Media
Press & Media — San Juan Islands Boat Electrical Installations
Coverage, facts and photography — and the electrical, coatings and refit work behind it.
Essential Shipyard Industries is a full-service boatyard and marine manufacturer with two yards on the Salish Sea — ESI North in Anacortes and ESI South in La Conner. For interviews, photography or technical comment, contact (360) 610-7577 or info@essentialshipyard.com.
Where we have been covered
Waggoner Cruising Guide has covered us twice — first on the Hempel silicone coatings we brought to Washington, and again on the yards themselves. Marine Business World and Sail-World carried the February 2024 trade release announcing the Hempel, SeaWide Distribution and Essential Shipyard partnership that made Silic One available in Washington State for the first time. The Fishing Wire and Great Lakes Scuttlebutt have both run the story since.
The stories worth telling
- We launched Hempel Silic One in Washington State. We were the launch applicator for the entire state and have now applied it to more individual boats than any yard in the country — a copper-free, biocide-free coating in a state actively phasing out toxic antifouling.
- We are a manufacturer, not only a yard. At La Conner we build composite hardtops from our own molds for Bayliner, Grady-White, Cutwater and Ranger Tugs, using a production hardtop taken from 400 lb to 124 lb, and we own the original Bayliner hardtop molds.
- The 100-ton travel lift at ESI South is going all-electric, running on battery packs repurposed from a Nissan Leaf.
- We bought Latitude Marine Services in La Conner in December 2024, and lease from the Swinomish Nation at McGlinn Island.
- We run our own trade school. Essential Shipyard University certifies every technician to a written standard, and is the classroom half of our DoD SkillBridge program.
- Over 30 employees across two yards, with interns training alongside qualified technicians.
Media contact
Jason Knott, President — (360) 610-7577 · info@essentialshipyard.com. High-resolution photography of both yards, the spray booth, the travel lift and finished vessels is available on request.
Related services
Free for every customer
A complimentary 18-point inspection
An expert technician tests the boat’s systems and writes up every point as Excellent, Good, Monitor, Attention or Critical — a written report telling you what is sound, what to keep an eye on, and what has to be dealt with before she goes back in the water. Free with every job.
EXCELLENT
GOOD
MONITOR
ATTENTION
CRITICAL
Essential Shipyard 