Adam & Ros Way (directors)

Adam looks after the practical side of things, works on the boats and manages the projects whilst Ros looks after much of the day-to-day office work and does painting and varnishing and ably assists with such jobs as bending in ribs and fixing with nails and roves.

Adam was born on the Isle of Mull into a farming family. At the back of the farm was the 5-mile-long freshwater Loch, Loch Fresa, and it was here that he began sailing in a Kyles of Bute clinker racing dinghy built by Smiths of Tighnabruaich. Adam did not go straight to boat building but continued with the running of the farm. During this time, he trained as an Agricultural engineer, which included diesel mechanics, repair and maintenance of machinery and welding skills.

These skills are directly transferable to boats. He spent 3 years at sea working on fishing trawlers around the Scottish coast and the north of Australia.

Later with a young family in tow they headed south to Lowestoft so that Adam could join the full boatbuilding course at the International Boatbuilding Training Centre. Here he gained a distinction in all aspects and won the class prize. 

The company was created originally as A & R Way Boatbuilding in 1997 whilst working on a boat project at Portishead docks, later in 1998 they moved back to Adam's native Argyll and after a short stint at Crinan Boats, as it was then called, they began their first local yacht restoration on a Uffa Fox Itchen ferry type yacht.

The Boatyard

At A & R Way Boatbuilding, we believe that every wooden vessel tells a story. Operating from our fully equipped yard in Lochgilphead, we are proud to be among the premier wooden boat builders in Scotland and the North Of England, offering full-service shipwright care for classic yachts, working craft, and bespoke wooden dinghies.

What we deliver is a thought through solution taking into account all aspects of your boat, it may come to us with a woodworking issue but we will take into account rigging, engineering, electrics and systems when making the repair. countless times we have discovered serious and dangerous defects on previous workmanship.

 Currently the company operates from our workshops in the local industrial estate, Lochgilphead, where the major work is carried out, keeping overheads down compared to waterside yards. We also run the winter storage facility on the Crinan Canal at Cairnbaan where boats are lifted out and some work carried out. The company employs 4 to 6 people one of whom is currently an apprentice.

Our team handles projects of all scales including;

• Custom Wooden Boatbuilding: Tailored vessel design and construction using premium marine timbers.

• Classic Yacht & Historic Restoration: Full structural timber repairs, plank replacement, re-caulking, and hull overhauls.

• Marine Joinery & Repairs: Specialist teak deck laying, interior fit-outs, and heavy shipwright work.

• Winter Boat Storage & Maintenance: Secure yard storage, engine servicing, and seasonal prep on the West Coast of Scotland.

• Why pay south coast rates when we can seamlessly arrange delivery to our beautiful west of Scotland and into a modern indoor workshop where we create with precision, top materials and exceptional integrity,

Whether you are looking to restore a historic classic or build a vessel built to last generations, contact us today to discuss your project.