Some wooden boats are abandoned. Others get rescued. The difference comes down to one thing—who touches them next.
At Tahoe Runabout Co., located in Lake Tahoe, CA, we don’t just refinish boats. We bring them back from the brink with our bare hands, sharp tools, and decades of know-how. Our work is exacting, intense, and deeply personal. We restore wooden boats for people who want to feel proud again when they pull up to the dock. What does your boat say about you when it hits the water?
We Strip Everything Down Before We Build It Back Up
Every restoration starts with full disassembly. We remove every fitting, cleat, and deck plate. We strip the varnish to bare wood and dismantle the interior so we can inspect the frame, keel, and ribs without interference.
Our team uses calibrated moisture meters and borescopes to detect hidden rot, warped frames, and rusted fasteners. If there’s a problem hiding under paint or polish, we will find it. Once we’ve mapped the damage, we develop a build plan tailored to your boat’s exact design—not a one-size-fits-all guess.
We Rebuild Structure With Tight Joinery And Hand-Shaped Wood
Restoration doesn’t mean patching. It means rebuilding. We use white oak for steam-bent ribs and solid mahogany for planking. Every rib is shaped on custom forms. Every plank is scribed, cut, planed, and dry-fit before installation.
We never force wood into place. Instead, we cut to tight tolerances that allow each piece to settle into the structure without stress. We fasten using silicon-bronze screws that we torque by hand. Each connection is backed with marine epoxy or Resorcinol glue, depending on the boat’s original specs.
We don’t rush the wood—and it rewards us by lasting longer.
We Replace Bottoms That Fail The Flood Test
Most owners don’t see the problem until it’s too late. A soft seam, a hairline split, a slow drip from below—that’s how wooden boats warn you. When the bottom goes, performance suffers. So does safety.
We perform full bottom replacements when necessary. We pull the outer planks and evaluate the inner structure for separation or fungus. We replace compromised wood with marine-grade mahogany and set each board with 3M 5200 sealant for a permanent bond. Every fastener is corrosion-resistant, and every seam is sealed before we test it under controlled flooding.
If your boat can’t pass a flood test in our shop, it doesn’t leave.
We Refinish With Varnish That Reflects Like Water
A beautiful finish doesn’t happen in a single coat. It takes patience. We apply 12 to 14 coats of marine-grade varnish in a climate-controlled space. Each coat is cured, sanded, and wiped clean before the next layer is applied.
We work in long, even strokes with high-quality badger brushes. Between each coat, we sand by hand with 320 or 400 grit to eliminate bubbles, dust, and drips. The final coats are wet-sanded and polished until you can see the grain glow like it’s underwater.
Your boat shouldn’t just shine. It should stun.
We Paint To Protect—Not Just To Decorate
Not every boat wears full wood. Some demand paint. We match historical color codes or custom-blend modern schemes, depending on your preference.
Our team uses HVLP sprayers and premium marine paints that resist UV rays, salt, and friction. We prime every surface, maintain proper flash times, and lay paint with overlapping passes for a uniform coat. Once cured, we polish the paint to a smooth, durable finish that performs on the water and looks flawless at the dock.
We Detail With Precision And Diagnose While We Clean
Every detail session doubles as a mini-inspection. We clean the chrome. We condition the leather. We polish the brass and clear drains of debris.
But more importantly, we spot issues before they grow. We look for varnish fatigue, screw migration, and seam splits. We clean because we care—but we inspect because we know what’s coming if you don’t.
We Inspect Annually So You Don’t Fall Behind
Seasonal inspections aren’t optional for classic wooden boats. They’re essential. We check all fasteners, bottom integrity, finish health, and wood movement. We make preventative touch-ups before damage spreads.
If you wait for something to break, it will. That’s not a risk we let you take.
At Tahoe Runabout Co., located in Lake Tahoe, CA, we don’t just preserve boats. We protect reputations. We rebuild vessels that deserve another chapter. We serve Lake Tahoe, Kings Beach, Tahoe City, Incline Village, Carson City, and Reno.
We know what pride feels like. We help you feel it again—every time your boat hits the water. Call Tahoe Runabout Co. today at (775) 315-0309.
