Cutts & Case, Inc.

Cutts & Case, Inc. Designers & Builders Of Fine Wooden Yachts

06/03/2026

This week, Will, Clint, and Chris were back aboard SALT applying fresh Awlgrip Oyster White and Claret Red to her cap rail and bulwarks respectively. Last month we pushed hard to meet the Memorial weekend deadline so the owner could enjoy the boat for a planned family weekend on the water. While the work was completed on schedule, the finish wasn’t quite where we felt it should be.

Anyone familiar with Awlgrip knows that exceptional results aren’t just about the final coat—they’re earned through meticulous preparation, careful application, proper cure times, and an abundance of patience and due diligence between every step. Those extra hours are often invisible when you look at the finished product, but they’re what create the flawless finish.

After the SALT returned, we took the opportunity to revisit the job, re-prepping the bulwarks inside and out along with the cap rail before applying fresh finish coats. We did this because we wanted the final result to reflect the standards we’ve built our reputation on. “Quality is its own legacy,” as Ed Sr. was known to say.

Finding the balance between schedules, budgets, customer expectations, and craftsmanship is part of every restoration project. In the end, our goal remains the same: a satisfied owner and work we’re proud to stand behind.

Well done 🤩🙌

05/29/2026

Will has wrapped up a major c**kpit repair job (see linked reel), making the finish blend seamlessly like the soft deck and delamination damage was never there 🤩

Will poured in much time and talent demo’ing delaminated glass, rotten wood and soaked insulation. His skill, patience and craftsmanship is what makes this repaired c**kpit look like nothing ever happened! Work like this never happens alone, Dennis and Ronnie were there for consults and both Chris and Clint jumped in to help with finish paint. We’re grateful for every set of hands, every shared effort and the caliber of teamwork that keeps these boats a float and looking fresh 🙌

A BIG Thank You to our neighbors at Dimillo’s and their wonderful team over there for SALT’s smooth launch and the continued camaraderie on our shared waterfront 🙏

We’re proud not only of the work we do here at Cutts and Case, but also of being part of the larger Oxford Maritime Community. We are the oldest of the six boatyards in a town of around 700-1,000 or so residents! Season after season, this is a very special place🙌❤️⛵️

05/26/2026

Whisper is a well loved, well traveled Alajuela 33’ that belongs to one of our slip holders. Built and launched in Southern California in 1979, Whisper has since been outfitted for offshore adventures, making a trip to Bora Bora in the late 1980s, Hawaii in the mid 1990s, and through the Panama Canal some time after that. Whisper has made many an offshore passage on the Atlantic, too including trips up to Nova Scotia and New Brunswick before settling in her now home waters of the Chesapeake.

With a favorable tide last Friday the crew was mustered and hauled her out on the railway. She’s on the schedule for thru hull work. We recommend boats of her maturity have their thru hulls inspected and serviced during annual haul outs or very two years if you leave your boat in the water. Valves should be exercised so that in an emergency situation, you can confidently operate every sea c**k with one hand. All of Whisper’s sea c**ks are getting removed, cleaned, a couple will likely need to be replaced before they are all rebedded and she can launch. Our client’s safe sailing is a priority and work is well under way this week. Check back to see more updates!

04/30/2026

It’s been another busy week of readying and launching boats at the shipyard.

Grateful to have all this work and for Mother Nature’s cooperation with our painting & varnishing schedule!

This reel shows the crew coming together to wrap up Lilith’s winter work projects to get her launched last Friday. Not pictured is Bobby because he is camera shy and Will, who worked on her jib boom and deck hardware earlier this winter. Thank you also to our rep, Griff, who made sure we had the pennant line done asap and special delivered it himself, along with some ice cream!

Her winter work was truly a team effort and we could not be more pleased with how she came out—our client was very happy, too!

Stay tuned for some more Lilith content ⛵️🙌

Thursday throwback to 1999, Ed Cutts Sr. standing alongside Curio sporting a special sign he also made. “Mr. Cutts expec...
04/23/2026

Thursday throwback to 1999, Ed Cutts Sr. standing alongside Curio sporting a special sign he also made.

“Mr. Cutts expected us to learn by a kind of osmosis. Some guys expected an instructor-type approach. Mr. Cutts wanted you to figure out things for yourself from the guys working around you, like on a sports team. Then it’s a matter of style, learning his particular style and way to do things. He knows what works and what doesn’t. A lot of it is formula, like a recipe for cooking….Mr. Cutts has always given me the ability to do the best job I can do…Ed [Sr.] told me, ‘It’s all about the boats. They might fuss about the bill, but be sure it’s the very best you can do.’”

Above excerpt is a quote from Dennis from page 167 of Wayne Brown’s book, “Ed Cutts: Designer, Boatbuilder and “Cutts Method’ Inventor”
Swipe to see a photo of Dennis taken years earlier when Curio’s hull was flipped in her shop and he was working on the keel. Last image is of Dennis having a laugh while reading Sr’s sign 😂

God is watching, so is Mr. Cutts and we’re sure he’s smiling on his son and the crew he cultivated 😉🙌

04/22/2026

Swell’s day for a boat launch!

After a winter in the museum shop she’s emerged with a new “chin job” and a verdant new color palette quite befitting for her spring debut!

