International Yacht Restoration School-trained shipwright Keith Brown recently opened Block & Becket Shipwrights in Bristol, Rhode Island.
The shop will focus on historic newbuilds and restoration of classic wooden boats. The company is a traditional plank-on-frame builder and specializes in classic power and sail designs. They currently have three projects underway: a full restoration of a 1937 Herreshoff 12 1/2, a replica of a 1932 John Hacker Hydroplane, and the extensive restoration of a 1930 45-foot Dawn Corporation motor cruiser.
Brown’s extensive experience includes work on yachts from designers and builders like Herreshoff, Sparkman & Stephens, Burgess, Hacker and Concordia.
He has worked with other boat shops, including Newport Yacht Joinery and East Passage Boatwrights. Prior to enrolling in the Boatbuilding & Restoration program at IYRS, Brown worked in New York with an Adirondack-based boatbuilder on a pre-war Fay & Bowen launch and a number of Chris Craft models. In addition to running Block & Becket Shipwrights, he also serves as a part-time instructor at the Herreshoff Marine Museum and holds a USCG 50-ton master license. He has also crewed and skippered a variety of classic sail and power yachts. For more information on services, visit www.blockandbecket.com
