1987—2017
The family of Employee Owners at Gougeon Brothers Incorporated lost Technical Advisor Mike Barnard, who passed away on 7/28/2017. Our customers who had the opportunity to work with Mike will know that we lost an incredibly friendly, educated, and patient young man. I had the wonderful opportunity to be Mike’s manager for over 6 years, and hoped to keep him challenged until I retired. But fate took our favorite Eagle Scout well before we should have had to say goodbye. Continue reading
Meade and Jan Gougeon were inducted into The National Sailing Hall of Fame (NSHOF) in October of 2015. Meade and Jan, along with their brother Joel, founded Gougeon Brothers, Inc. in 1969. They were selected because of their pioneering work in the use of epoxies for boat construction, and because each is an accomplished sailor. Continue reading
I traveled to the U.P. (that’s what we Michiganders call the Upper Peninsula) on June 7th to attend the Great Lakes Boat Building School class of 2014 graduation ceremony and participate in the yearly on-site PAC (Project Advisory Committee) meeting which I currently sit on. I arrived on a beautiful sunny day with temperatures in the mid-70s, a stark contrast from my last trip to the school in mid-April when I awoke to 4” of new snow and 3°F! For those of you who live in the southwest where the temperature has been hot for some time, by contrast, the great lakes finally became 100% ice-free at the beginning of June. Continue reading
The Gougeon Technical Department has added a new lab technician, Bryan Jacobs.
Before coming to work at Gougeon Brothers, Bryan Jacobs served in the Army and earned the rank of Sergeant (E-5). Bryan served multiple combat tours in support of the global war on terrorism and was awarded the Bronze Star. He then tried out for a Long Range Surveillance Unit (LRSU), where he was deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Continue reading
Jan Gougeon was a visionary, ingenious, and a great innovator who could see beyond boundaries, one of a few people to really have changed the boatbuilding game in his lifelong quest for speed. This is how boat builders, designers, sailors, and iceboaters recall Jan. A natural engineer, Jan became an accomplished boat designer and builder who was always thinking about his next boat. His vibrant, boyish enthusiasm lit up the room. Jan was a fierce competitor who shared tips and technology openly, offering astute and encouraging advice to novice and veteran sailors and builders alike. Continue reading
Ted Moores is a renowned boat builder, author, and teacher whose name is synonymous with stripper canoes. He and his partner Joan Barrett own Bear Mountain Boats in Peterborough, Ontario.
Ted has written a four-part series of articles on lessons (and “cheap tricks”) learned from building his 30′ Electric Hybrid Launch Sparks which incorporates the knowledge he’s gained from 35 years of wood/epoxy boatbuilding.
Above: Ted Moores and partner Joan Barrett showing off their wooden model canoe kit.
See Lesson 1 of the SPARKS series—Strip Planking
See Lesson 2 of the SPARKS series—Fiberglassing a Strip-Planked Boat
See Lesson 3 of the SPARKS series—Skeg Construction
See Lesson 4 of the SPARKS series—Sealing and Priming
Related article: Ted’s Jewel Box