about us
Denman Marine is an Australian wooden boatbuilding company based in Kettering, Tasmania. Established in 2005, the business is operated by professional boat builder Andrew Denman and a small team of dedicated and gifted Tasmanian craftspeople.
We specialise in the construction, repair, restoration and refitting of wooden boats using both traditional and modern boatbuilding methods and materials. From small clinker dinghies to ocean-going cruising vessels, if it is made of wood, we can build it for you.
Wooden Boatbuilding in Tasmania
Our purpose-built boatbuilding facility is located in Kettering, on Tasmania’s beautiful D’Entrecasteaux Channel. The workshop can accommodate vessels up to 50 feet in length, allowing us to undertake substantial restorations, refits and complete new builds.
Our labour rates are low compared with those on the Australian mainland, helping to reduce the cost of extensive refit work and new wooden boat construction without compromising craftsmanship or material quality.
Denman Marine has developed a growing Australia-wide reputation for high-quality wooden boatbuilding, restoration and repair work. We use only the finest boatbuilding materials available in the construction and restoration of our vessels.
We have built, repaired and restored vessels for private owners, commercial operators, television commercials and the international film industry.
Traditional Skills and Modern Construction Methods
Our aim is to keep traditional wooden boatbuilding skills alive while promoting wooden boats as a practical and attractive alternative to modern, heavily advertised fibreglass boats.
All members of our team are passionate wooden boat owners, with many thousands of coastal and offshore sailing miles between them. This practical experience informs every stage of our work, from design interpretation and material selection through to construction, maintenance and repairs.
Denman Marine specialises in custom wooden boat construction and repair. We work with traditional methods such as carvel and clinker construction, as well as modern methods including strip planking, cold moulding and clinker plywood construction.
Custom Wooden Boats
We can custom-build wooden boats to almost any design, including designs by:
- Iain Oughtred
- David Payne
- Paul Gartside
- John Welsford
- Mark Bowdidge
- Francois Vivier
- Atkin
- Bolger
- B&B
Whether you are considering a traditional sailing dinghy, rowing boat, launch, yacht or ocean-going cruising vessel, our team can work with you to turn an established design into a carefully constructed and highly finished wooden boat.
Denman Marine is proud to build wooden boats in Australia.
Chesapeake Light Craft, Swallow Yachts and Barton Marine
Denman Marine is the sole Australian and New Zealand agent for Chesapeake Light Craft in the USA—the best boats you can build. Chesapeake Light Craft produces an extensive range of wooden kit boats for amateur and professional builders.
We are also agents for Swallow Yachts and Barton Marine products from the United Kingdom.
As an Australian importer of Barton Marine products, Denman Marine supplies innovative marine accessories, including the award-winning Clam Seal inflatable boat repair seal and the Barton Boomstrut.
From our workshop in Kettering, Tasmania, Denman Marine provides specialist wooden boat construction, restoration and repair services while representing leading international wooden boat and marine equipment businesses throughout Australia and New Zealand.
