The 62nd annual Boothbay Harbor Windjammer Days will take place on Sunday, June 23 through Saturday, June 29. This year we will celebrate our local boatbuilders and shipwrights. Please visit boothbayharborwindjammerdays.org for the full schedule of events.

I was fortunate to spend every summer in Round Pond, Maine swimming and boating in the ocean. When I went to the University of Michigan in 1988, I knew I wanted to be an engineer. Math and science piqued my interest and when I learned about their naval architecture/marine engineering program, it felt like a perfect fit. After earning my master’s degree in 1993, I worked for two amazing men, Bruce Blancke and Jack
Gilbert. These two men, who owned small engineering firms in New Jersey and Boston, respectively, shaped my future by showing me the importance of building a business through developing relationships and providing top-notch customer service. These skills aren’t always intuitive for engineers, and I appreciate learning these skills from them!

I moved to the Damariscotta area in 2001 with my wife. I began working at BIW as a naval architect/structural engineer. I made many friends while at the yard but missed designing a boat in its entirety, seeing a design from inception to reality and missed working with clients directly. In 2004 I opened Thomas M. Farrell Naval Architects, Inc. as a side job. Two years later we had three young children and I finally convinced myself that I was ready to make a go of doing this job full-time. I joined forces with a former colleague, Garrett Norton, and we began Farrell and Norton Naval Architects.

My first job was taking a 100-foot scallop boat and stretching and widening it to a 165-foot herring mackerel boat. This project was more complicated than a full design and gave me confidence that I could succeed in the industry. Today most of my projects are work boats and I spend a fair amount of time traveling on the east coast and in the gulf. Some of my current projects include a 65-foot oyster boat for the Delaware Bay, an 88-foot triple screw towboat that will be used on the Mississippi River and a 79-foot scalloper that will fish out of New Bedford.

I have worked on many wooden sailing vessels, and one of the most significant projects I collaborated on was right here in Boothbay Harbor. Recently I helped with the restoration of the Ernestina Morrissey at Boothbay Harbor Shipyard. I was lucky to work with David Short, shipwright, on the project from start to finish. David’s craftsmanship and the way he approached the project was astounding. It was like going back in time to watch the boat go together.

Old, wooden boats are challenging projects. I was tasked with the engineering to make a wooden fishing schooner from 1894 pass current regulations. There were so many hurdles along the way but in the end, it was so rewarding to see the vessel in the water.

I love my job; each day presents new challenges. Throughout the years there has been high demand for work in the naval architecture industry. As I look to the future, I am interested to see new and different options for cleaner fuels. I am excited because one of my daughters is finishing her mechanical engineering degree. She is starting to become more involved with my business and it is fun to share my knowledge and experience with her. Hopefully she wants to continue the business I have built!