BELMONT — Does a boatyard need to be located on a harbor to be successful? Dan Miller, owner and operator of Belmont Boat Works, is banking on a “no” to that question.

Miller is doing a brisk business at his location on Route 3, about six miles west of Belfast Harbor.

Neighbors and passers-by have watched this yard grow quickly into a versatile operation, with boat storage space (indoors and out) and service shops for woodworking, mechanical work, and paint and varnish.

There also is considerable open yard space for equipment to maneuver in moving boats in and out of service and storage bays. Twelve employees are kept busy, sometimes working overtime during the busiest seasons. 

Miller’s plan is to respond to market demands.

“We are trying to specialize in what folks need. Right now what everyone is screaming about is there’s no place for them to keep their boats,” he said

This winter, the business had to turn away some storage requests.

“We drew the line outside at 30,” Miller said. “We don’t want to end up in a predicament where we are moving five boats to get one inside for service. The building we are about to begin constructing has two large service bays,” both with 20-foot wide openings.

Miller got started working on boats the same way that many do: by buying an old wooden boat, then completely refitting it himself.

“We spent a year and a half living in the boatyard on the boat. And the next year, that boatyard was sold for condos,” he said. “Then I had a small shop out in Liberty, right next to my house. I was mostly doing traditional rigging and carpentry.
“My original goal was to have a cooperative boatyard,” he continued, “where shops would be run by other people, not me. I was going to get the boats back here and run the carpentry shop, and that would be it. This idea played out really well in this area, where there was a lot of talent, and people who couldn’t get access to the talent.”

Miller had hoped to purchase the Belfast Boat Yard, which the large Front Street Ship Yard finally bought. He conversed with Belfast Boat Yard owner Alex Turner for three or four years.

“He had a niche,” Miller said of Turner. “He was making some people very happy, and some people wanted a little more service, so they’d have to travel for it. “

Miller allows customers work on their own boats in the yard, which some yards will not, citing insurance and OSHA regulations.

“It’s not a problem,” he said. “It’s an extra expense but it’s well worth it. We have a lot of great customers.”

In recent years, boatyards have had to adhere much more closely to rigorous environmental and safety practices.

“We work with OSHA and DEP,” Miller said. “I expected it to be more of a headache than it is. It’s expensive to be in compliance , but they’ve helped us with designing pressure-wash basins and tanks. The DEP has a handbook for best management practicing for boatyards in Maine. They’ve been good. It’s not that hard to comply. “

Belmont Boat Works is able to move boats anywhere over the road, but Miller is not emphasizing the long-haul boat transport business. A recent job meant hauling a 39-foot motor-sailor by road from Nova Scotia to Belmont. The boat is about 80 percent complete, Miller said. The shop will do the finish work and install the engine and other systems, about a three-month project.

There are no plans to build boats.

“Right now, we’re too busy doing service work and storage,” Miller said. “We’ll have our new storage building built by next year. Last year there were 27 boats we stored, and we hauled and moved 80. We’ve been servicing other boatyards, and taking boats home and putting them in their own barns. We’ve taken a good chunk of them out of state and out of the country.”

For more information, see BelmontBoatWorks.com or call 342-2885.