the early years:
The story begins back in the early '70's. After deciding college was not for me, I took off for the open road on my Honda 250, working my way from Germany down to southern Europe. By summer's end I had reached the shores of Portugal. It was at this point that I realized I would need a boat if I really wanted to see the world. The open sea had always fascinated me. This fascination started at an early age when my family moved from Germany to South America. Each move entailed a long sea voyage that I thoroughly enjoyed. To pickup where my childhood adventure ended, I joined the crew of a 100' Baltic-trader that was being converted into a replica of the 1825 square rigger, "Pilgrim". While working
as an interpreter and rigger on the brig "Pilgrim", I had ample time to observe and learn from the skilled Portuguese shipwrights. Finally in the summer of '74, "Pilgrim" set sail across the Atlantic to the Caribbean. To fill the complement of crew, Laurie along with other young Americans came aboard for the Atlantic crossing. Laurie and I were soon an "item" as they say. After our Atlantic crossing, we flew back and traveled throughout Scandinavia looking for a Baltic trader for a potential customer. Following that job, Laurie and I began a successful quest to find a boat of our own. I was then drafted into the German navy for my mandatory fifteen months of duty. It was during this time that Laurie and I were married.
as an interpreter and rigger on the brig "Pilgrim", I had ample time to observe and learn from the skilled Portuguese shipwrights. Finally in the summer of '74, "Pilgrim" set sail across the Atlantic to the Caribbean. To fill the complement of crew, Laurie along with other young Americans came aboard for the Atlantic crossing. Laurie and I were soon an "item" as they say. After our Atlantic crossing, we flew back and traveled throughout Scandinavia looking for a Baltic trader for a potential customer. Following that job, Laurie and I began a successful quest to find a boat of our own. I was then drafted into the German navy for my mandatory fifteen months of duty. It was during this time that Laurie and I were married.
THE adventure begins: "Emigrance"
Our quest resulted in finding a 28 foot, fiberglass German lifeboat. Throughout the rest of my tour, every spare moment went into planning, designing and the construction of our dream. The following year was spent outfitting the boat with a full length steel keel, deck, cabin and interior. With the spars stored on deck, we motored down through the canals of Europe, enjoying some of the most peaceful times that I can remember. After traveling down the Rhone River, we ended up in a small boatyard in Aigues-Mortes, France. There we spent the winter rigging our boat and working two days a week for our keep. When the boat was finally finished, we headed out on our maiden voyage to Marseille. After that successful trip, we sailed from port to port throughout the Mediterranean. A few years later we felt comfortable and confident enough to cross the Atlantic for the U.S.A. After leaving Gibraltar, we headed toward the Canary Islands where we began preparations for the Atlantic crossing. Thirty one days later and after sailing nearly 3000 miles, we made landfall in Barbados. We then worked our way up the Windward and Leeward Islands, to the Bahamas, and then on to Fort Lauderdale. Eventually we made our way up the Intracoastal Waterway to St. Augustine and have called it home ever since.
THE Goal:
After selling "Emigrance" and building a home, I began working on designing a new boat. The idea of building the perfect yacht tender had appealed to us because of our own experiences while cruising. The goal was a dinghy that sailed, rowed and towed well. It had to maintain its stability when fully loaded, without sacrificing its classic lines and good looks. We went to work confident that we would accomplish that very task. In 1983, we founded Bauteck Marine and released a ten foot dinghy known today simply as the" bauer 10". With its two part, fiberglass hull and liner, retractable centerboard and beaching rudder, it continues to be a benchmark for small boat design and construction. In 1988, we released the smaller "bauer 8", available as either a rowboat or in a sailing configuration. The bauer 12 daysailer made its premiere in 1996 as a 118 sq. ft. Marconi rigged, semi-displacement hull, with an overall length of 12'5" and a 6' beam. Through the years we have continued to build these custom dinghies of exceptional quality. We believe that you will find this to be true with all of our products here at Bauteck Marine.