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This bit of Brain Droppings was first seen on the Bertram31.com General Bulletin Board on May 18, 2001. The bulletin board is kept trimmed to the most recent 2000 messages, which usually equates to about 2 months worth of posts, (maybe less as the board's popularity increases). Just in case you missed it, here it is again for your reading pleasure and mental musings... Homage due -- Of all the boatbuilders in the United States, many agree that the North Carolina builders and designers are amongst the greatest, if not the greatest. I have no problem in giving them my vote! Many east coaster sportsfishermen, and some worldwide anglers, know names like Buddy Davis, Ricky Scarbrough, Sonny Briggs, and Jarret Bay. But among the more knowledgeable, one obscure name is often attributed to being the "Father of Carolina Boatbuilders and Designers". Omie Tillet... Omie is quite, soft spoken, gentle, and unassuming, religious man who is at piece with himself and the world. He's in his eighties now, still holds his captains license, and makes a few offshore charters with his son Tony. Omie was one of the first to see a blue marlin landed from offshore of the Outer Banks, over 50 years ago. Just about all of the old Carolina fishermen were boatbuilders also. Fish the season, build a new boat in the off season. The conditions off the Outer Banks is rough on boats. One season of fishing there punishes a boat like 6 or 8 seasons elsewhere. Omie was just such a builder, and a pioneer of many of the features that distinguish the North Carolina boats from the rest of the fleet. While Omie never had his name on a high profile production boat like the Buddy Davis, his boats were highly sought after on the local market. In 1971, Omie Tillet founded the famous Sportsman Boat Works at Manteo. Tillet built both charter boats and private boats and his vessels quickly developed a reputation for their strength, classic lines and fish-catching ability. Sportsman boats were constructed of juniper in the traditional carved planking fashion and many were tournament winners; Peter Conatas' Mary One and Dr. Leroy Allen's Sea Hag are two well-known examples. However, Tillet was extremely allergic to epoxy, and decided that a quick return to charter fishing would bring immediate relief to both his skin and his nerves. He sold Sportsman to his foreman, Tom Daughtry, in 1977, and the yard was moved to Wanchese. He's a craftsman's craftsman and a captain' captain... Last month I was honored to meet Omie Tillet in person at the Tred Barta Blue Marlin Classic on Walkers Cay. Meeting the man in person and getting to know him a bit was a treat worth a pot of gold. There's a story about Omie that I heard many years ago and I recount it on numerous occasions every year. It revolves around craftsmanship in its most pure nautical sense. A bunch of years ago, an up north boater and fisherman was driving down the Outer Banks on his way to Florida for the winter season. Having always admired the shear beauty of the North Carolina sportfishing boats, he was taking his time and looking fondly at every boat with that big functional flared bow and graceful tumblehome transom.  Craftsmanship belabored -- "How Fair Do You Want It?" The sweet simplicity of this question can not be overstated nor can it be anything other than ground zero when replying to someone's question about how much craftsman costs. Every craftsman has a level of quality that he will not drop below, but in the end result, the higher the quality the longer it takes to reach that quality. Time is money. I used to have a varnished cedar plank that hung above my goldsmithing work bench. Nicely lettered in a quaint style, it said: "Quality is like oats. If you want good clean oats, you'll have to pay a fair price. If however, you don't mind oats that have been through the horse, they are cheaper" Another quote that seems to proliferate amongst some folks is: "He sure is proud of his work!" Usually it's meant as thinly veiled equivalent to: "Damn! His prices are way out'a line!" Granted, sometimes a price is higher than a dog's leg when it shouldn't be. And there are those that are going to gouge everything the market will bear. But equally, true craftsmanship is time consuming. The better an item is crafted, the more time it takes to accomplish. When a true craftsman finishes a job, it's rare that he or she is truly happy with every detail. The search for as much perfection, as is possible to obtain, is always paramount in the craftsman's mind. As long as he doesn't sell himself out and do a low quality job, yes... He is proud of his work! Actually, the price, while seemingly high, might just be a bargain. Then there's a group that want to equate boatbuilding prices with house building prices, or cookie cutter automobile production. Boatbuilding is a very labor intensive endeavor. No mater whether it's the whole boat that's being built, or just a new section, the degree of craftsmanship and quality of product has to be far stronger than what is required by a house or a car. There's no stamping out a boat with a computer controlled press or building a good boat with common building materials and a claw hammer. If boatbuilding costs had a better comparison, it'd be more in line with the aviation industry. Boats can be pounded to death and sink, planes can be pounded to death and fall from the sky... Almost everyone who's had to fix some inaccessible item on a boat, has made the statement; "These damned engineers ought to have to fix these things before they're allowed to design them in!" I know that epitaph has slipped past my lips on many of an occasion... By the same token, everyone owes himself the experience of building something big and visible for his boat. Something that will get notice by his peers. Something that he wants to be proud of. A teak deck, a tackle center, a new hatch system, a galley cabinet... You know the stuff... A new appreciation for what goes into craftsmanship and exotic materials will be forthcoming. Kinda' like some of our fly in, fish, fly out guys here in Southeast Florida. Everything is getting over fished, time is tight, and live bait works quicker than dead bait. Google Eyes work better than dumb 'ole black mullet, but you can only catch them at certain depths, certain places, and only at night. All too often I hear somebody gripping about paying $60 a dozen for GIs... Gotta' grin every time I hear 'em. My rebuttal always goes something like this: "OK. Here's how we're going to cut these hi-jackin' blood thirsty, money grubbin' bait fishermen off at the knee caps:Yup, you guessed it: Those $60 a dozen liveys don't seem so expensive any more.... So, the moral to all of this is simple. "How fair do you want it?" -- Are you satisfied with oats that have been through the horse? Are you willing, able, and can afford the time to do your own work? Keep these things in mind, not only when you want something done, but also when you're doing the job yourself... By no means have I written this in an effort to offend anyone or pedistal-ize us "craft-person-boatbuildin'-captain" types. It was written, as is most of my meanderings, with a true heart and in an effort to educate. Somewhat like George Carlin, (one of my personal real life heroes), I hate political correctness and one of my goals in life is to stir Brain Droppings... As always, Best regards, 
Capt Patrick McCrary No reproduction or use without express consent by the author. © 2001-2005, Creation and Maintenance by:Capt Patrick McCrary © 2001-2005, Capt Patrick McCrary 3640 Investment Ln. Unit 15, West Palm Beach, FL 33404 Telephone 561.848.3366 |