George Buehler

[WillieC]

Just saw in Trawler Forum that Mr. Buehler has passed. Recently hospitalized for coronary bypass surgery. Sad news. I was reading some of the comments on TF and everyone says that it was George Buehler who got them interested in boats. Years ago we stumbled into a boat yard in Port Orchard where a gnarly dude was working on his converted wood troller and he invited us aboard. That was all it took, we ran out that day and bought the Troller Yacht and dreamed of one day making it happen. I even pondered welding my own steel boat in that ridiculous subdivision we lived in while in Tacoma. I was younger. And George Buehler's basic idea was that boating used to be and can continue to be affordable for the ordinary folk.

Thank you, George, for making us think even we could do it.

[JBrooks]

I read his book several times and follow some people online building Ducks and his sailboats. I still get online and check out Diesel Ducks for sale. There's a fellow in NY building a Duc. You can find him on YouTube by searching on Sea Dreamer Project. He's doing a great job building a wood Duck and he's never owned a boat of any kind.
I still dream of building a boat but I think I would rather renovate one if I had the space to do it.

[WillieC]

When I was a younger man, I thought, how hard could it be to build a boat? Buehler walked you through the whole thing and once broken down into its smallest pieces...piece of cake. I even pondered building a boat in the driveway of my tony suburban NE Tacoma subdivision full or CC&Rs and neighbors who carried their mini-yorkies in hand knitted sweaters when they walked to the mailbox. All I needed was a truckload of virgin old growth doug fir or a flatbed of steel plate. Did I mention I was younger? Oh, and the driveway had about a fifteen percent grade and was barely long enough to get the mini-van off the sidewalk. Details.

I came to my senses and bought an Albin 25. And no it does not have a Sabb engine.

But it was George Buehler who first sowed the seed that ordinary folks should be able to own a boat. And I LIVE on the Puget Sound.

Deepest regards to the family, he inspired a whole bunch of us.

RIP, George.