LOCALadk Magazine

Summer 2018 LOCALadk Magazine 33 LOCALadk original 10 -foot Classic Lost Pond weighs 15lbs, making por- tage ver y easy. Having a boat that paddles well and can easily be carried into more remote ponds and lakes is part of the vision behind Hornbeck Boats. Another defining characteristic stems from Peter's goal to make boats that really fit each paddler. The boats are of- fered in three basic categories: The Classic is the time test- ed original, with a versatile hull suited for a wide variety of uses and conditions. New Tricks models have a more stream- lined hull for speed and longer distance travel. Black Jacks are astonishingly light and strong, built entirely of carbon fi- ber. All hulls are constructed in a single time frame, ensuring that all components are chemically bonded. The results are a stronger boat that is imper vious to delamination. With over 40 boat designs and a well-trained, experienced staff, rest assured you will be fitted to a boat that is just right for you. Last year alone the Hornbeck team helped over 500 people find the right boat. Peter invited me upstairs to his studio. The room was flooded with wonderful early April light streaming in from the large bay window. The view from that window was inspi- rational: a mountain stream running full on the left side, and his boat building complex on the right. In the middle of that window stood Peter's easel and his current work in progress. Peter picked up his watercolors, brushes, and a rag and began to work on the piece, which was inspired by the Blue Ledges. I was now seeing a different artistic side of Peter. Pete's watercolor paintings, adorning many of the office walls, de- pict the rugged and majestic wilderness of the Adirondack Park. I asked many questions about his watercolors: loca- tions, inspirations, and what school had he attended to learn how to paint? Peter informed me that he had not gone to art school. This amazed me, given the masterful quality of his paintings. Once again obser ving Peter, this time as the artist im- mersed in his own creative process, I realized I would do a portrait of the boat builder holding his model as one shoot, and another of Peter with his watercolors. The crew building the Hornbeck boats inspired my creative vision also. I knew I had to have their portrait, including the tools of the boat-building trade. What followed was crafts- man turning into professional models in minutes. Thanks guys, you were wonderful to work with! You cannot have a successful business without a strong workforce. They are the backbone and blood of any business. They are in the trench- es ever y day. The hard-working crew of Hornbeck boats is a group of dedicated craftsmen who bring what seems to be an effortless artistr y to their task of building Hornbeck boats.

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