Grandy Skiff

From 1922 until 1967, the Grandy Family ran a floating boatyard moored in the northwest corner of Lake Union that was known for its fast work and high quality craftsmanship. The Grandys built both pleasure boats for cruising and smaller lapstrake skiffs that could be used as tenders for the pleasure boats. When in a port with no docks, the pleasure boat would anchor off shore where the water was deep. A tender was used to row from the pleasure boat to shore because of its ability to traverse shallow water.

Because of their affordability, the Grandy skiffs remained popular even during the Depression and the Grandy Boat Works flourished until 1967 when the shop burned down.

Currently the Grandy skiff is at The Center for Wooden Boat’s storage facility but can be viewed by appointment.

Boat Story

The Grandy shop was one of many that circled Lake Union after the locks and ship canal was completed in 1916. Grandy boats began in Great Britain when a young Grandy was a cabin boy for Sir Thomas Lipton. He advanced into building lapstrake dinghies and skiffs. His son, Lewis Grandy opened his own shop on Westlake Ave in 1922. The shop burned down in August 1967. Its marine railway still remains.

Grandy specialized in power yachts up to 75’ and 55’ purse seiners, both designed by Ed Monk. During prohibition, Grandy built several custom designed rumrunners, just as many other Lake Union shops did. During World War II most of the Lake Union boatbuilders, including Grandy, were busy building government boats. At times there were more than 80 employees at Grandy.

Brothers Earl and Bill Grandy started working as floor sweepers when they were 10 and began building boats at 12 under instruction by their father Vern, in about 1934.

It was a happy shop with lots of fooling around and friendly rivalry among the workmen. When a big job came they picked up extra boatwrights in the Ballard taverns.

In the mornings the workers came to work on the streetcar of the Lakeshore and Eastern railway. Many needed help with their tool chests. Some brought up to six chests. The crew would come out to help.

Grandy also took on apprentices who were initiated to boatbuilding by being sent down the street to the Prothero shop for trick errands-a bucket of steam or a board stretcher. The Grandy shop was an incubator for young boatbuilders. Bill Modrell, a recent graduate of the Edison Boatbuilding School quickly advanced from a crew member to project foreman and eventually established his own shop on the Duwamish River. Marty Monson started sweeping the floor after school when he was 10 and was building Grandy dinghies at 12. After 10 years at Grandy as head dinghy builder, Monson opened his own shop on the lake. Grandy dinghies were made as tenders for their yachts but the 12’ lapstrake model became a favorite as a life guard boat for the Seattle Parks.

The brothers would argue, at high stress times, about the right way to do things. They would fist fight and wrestle during working hours with the crew as audience. The battle was over when one was still standing and the other was dog paddling in the lake.

There were bandsaws all around the shop but they hewed deadwood with broadaxe, adze and slick. They ordered red cedar from the north side of Mount Rainier, 20 rings per inch. Their painters mixed white lead paste with turpentine for undercoating.

Naval Architect Ed Monk had his office in the Grandy shop. He was noticeable when he stopped by to eyeball the boat construction. Monk always wore a business suit and hat and chewed tobacco.

There were probably wakes throughout the taverns of Ballard on the day when old Grandy Boat Company burned down