Nat Bryant is the sixth generation of boat builders on the family’s original property on the Newcastle shore of the Damariscotta River.
Riverside Boat Company is operated by Nat’s parents, Paul and Linda Bryant, and Nat has joined them, keeping up a family tradition. The yard is busy, even in the depths of winter, and Paul said his current long-term project is a 31-foot Concordia sloop.
Another Riverside tradition is wooden boatbuilding, and the Concordia – a project for a customer who wants a bigger boat – is no exception. The Bryants only reluctantly work on fiberglass boats, usually for an established customer. They prefer classic wood, and Riverside’s reputation among wooden boat lovers is a Midcoast legend.
This winter, Bryants are re-planking and sistering frames in a 19-foot runabout built by Paul’s father, Creston Bryant, in 1951. There’s plenty of repair work around the shop, keeping four to five people busy full time, Linda said.
A visit to Riverside Boat reveals several Friendship Sloops, one dating to 1912, and a variety of sailing vessels from dinghies to schooners.
Paul said he has little time for sailing, but he loves every minute of it when he can steal away. When he was young he raced small boats, such as the 12-foot Skipper and 15-foot Valentine. Both classes of boat were designed and built by his father.
A lot of work here involves hand tools, and the care and skill put into that effort has given Riverside a word-of-mouth reputation that ensures the yard is seldom if ever idle. Customer loyalty bridges generations, and if you’re new and want some work done, you might have to get in line.
The Bryants have no plans to expand or change what they do. Why should they? It’s worked quite nicely since the 1700s, when the first Nathaniel Bryant set up shop. q
— Steve Cartwright