Made in Vermont: Adirondack Guide Boat

NORTH FERRISBURGH, Vt. (WCAX) - Brothers Ian and Justin Martin are making modern boats that have stood the test of time in our region.

"Back in the day, they were basically a pickup truck for the people that stayed in the camps in the Adirondacks and came up from the cities to hunt and fish and whatnot," explained Ian, co-owner of Adirondack Guide Boat .

Together, the brothers are breathing new life into a popular vessel in the high peaks.

"We modernized things here, building boats out of Kevlar and fiberglass," Ian said.

Adirondack Guide Boat has been anchored in North Ferrisburgh for decades. The boats are small, user-friendly, recreational rowboats that boast a stable and comfortable design. Ian and Justin started working at the company in 2001 under the previous owner, Steve Kaulback.

"Our jobs just grew with the company. We started doing shows, started doing everything," recounted Ian. "In 2012, we bought the company."

Justin and Ian make each boat by hand, offering 12-, 14- and 15-foot lengths. They build roughly 100 to 150 boats per year, and most of them are made of composite materials. They do still offer and make their wooden boat, but the labor-intensive vessel takes nearly 400 hours to finish and will run you nearly four times the price.

"Start to finish we give ourselves at least three months," Justin said.

Down the road in Vergennes, Randy, their third employee, makes all their wooden wares, including seats, parts and oars. That's something that was new during the pandemic. Aside from that, not much has changed over the years, including a common misconception about what kind of boats they actually make.

"We used to have a sign on the side of the road that said, 'These are not canoes.' It kind of yelled at everyone, and it would bring people in the door," said Ian. "You can go a lot more places, the hull speed is better, they handle a little bit more rough water and wind."

The business is growing, as they ship boats across the region, country and world. Things are finally slowing down for the colder months, giving the guys time to do what they love most.

"We've always had a love for water. When we're not here at the shop, you can pretty much find us out on the lake," said Ian.

These boats are made for the lake and are made in Vermont.