Every year, Van Dam Custom Boats publishes a Year in Review magazine for clients and friends. It’s beautiful, it’s detailed, and we also make it interactive online.
Three new custom wooden boats launched in 2025. Our combined campus team hit 36 people — the largest in our nearly five decades of building. And the work happening in the shop right now is some of the most ambitious we’ve taken on.
Here’s everything that happened — and links to the full story behind each one.
What Launched in 2025
Three boats made it into the water this year, each one completely different from the last.
- Last Call — a 26-foot custom wooden cocktail cruiser designed for Northern Michigan living, built around hidden technology and classic lines that make people ask if she’s an antique. Read the full story →
- Victoria Z — a 35-foot twin-engine wooden speed boat pushing 1,100 horsepower through surface drives. Thirteen years in the making, in the sense that the relationship behind it spans two projects and a shared obsession with detail. Read the full story →
- Hull #65 — a hand-built custom wooden canoe designed to be strapped to the float of a seaplane. Smaller than anything we typically build. No less demanding. Read the full story →
In the Shop Right Now
Arline is a 26-foot inland lake cruiser currently taking shape in the shop, scheduled for launch in summer 2026. Her name comes from the signature of the owner’s late wife. Built to carry a family forward — generations of afternoons on a small Northern Michigan lake. Follow the build →
Available Now
- Certified Legends — Van Dam boats rarely come to market. Right now, a select few are available, ranging from Hull #1 (launched 1980) to a turn-key 38-foot sedan cruiser. See what’s available →
- Concepts for Purchase — three design concepts ready to commission, including Sunray, a 60%-complete 50-foot dayboat with hull and pilothouse already in place. Explore the concepts →
More From 2025
- What “Custom” Really Means — and why most boats aren’t. Van Dam Master Craftsman Thor on the difference between configuration and collaboration. Read it →
- Why Van Dam Holds 32 ABYC Certifications — a look at the team’s 2025 training and what it means for the boats we build. Read it →
- Beyond Boats: Custom Woodworking and One-of-One Commissions — the seaplane canoe, a mahogany desk, and what happens when the challenge falls outside traditional boatbuilding. Read it →
About Van Dam
Van Dam Custom Boats has been building one-of-a-kind wooden boats in northern Michigan since 1976. We build 1 to 2 boats per year — from scratch, for clients who understand what custom actually means.
If you’re curious about commissioning a custom wooden boat, contact us directly to start a conversation.