Visiting New England Naval Timbers

Greetings Customers & Friends,

Parkerville gets some unique requests to get involved in some very interesting projects. One such request, that I will tell you about shortly, led me to a local Connecticut business that I had known about for years, but our paths had never crossed until recently. Tucked up in the northwest corner of Connecticut in Cornwall is a niche company, New England Naval Timbers, LLC, owned and managed by an interesting, older gentleman named Duke. Duke’s business cuts and supplies white oak (quercus alba, only) to be used primarily in the restoration of old historical wooded ships and boats. He has the capacity to saw timbers up to 60’ long and can slice logs that are 5’6” in diameter. Duke’s company has a long relationship with Mystic Seaport.  If you need a 15” x 22” x 55’ long timber to replace the rotted keel on your old yacht, Duke is your man. Single piece is way better than a scarf joint. Duke hunts for “yards” and “bowsprits” which are parts of the large trees with natural curves in the grain. Some of these old-growth trees are massive and his work can be dangerous. He also cuts some Larch, Black Locust, Elm, and Long Leaf Pine. He’s strictly a commercial / industrial operation and does not cater to walk-in traffic. Visiting and meeting Duke and his sawyer was one of those experiences that any woodworker with an understanding of what they do and what these timbers are used for, would be fascinated by. To imagine the projects he has worked on and conversations he has had.

My reason for going there was because we had received a call from a Lead Shipwright from McMillen Yachts in Newport Rhode Island. They had started a multimillion-dollar restoration in 2022 of a 34 m (almost 112 ft.) yacht named Maemere. The vessel was destined to be destroyed when McMillen found the yacht just in time in San Deigo, CA. The vessel had large holes cut through the hull to remove its engines and equipment before being scrapped. Due to local regulations, the vessel had to be patched, floated, and towed to Mexico where it was loaded onto a ship and sent initially to Philadelphia Pennsylvania. It’s a fascinating story. I’ve attached a link below so that you can read about the progress and see what the yacht looks. I think McMillan finds groups to invest in these yachts, so they are owned by groups of wealthy individuals who share in the expense to maintain the vessel and its crew and share its use.

https://www.boatinternational.com/yachts/news/maemere-classic-yacht-restoration-update

So, McMillan Yacht wanted to ship Parkerville white oak timbers from New England Naval Timbers, to have us process them into over 1000 pieces of material that would be ½” x 3” x 20’ long – in addition to a list of other material. These long strips of white oak were going to be laminated and formed into large, curved pieces that would become the new ribs of the 34 m yacht. They had been pushing us to receive the material, so I went to New England Navel Timbers to inspect the material to make sure that we had the capacity to process the material to their specifications. The raw material was not as it had been described to us and required a large re-saw band saw, or a precision bandsaw sawmill. Parkerville doesn’t currently own either – yet. Unfortunately, we passed on getting involved.

Parkerville has not had any impacts on tariffs related to lumber and plywood at this point. All indications so far is that these products will be exempt. We have had Canadian company’s commit to holding prices for reasonable periods of time in our bidding process.  We will let you know if we see and changes on the horizon.

Last month Parkerville was one of many sponsors for the 39^th Annual Manchester Chamber of Commerce Golf Outing. I invited Brad Henry, a former employee from many decades ago, and currently the President of Whitehawk Construction Services. Whitehawk is a Union Carpentry Company that specializes in the installation of premium millwork. Whitehawk is one of Parkerville’s top 5 customers. During the tournament, on the 5^th hole par 3, BRAD GOT A HOLE-IN-ONE. Pretty exciting. We did not win the tournament.

As summer vacation is just around the corner, I wish you quality time with your families, safe travels, and relaxing times working in your yards and gardens. Don’t let your woodworking tools get rusty. We’re here to help you.

Hope to see you at the shop,

Sincerely,

David Harris, President

Parkerville Wood Products, Inc.