Jennings Boat Yard draws visitors from around the world
Drive to the end of Boatyard Road in Fairport and you come to what appears to be another sleepy Northern Neck Marina. But appearances can be deceiving. Jennings Boatyard is anything but sleepy on a beautiful midweek spring afternoon.
There are dozens of boat owners working in the yard, sanding teak, polishing brass and applying bottom paint. And if you listen closely, you might think you're at the United Nations - or the very least an international airport.
“We get boats from all over the world here. This morning, we had a sailboat from Sweden come in,” said Sharon Jennings, who operates Jennings Boatyard with her husband John and two sons, Jason and Larry.
The Swedish boaters, it turned out, were here to meet up with some fellow countrymen who discovered the inviting waters of Cockrell's Creek a year earlier.
“One summer we had boats from New Zealand, Britain, Canada and Germany here. They like to come here because they can do their own work in the yard,” Sharon said.
Apparently, word about the beauty of the Northern Neck is passed from boat to boat throughout the Caribbean, the Mediterranean and far reaches of the Pacific. Many make Jennings Boat Yard a stop on their round-the-world journey.
Of course, the international boating community isn't alone in discovering the advantages of Jennings Boat Yard. Many local residents who like to take a hands-on approach to their boats also find it very attractive.
“People like to do it themselves. We have lots of room in the yard and we're always there to help, but we're one of the few boatyards that lets owners do the work themselves,” said Jason.
While Jason oversees the boatyard and manages the demanding schedule of hauling boats, brother Larry, who trained at the Newport News School of Shipbuilding, is developing the boat design and construction side of the business. He is completing work on a 50-foot charter fishing boat for Ryan Rogers of Midnight Sun Charters.
“Ryan and I collaborated on this from the start, designing it to fit his specific needs,” Larry said.
The sleek fiberglass boat was designed and built for speed, to enable Rogers to get his passengers to the bay's best fishing grounds quickly, so more time can be spent fishing. The boat has been inspected to hold up to 49 people and has also been inspected for use off shore.
“It truly is a custom-built boat,” said Ryan, who adds he can't wait to get it in the water.
Larry and his assistant Troy Taylor worked through the winter on the boat and are now putting the finishing touches in place. In-water testing is anticipated for mid-month, with the boat going into charter service shortly thereafter.
Meanwhile, there are more boats to be put in the water for the season, and the office telephone never seems to stop ringing this time of year. If some calls and asks if they can put their boat in the yard, the answer is usually affirmative.
