About Capt. Jim Shotwell & James Craft Marine Services, Inc.
About Capt. Jim Shotwell & James Craft Marine Services, Inc.
Born in 1946, and raised along the Susquehanna River in the 1950's, Jim Shotwell was growing up when wooden flatiron skiff row boats where the only way to fish and play on the water for a young boy of limited means. He grew up loving these small wooden craft. After returning from the military in the late 60's his interest turned to wooden power boats, always repairing and restoring what he had. Then in the 70's he was introduced to sailing by a native family in the French West Indies and he was hooked. Always building or repairing; homes, commercial buildings and boats, one for the living it offered, boats for the joy. In the 80's Jim turned all his attention to boats; building, restoring, repairing and maintaining boats of all kinds at his shop in Pennsylvania, on the Chesapeake Bay and now on the St. Johns River in Florida. In the late 80's he added nautical folk art, in the form of wall hanging wooden boat shadow boxes, and has customers and collectors all around North America who display his work. That portion of the business was moth balled in the mid 80's because of the growth in the restoration and new boat construction segment of the boat business. Those products are once again available from Jims Partners in Maryland , Capt's., Maryann and Dominic Fiaschetti.
With the 90's Jim began doing boat building demonstrations, teaching boat building, writing and photography. He writes a bi-monthly column {“Sightings”} as well as features for Nor'easter Magazine, Mid Atlantic Region and contributes to the “Brass Bell” {The official Publication of the Antique Boat Club}, DIY Boat Owner Magazine and others.
In 2000 he sat for the U.S. Coast Guard Captains License exam and was awarded a 50 Ton Masters License for steam, power or sail powered vessels in near coastal waters with an endorsement for assistance towing. That same year, with their partners in Maryland Capt. Linda and Chuck Warner and Capt. Maryann and Capt. Dominic Fiaschetti, Capt. Jim and Diana formed Antique and Classic Boat Charters, Inc. offering charters on Antique and Classic vessels from Maine to Florida .
Restoration of antique and classic vessels has always been a major focus and the core of his work. He helped to pioneer many of the techniques that are now the accepted standards and methods in the restoration of wooden and early fiberglass boats of all sizes. His shop has spaces for vessels up to 40 feet and Jim and his crew perform repair, restoration and refinishing on boats of all types of original construction. While his shop is best known for new bottoms and major structural restoration he also offers state of the art painting and bright work, upholstery, engine repair/rebuilding and detailing.
The “Kit Boat Division” of James Craft Marine Services, Inc. manufactures exact reproductions of the Chris Craft kit boats of the 1950's and markets the kits, as well as fully assembled Kit Boats, under their own brand “James Craft”. They build reproductions of early wooden runabouts and kit boats as well as some variations of these prized beauties. What a better way to get started in the Antique and Classic Boating movement than an affordable entry level boat that is a reproduction of the real thing.
Capt. Jim is the president of James Craft Marine Services, Inc and Antique and Classic Boat Charters, Inc. He is the president of the Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the Antique and Classic Boat Society {ACBS} as well as the chief judge for that Chapter. He also serves as a Director at Large and Chairman of the Youth Development Committee for ACBS International.
He travels the ACBS shows featuring the Kit Boat Reproduction Kits, demonstrating their construction and giving seminars on Kit Boats and the Restoration of Antique and Classic Vessels. You can reach Capt. Jim at 800-554-BOAT {2628}, 410-979- BOAT {2628} or by e-mail at captjim@jamescraftboats.com.
