Day Trips: Farley Boat Works

One hundred years ago, the Farley brothers began a boatbuilding tradition in Port Aransas on the Texas coast that continues today. A group of dedicated volunteers has reopened the Farley Boat Works and revived the shipwright craft on the island.

For decades, Port Aransas was known as a sleepy little fishing village. Before the JFK Causeway from Corpus Christi and the road on Mustang Island were constructed, access to the community was generally slow and treacherous. With the improved access came a whole generation of high school and college students to the beaches for spring break. The island hasn’t been the same since.

For 60 years, the Farley name was synonymous with Port A boats. Their wooden fishing boats were designed especially for the conditions. The craft had a shallow draft to maneuver the bays between the barrier islands and the mainland, a high bow to break the waves and a low gunwale to accommodate wrestling the large tarpon from rough seas. There is a picture of Barney Farley piloting one of his cabin boats with President Franklin D. Roosevelt sitting in the open stern.

The Farley company ceased operation in 1975. Thirty-six years later, the Port Aransas Preservation and Historical Association acquired the boat builder’s former shop on Avenue C, just off Cut-Off Road. One of the museum’s early projects was to restore an original Farley boat as a museum piece.

That would have all been interesting enough, but under the guidance of Rick Pratt, the FBW’s first director, the group turned the museum into a boatbuilding school. In a few short years, FBW has helped dozens of families become owners of an heirloom watercraft. One husband and wife team nearing the completion of their skiff-like rowboat proclaimed it one of their most cherished possessions that they will pass down to their grandsons.

The system of building a boat at FBW is really pretty simple – no previous boat building experience is required. Only basic woodworking skills are needed.

First, you get on the waiting list. The kind of boat you want to build determines when you can get started and how long the project will take. FBW manager Frank Coletto says they now have kits that can be constructed in a weekend. “We supply everything except the paint and elbow grease,” he says. “You start on Friday and we’ll have you rowing around the marina in your own boat by Sunday afternoon.”

Second, you go to work on the design you want. Port A, being full of retirees, has no shortage of volunteers willing to help you sand, glue, or varnish. Of course, there is a group of experienced shipwrights ready to help guide you through the process. The basic rowboat kit costs $475 and goes up from there. The boat works builds board skiffs, rowboats, canoes, and sail boats. Each with its owner’s personal embellishments.

Third, you think of a name for your new boat. Then take home a piece of Port A and personal history.

Even if you’re not ready to commit to boat ownership, a visit to FBW is interesting. There are usually several people around the shop working on various stages of boats, most are ready to talk as they sand, glue or paint.

To see the wooden boats is to admire the craftsmanship. It is like seeing a finely crafted cabinet or piece of furniture as it is being created. A crew of volunteers is currently building a scow schooner, the type of shallow-draft boats that once plied the coastal waters before the ship channels were dredged between the islands. It’s an ongoing project that will take several months.

Farley Boat Works is at 716 W. Avenue C in Port Aransas. The shop is open to visitors Tuesday through Saturday from 8:30am to 4:30pm. While in town, take a few minutes to visit the Port Aransas Museum at 101 E. Brundrett St., at the corner of Alister Street. The museum does a fine job of telling the story of the island community and its connection to water. Both the museum and Farley Boat Works can be reached at www.portaransasmuseum.org or 361/749-3800.

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Gerald McLeod has been traveling around Texas and beyond for his "Day Trips" column for the past 24 years. Keep up to date with his journeys on his archive page. Day Trips, Vol. 2, a book of "Day Trips," is available for $8.95, plus $3.05 for shipping, handling, and tax. Mail to: Day Trips, P.O. Box 40312, South Austin, TX 78704.