All Ahead Full
Our interview with boat-builder Matt Biehunko
We had the pleasure of meeting Matt Biehunko at the Glen-L small-boat Gathering in Tennessee where we discovered the pilot and amateur-boatbuilder seemed to be having more fun than just about anyone. Turns out he’d also brought along more boats than just about anyone. Matt has somehow defied the constraints of time and energy to build three Glen-L runabouts—the Squirt, Malahini, and Barrelback—since 2014. Now he’s well along on a build of the Glen-L Monaco. We caught up with him (when he finally slowed down) to ask a few questions. —Eds
When did you first get into boatbuilding and what was the first design you built? In 2014. The Squirt. My neighbor couldn’t get his gas-powered weed eater started. He got mad and threw it in the garbage can. I fished it out of the trash, bought three sheets of pink insulation foam and glued them together and mounted the weed eater on the back. I stuck my kids in the boat on the creek. The girls made it two laps around the creek. The engine got so hot it started to melt the plastic. My kids bailed out. It was a colossal failure. However, I was then ready to build a wood boat. I bought plans for the Squirt. On many family trips we listened to the song Drive by Alan Jackson. There is a line in the song, “It’s just an old plywood boat with a 75 Johnson and electric choke ...Daddy let me drive...” I wanted my girls to be able to drive a plywood boat.
What mistakes did you make? Or what mistakes do you see builders make regularly? Epoxy is very powerful glue. I glued stuff together that I didn’t mean to. Clean your tools immediately after using them with epoxy because you will glue them to whatever surface. You aren’t going to avoid mistakes. My mistake in the beginning was thinking a mistake was a failure. A big leap forward is to embrace the mistake. Just try to minimize the cost and try not to have the mistake be too time consuming.
Tell us about some of your favorite designs? I like the look of the antique-style runabouts. I like designs that harken to a yesteryear.
Tell us about a particularly effective or satisfying modification you made? I added a linear actuator to the engine hatch on the Barrelback. Everytime I open the hatch it’s like a slow-opening Christmas present.
Any least favorite modifications? I tried to add a stern thruster to the Barrelback. It didn’t work very well. The answer was working on my skills driving a straight inboard. The Barrelback, compared to a ski boat, is ten times harder to handle around the dock because it’s long and skinny. It takes banging into the dock a few times to figure out how to drive it.
Any thoughts on the pro and cons of inboards versus outboards? Four part answer: Inboards look the most period correct for a classic runabout. They sound phenomenal. For me I can work on an inboard. Mechanically, they are the same as a car engine—which I am fairly familiar with. This would be a con for an outboard. I can only stand with my hands on my hips and shake my head at an outboard that won’t run. Con of an inboard is installation. It takes longer and it uses up a lot more space in a boat. For me, an inboard is the cheapest option because I buy old used tournament ski boats for parts. Buying all the parts new— from the engine to the rudder assembly—can get quite expensive.
The pros of an outboard...simplicity of installation. Excellent power-to-weight ratio. The new ones are efficient and quiet. Cons of an outboard: They don’t look as cool on runabout type boats and they require a “professional” mechanic to work on them.
What is it about the Glen-L designs or process that appeals to you? I see regular guys building really cool boats. That makes me think I can do it. The draw was the plans and a community of the people building the boats. I see the plans and actual boats built from the plans.
Which Glen-L Designs offer the most bang for the buck in terms of fun, performance, build time, and expense? Malahini and the Geronimo. They’re trailerable, have room for the whole family, and have modest power requirements with a very high giggle factor.
We've noted over the years that a lot of sailors and boatbuilders are teachers, motorcycle riders, or pilots. Any thoughts on this correlation? Pilots (and teachers) tend to have bigger blocks of time off that can be dedicated to a hobby like building boats. Teachers seem to be lifelong learners. I’m a learner. Heather says my boatbuilding is a creative outlet for me.
We think of you as someone who wants to test the limits of his vessels—to know them inside and out and to know how they will react in different situations. How do you go about this process safely? I wouldn’t say I do it safely. It takes time to get to know each vessel. Each vessel has their limitations. You will get negative feedback from a boat. If you try to take a Malahini out in three foot chop, it’s going to be a bad outing. You try to turn a Barrelback sharp at full throttle, it will reveal the limitations of the hull. Listen to each hull and it will give you feedback. In all seriousness, I take the boats out by myself before I attempt an outing with my family.
What does a perfect day on the water look like? Boat breaks down. I fix boat. Family thinks I’m a hero. If the sun is perfect, and the water is perfect, and the whole experience is perfect, you don’t remember the outing. The “oops!” are when the memories are created. •SCA•
Matt beautiful boats. I am a pilot also on a Seven-Seven schedule. I am 1/3 the way into building a Layden Paradox sailboat my wife and kids think I’m crazy! They don’t know the voyage I’m planning!
Matt there is a whole lot in those words - thanks for sharing - beautiful work - cool trailer!