ChrisC
Member
A few more items re my visit last week to Beaufort. On the way down I stopped in at Custom Marine Fabrication in New Bern. You can't miss it, because it's on the main road to Beaufort and has a huge sign.
The business is basically a combined tackle store and fabrication shop, and they have a lot of their handiwork on display at a given moment in the yard. (They had just put a custom t-top on a Parker that morning, and the newly paired boat & top were on a trailer out front.)
Dan Crist walked me out back and showed me their weld shop and fiberglass shop, and let me see some of the samples. He basically said that he can make most anything anyone would want for a Parker, and that all he would need for estimates on new/ knock-off creations etc. was to see sample photographs.
One interesting example was his pitch to put the same T-Top frame used on Grady White boats on the Parker. The top is larger and its frame has more grabrail, but he quoted a price that was very similar to the narrower top typical of Parkers. He also told me that Parker is in the process of redesigning the console in a way that will accommodate a head inside. That may lead to changes in top design later, although he wasn't sure. I raised the question of the new console with Robin and she said it was being looked at, but gave no ETA.
In all, I was impressed by the T-top choices but also -- as ever -- a little bit more overwhelmed. There are so many choices with each boat and each option that it takes a good chunk of time and thinking to try to sort it all out.
The business is basically a combined tackle store and fabrication shop, and they have a lot of their handiwork on display at a given moment in the yard. (They had just put a custom t-top on a Parker that morning, and the newly paired boat & top were on a trailer out front.)
Dan Crist walked me out back and showed me their weld shop and fiberglass shop, and let me see some of the samples. He basically said that he can make most anything anyone would want for a Parker, and that all he would need for estimates on new/ knock-off creations etc. was to see sample photographs.
One interesting example was his pitch to put the same T-Top frame used on Grady White boats on the Parker. The top is larger and its frame has more grabrail, but he quoted a price that was very similar to the narrower top typical of Parkers. He also told me that Parker is in the process of redesigning the console in a way that will accommodate a head inside. That may lead to changes in top design later, although he wasn't sure. I raised the question of the new console with Robin and she said it was being looked at, but gave no ETA.
In all, I was impressed by the T-top choices but also -- as ever -- a little bit more overwhelmed. There are so many choices with each boat and each option that it takes a good chunk of time and thinking to try to sort it all out.
)
