Nautical History in Your Home

History: With the passage of the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, the United States government committed itself to updating its fleet of cargo vessels. The onset of World War II, however, made this production even more important and led to the production of over 5,500 new vessels. Of these, 2,710 were known as Liberty ships and were responsible for ferrying cargo through the dangerous German U-boat patrolled European Coast. Unfortunately, many of the Liberty ships were too small and too slow to successfully evade attack. In 1943, a new ship building program launched to create larger, faster Victory ships with much greater success.

Custom Built Nautical Furniture: Our most popular furniture is made from our special collection of Liberty Ship and Victory Ship hatch covers and come with a certificate of authenticity and brass plaque. This "Made to Order" furniture can be stand-alone or built-in. We also do restoration work on current pieces or use reclaimed wood and other items for custom work, such as teak deck grating, portholes and ship’s wheels. Our talented workshop staff can create just about any type of furniture you can dream up!

The thick, old-growth pine hatch covers we carry are in original condition – so they need to be sanded, stained and finished. We can construct any size for you, but they come in these standard sizes:

60 inches X 27 inches X  2  1/2 inches
56 inches X 36 inches X  2  1/2 inches
48 inches X 36 inches X  2  1/2 inches

Minwax Color Guide Pick a Wood Finish color or Water-based Wood Stain color that appeals to you.

Wood Surface: The wood can be Rough or Smooth - with or without filler strips. A “filler strip” fills in the gap between the boards.  All of our pieces are fully functional, yet Salty and rugged!

Nails: The hatch covers, in original condition, have nails in them. We can leave the nails or remove them.

Base: The base for a table can be matching wood or custom built recycled steel.

Shelves: When we build shelving, there are choices for wood: American Oak, Black Walnut, Maple, and Cherry.

Quotes and Questions?