Skip to main content

Behind-the-Scenes at Van Dam Custom Boats’ Workshop and Design Studio

van dam boats
Chelsea Batten/The Manual

The essence of Van Dam Custom Boats is right there in the name: custom. This company creates wooden powerboats and sailboats of the highest quality and craftsmanship found anywhere on Earth at a rate of roughly two boats per year. This isn’t for lack of customers. Rather, it’s the result of focused, passionate expertise.

Recommended Videos

About as far as you can imagine from a showroom lineup, a Van Dam boat begins not with a model or template, but with a conversation. Aspiring boat owners sit down with these passionate craftsmen and talk about what is important to them in their future boat, including size, speed, style, materials, or any combination thereof. Where most boat companies use assembly lines and subcontracting to get all the parts needed to build their boats, Van Dam project teams build one boat at a time, all from scratch, all by hand. From framing to electrical to finish, it all happens on site by their expert teams. Every vessel they produce is an original, handcrafted work of art, executed by small teams of nautical polymaths.

We recently had the chance to tour the Van Dam Custom Boats workshop in Boyne City, Michigan, where the Van Dam family has been bringing boating dreams to life since 1977. The whole operation is damn impressive. From meeting Ben Van Dam, current company president and son of founders Steve and Jean, to observing the laser-like focus of the staff as they went about their business washed in a fresh breeze off Walloon Lake, you can’t help but be impacted by the company’s unimpeachable ethos. It’s the kind of place where the passion and attention to detail make you question what you’re doing with your own life.

Boats made by Van Dam are guaranteed for life. But when you have zero warranty claims in over forty years, it’s not a policy on which time is wasted.

In Ben’s words, “Our focus is to build a perfect boat, one that will last forever.” These boats are built to be heirloom pieces, passed down from generation to generation. Given that all the boats that have left the workshop are still parting waters around the globe, they’re well on their way.

In addition to luminous beauty, high functionality, and heirloom brand prestige, Van Dam Custom Boats offers an open-door policy during the design phase. Since many of their customers like to be involved to the last detail, the ongoing dialogue with Van Dam lets each boat owner get exactly what he or she wants, whether that be an interior with mother-of-pearl harvested from Maui or an outline reminiscent of the Batmobile as driven by Adam West. (Yes, those are real customer requests and we can confirm they’re amazing to behold.)

The one thing you don’t see when walking through the Van Dam workshop is an employee base that looks like they’ve got anywhere else to be. The men and women at work on the 50-foot yacht and the 40-foot sailboat in progress at the shop barely look up from their work as we nose around with our telephoto lens and a bunch of dumb questions, adding emphasis to Ben’s comment on our way into the next room:

“When you see something done really well, it puts you in the headspace of approaching what you do in a similar way.”

“When you see something done really well, it puts you in the headspace of approaching what you do in a similar way.”

Given the license for creativity and the absorbing beauty of the materials they work with, it’s not surprising to learn that employees frequently come back to the shop on weekends, whether to put in some more TLC on a client project or to build something special of their own. (It doesn’t hurt that the company schedules production around three-day weekends during the summer months, so the workforce can spend more time out on the water.)

The only thing more exciting than watching the process of these boats being built is riding in one. Luckily, the runabout After Three was available for an early afternoon jaunt over the glacier-clear waters of Walloon Lake. The 28-foot open cockpit, with its creamy mahogany panels, glistening hardware, and the refined purr of its Mercury MerCruiser 350 Mag engine, looks like something you’d see if Wes Anderson directed the next Bond film. At 40 mph, we glide effortlessly over the lake, slicing through the aquamarine water with the grace and panache of a Russian ballet dancer crossing 5th Avenue in a pair of Oliver Sweeney wingtips.

Whether it’s during a ride across a lake or throughout several decades of time on the water, the Van Dam customer never ceases to find new details to appreciate on these beautiful vessels.

Article by Chelsea Batten with contributing reporting from Bryan Thompson.

Chelsea Batten
Former Former Digital Trends Contributor, The Manual
Chelsea Batten is a writer, photographer, and Kerouac groupie. One of the original digital nomads, she was seduced from life…
Topics
Jeep unveils the all-new Cherokee to debut late 2025
New Jeep Cherokee coming late 2025
Jeep Cherokee

When the Cherokee left Jeep's lineup at the end of 2023, it created a noticeable gap between the smaller Compass and the midsize Grand Cherokee, leaving a lot of potential buyers wondering what happened. The Cherokee has always been a strong player in a super competitive field, going head-to-head with big names like the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Chevrolet Equinox, and Hyundai Tucson. So, it was a bit confusing when Jeep pulled the plug on the last generation without having a replacement lined up. After two years of sitting on the sidelines, Jeep is finally bringing the Cherokee back.

Recently, Jeep shared the first teasers of the new SUV ahead of its big reveal and expected launch later this year. Fans of classic Cherokees might be excited about the new model’s design, which goes back to a boxier, more rugged look that feels true to Jeep's roots. To highlight this, Jeep put out a cool image showing the new model alongside the older XJ-series Cherokees from the '80s and early 2000s. The 2026 version sports a flatter front end and squared-off headlights that remind many of the classic models, and the roofline is more upright, giving it a tougher vibe.
“The all-new Jeep Cherokee headlines our efforts to deliver more product, innovation, choice and standard content to customers than ever before,” said Bob Broderdorf, Jeep CEO. “Jeep Cherokee will boast competitive pricing that strikes at the core of the largest vehicle segment and sits perfectly between Jeep Compass and Jeep Grand Cherokee to bolster our winning mainstream lineup.”
Right now, Jeep offers a mix of vehicles, including gas engines and plug-in hybrids with their clever 4xe technology available in models like the Grand Cherokee and Wrangler. There’s a chance the new Cherokee could include a basic gas engine—maybe the same turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder found in the Compass—alongside a 4xe hybrid model or even an all-electric version. For now, more details are still under wraps, but fans are eager to find out what Jeep has in store as the launch date gets closer.

Read more
The 2025 BMW X7 M60i may be the sportiest full-sized SUV on the market
Driving this, you forget you're in a full-sized SUV
Front 3/4 view of a a blue BMW X7 M60i

The luxury SUV market is a little crowded these days, so sometimes it’s difficult to stand out. There’s an argument that you should play to your historic strengths if you want to succeed, and that’s likely what BMW has done with the X7 M60i SUV. The vehicle is much larger than your average Blimmer, but at its core, it has all of the qualities that BMW customers tend to appreciate.

I recently spent some time looking at BMW’s biggest SUV, which has been enhanced with an “M” package. So, before hopping in the driver’s seat, I was already expecting a good amount of comfort paired with exceptional power. This is why the X7 M60i did not disappoint on either front.
It’s very aggressive, like a tiger on a leash

Read more
Bridgestone’s new touring tire comes with an 80,000 mile warranty
Bridgestone Launches All-New Turanza EverDrive Touring Tire
bridgestones new touring tire comes with an 80000 mile warranty bridgestone turanza everdrive  3

Since we started using a set of Firehawk Indy 500 tires a few months ago, Bridgestone has really impressed us with their dedication to quality and innovation in the tire scene. This week, they’ve introduced an exciting new addition—the Turanza EverDrive touring tire, and it's backed by an incredible 80,000-mile warranty, which is their longest yet.

These tires are designed for sedans, CUVs, and minivans, and they come with some really new and useful technology. The next-generation rubber compound helps fight against uneven wear, so you can expect them to last you longer. Plus, they’ll give you a smooth and comfortable ride, perfect for all your daily adventures with or without the family.

Read more