Topsides have a fresh couple coats of ‘s Alerion Green. While the bottom paint is and deck paint is in a Sand Beige

Check out the linked reel to see her December haul out and what a difference a winter’s rest made 🤩👏👏👏🙌

Throwback Thursday to fall of 1998 Ed Sr and beloved wife, Maggie, Cutts are all smiles as Curio sits in the crane sling...
04/16/2026

Throwback Thursday to fall of 1998 Ed Sr and beloved wife, Maggie, Cutts are all smiles as Curio sits in the crane slings ready to launch. Originally commissioned in 1989 by a lovely Philadelphia couple who requested a motor boat with a small cabin to enjoy the Tred Avon, as they had recently relocated to Talbot County. Ed Sr dreamed up a number of designs, drawing a few of these sketches modeled after styles of 1930 lake boats and afternoon launches. The couple settled on a launch style design with a hard top, clean lines and a trunk cabin—something that they saw themselves leisurely enjoying afternoon picnics aboard, maybe cruising at max speeds of 8-10knots.

Construction began in 1997 and they opted for the full patented Cutts Method of strengthening the initial hull with epoxy coated Kevlar Cords strung throughout, which not only locked seams in place but significantly lightened her overall weight and frame. At 27’ LOA, Curio’s engine, transmission, batteries, shaft, struts and propeller constitute 50% of her overall weight!

Ed Jr. has been quoted as remembering, “Dad did like to surprise, so he designed a boat that would cruise at 16 knots with a top end of 21 knots. The intention was for a light, strong, extremely efficient little boat. At 27’ she weighed 2,200lbs.” Her light frame coupled with the 87-hp 4-cylinder Chevy block engine packed quite the performance, far exceeding all expectations and absolutely delighting the clients who still very much enjoy and care for her!

Swipe to see her out on the Bay and continue to swipe to the end to see how tight her seams still are after these 28years!

04/15/2026

More progress on Julia!

Julia is one of three launches designed and built by Ed Cutts Sr. In the early days of the yard. After a number of years in service she was brought back in less than fair condition and up until 2024 had been one of the “sleeping beauty” boats behind Calico House, under the trees dreaming of her next custodian to invest the time and funds into her restoration.

Now with her new custodian, Julia’s full restoration is well underway. Scroll back through our posts to see how far she’s come! And stay tuned for more Julia updates!

04/14/2026

No shortcuts to this glossy wet shine finish 🤩

Clint and Chris took dedicated steps in their prep work leading up to applying Lilith’s second topcoat of Awl Grip’s topside paint in Snow White. This included wet sanding her hull by hand in between the coats last week.

Yesterday, after taping off the bright work and sweeping the surrounding workspace they prepped work benches, moved lighting into place and made sure they had their PPE as well as clean roller, tray and brushes at the ready. Just prior to the second coat, Awl Grip T0008 Cleaner was used with the two rag method, followed up with tack cloths to prep the hull before the AwlCat was measured and mixed with the topcoat paint.

Then the top coat was mixed, poured into the tray and cup and applied! Staring at the starboard side bow, Chris rolled and Clint brushed. They quickly negotiated a good pace and worked their way around Lilith, finishing back where they began at the bow. Not seen is a quick clean up and quiet exit to close the shop overnight, letting both the paint dry and paint fumes to dissipate.

This morning they opened the big shop doors, pulled tape and cleaned up the edges. So many steps, and so worth it—Lilith has that gorgeous wet shine finish look 🤩

Just wait until she’s back in the water with all her brightwork freshly coated, too—you’ll need a pair of sunnies to see her, she’ll be so brilliantly bright 😎⛵️☀️

Beautiful job guys, thank you! 👏👏👏🙌

This week we’re looking back at a 2008 spring launch of Cutts and Case beauty JOIE DE VIVIRE.One of the first of the Cut...
04/09/2026

This week we’re looking back at a 2008 spring launch of Cutts and Case beauty JOIE DE VIVIRE.

One of the first of the Cutts and Case boats built here at the yard, she was designed as a comfortable weekend cruiser for Abe Oberlin and originally launched in 1966. JOIE measures 29’10” LOA with a 7’7” beam and a 4’9” draft—just right for weekend cruising on the Bay.

Affectionately called JOIE—pronounced “Joe-Y”—around the yard, her full name is a French phrase meaning the full-hearted enjoyment of life—taking pleasure in simple moments, savoring experience, and embracing life with enthusiasm and appreciation. A gift of a present moment feeling that anyone who’s sailed a well-balanced wooden sailboat knows well.

Oberlin certainly did. As an early client, Oberlin quickly grew his relationship into a lasting friendship with the Cutts family. He was a familiar weekend presence, often a guest in the Ark so that the could make the most of his weekends sailing Joie de Vivre on the Tred Avon and Choptank Rivers.

After a few seasons, he wanted to explore waters closer to his NY residence. Oberlin commissioned Ed Sr to design and build him a larger cruising vessel—a popular 46’ that he would go on to sail up to Long Island for summer cruising.

Any guesses as to which Cutts and Case boat came next? Let us know below ⛵️
👇Comment also if you recognize anyone in the second photo 😉

Today, Joie de Vivre rests under cover, patiently awaiting her next chapter with a new custodian ready to invest in her care and log new joyful adventures. Please DM or write the office for more information.

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306 Tilghman Street
Oxford, MD
21654

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Monday 8am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8am - 4:30pm
Friday 8am - 4:30pm

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