On a recent trip to Little Rock, Arkansas I had the pleasure of meeting Greg Johnson, owner of Little Rock Boat Builder Supply. Greg is an award-winning wooden boat builder whose passion has become a thriving business in the heart of Little Rock. But Greg isn't in the business of mass-producing boats, instead, he invites his customers to come for a once in a lifetime experience and build their own boat by hand with his expert guidance.
Most customers choose a classic 16-foot canoe, but stand up paddleboards and kayaks are gaining popularity. Sourcing only the best exotic marine-grade plywood, each boat kit is pre-cut on a CNC machine, creating a large 3D puzzle. With close supervision, first-time boat builders stitch their boat together with copper wire, lay-up fiberglass, and coat the boat in epoxy. At the end of the five-day build, customers take home a boat that is 95% done, after curing for a few days at home they can finish the final coatings, add hardware, or decorate their boat in their own style. Many customers love the idea of building an heirloom quality boat that they can pass down to their children or grandchildren one day, a boat they can use, but a boat with a story.
The experience requires that the customer just book their build dates, a hotel, and show up on time. All materials, tools and safety equipment is included in the cost of the experience. You just need to supply your final paint or varnish once you get home. The cost of the classic Rocktown 16-foot Canoe kit and the build your own experience is $2.450. While the kayak kit and course comes in at $2,280. Space is limited to a total 4 boats per-class so reserve your spot early. If you can't make it to Little Rock, Greg and his team host limited workshop dates in Florida, check the 'workshops' page for the upcoming traveling workshop dates and locations.
For more info or to book your own boat building experience visit, LittleRockBoatBuilderSupply.com also be sure to check out my full guide to Little Rock, Arkansas.
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