chance to update my website. There are new photos in the Vixen gallery .
July 2009: The Rescue Minor has been SOLD! She is now located on the Grand Lake of the Cherokees in eastern Oklahoma. I enjoyed a quick trip out west to deliver her, spent a day on the water with the new owners, and then visited friends in texas before coming home. I drove a little over 3000 miles in 5 days.
May 2009: The newest page that has been added to the website covers my current project, Vixen. There is also a gallery of construction photos that I will update frequently throughout the construction process
April 2009: The Ninigret has been christened "Sea Moose" and launched on April 12, 2009! Photos have been added to the Ninigret construction gallery.
The 115 hp Evinrude E-Tec outboard for the Vixen has arrived! It is the first major step toward a new boat.
December 2008: In order to make information about boats offered by Schleiff Boatworks even easier to locate, the website was revised significantly. It now includes pages featuring the Atkin and Bluejacket boats, provides fill-in forms for requesting information, and a revised home page to emphasize boats offered by Schleiff Boatworks.
I have just received a new commission for a 17' Hartley design called "Vixen 17 ". She is a deep V runabout, will have a 115 hp Evinrude E-TEC outboard and will be on display at the Wooden Boat Show June 2010 in Mystic!
August 2008: Currently I am building a John Atkin-designed Ninigret, a 22' outboard-powered camp cruising bass boat. She is being built on commission for a client in the northern Chesapeake Bay and will be launched in April 2009.
July 2008: Recently I exhibited both my Coquina and my Rescue Minor at the 35th Annual Antique and Classic Boat Show in Meredith, NH. They both won 1st place in their classes (newly built power, and row/paddle/sail). I had a very good show, met some great people and may have another commission!
June 2008: The newly launched Rescue Minor, an efficient 20' diesel launch, was on display to the public for the first time at the Wooden Boat Show in Mystic, CT on June 27-29.
June 2008: My new version of William Atkin's Rescue Minor was launched on June 20th. Sea trials have been impressive, she does a little over 18 knots, and we burned under 4 gals of diesel fuel during 12 hours of operation on the Chesapeake Bay and in Mystic Harbor- that included a 10 mile trip in 3-4' seas. This Rescue Minor is for sale now, click here for more information.
This website has recently been expanded to include a list of boats that I would highly recommend to anyone seeking a customized classic wooden sailboat of outstanding quality and sailing characteristics. Click here to see some exquisite designs from some of my favorite designers
April 2008: Each spring, Greenbrier Quarterly magazine recognizes ten local artists who contribute to the vibrant art community and make the Greenbrier Valley the distinctive and admirable place that it is. Timm is one of the featured artists in this year's "Art Class 2008". The introduction states that this year "We boast an award-winning boat builder, an internationally trained fiber artist, and a professional dancer". Click here to read the entire article about Timm.
The introduction to website includes the sentence: "This combination of wood and canvas, crafted with a love of the ocean, may be one of the most impressive of all human creations." I am honored that my replica of Coquina has been featured on the Sailing New England website. There is a very nice page about Herreshoff's Coquina.
March 2008: Over 8000 visitors attended the Maine Boatbuilders Show in Portland, ME on March 14-16, 2008. My modern replica of N.G Herreshoff's Coquina drew a crowd and I have a couple of new commissions. There was also a great deal of interest in my version of Atkin's Rescue Minor, an efficient diesel launch that is optimized for coastal cruising. Click here for more information about Rescue Minor.
December 2007: My Coquina is on display at the Sailor Craft Gallery located at 128 West Washington St, in Lewisburg, West Virginia. Click here for more information about the Coquina.
I received special recognition at the Georgetown Wooden Boat Show in Georgetown, SC in October, 2007 for demonstrating workmanship excellence in the construction of my replica of Coquina.
After showing my Coquina replica at the Wooden Boat Show in Mystic, the editors of Soundings Magazine published a feature article about my accomplishments in the September 2007 edition. Click here to read the full article which is reprinted with permission from Soundings Publications LLC.
My replica of Nat Herreshoff's 'Coquina' was awarded a Concours d'Elegance plaque at the Wooden Boat Show in Mystic, CT in June 2007.
I have been responsible for developing the skills and installing approximately 6000 square feet of copper roof on the Silas Mason Mansion in Lewisburg. The small brick cottage was originally built in 1820 and was added on to several times. By 1880, it had grown to become the 3-story, 9500 square foot mansion the it is today. My family has been restoring the house fsince 2004.
Part of the restoration of the Silas Mason Mansion involved building a new porch roof for the Cottage section. I designed this roof to be historically appropriate and architecturally consistent with the rest of the house. Prior to construction, the plans had to be approved by the Lewisburg Historic Landmark Commission since the house is within the Lewisburg Historic District.