David Chard, a longtime and well-known rigger who recently took a hiatus, is back on Long Island Sound. Black Rock Boat Works, LLC, the largest rigging loft on the Sound, is now open for business in a fantastically huge indoor space at Steelpointe Harbor Marina in Bridgeport, CT. Nowhere else between Manhattan and New Bedford can a rigger work on projects in a indoor, climate-controlled space with an air draft of 85 feet. A 200-ton Travel Lift brings fully rigged boats into the shop, which is located at 731 Seaview Avenue (formerly Derecktor Shipyard). Dave likes to refer to it as “elevated rigging.”
The advantages of being able to work on a rig out of the weather and with consistent light without necessarily having to take it down are numerous. Services offered by Black Rock Boat Works comprise “anything from the deck up,” including mast stepping/unstopping and replacement, consulting, inspections, standing and running rigging, splicing, tuning and race preparation. They’re also a distributor for rod, wire, cordage and fittings from Harken, New England Ropes, Ronstan, Antal, Robline, Marlow, Raymarine, Wichard Group, Hayn, BSI Rod Rigging, and others.
Black Rock Boat Works is open by appointment, and Dave encourages visitors to come and shop his supplies or simply ogle the cool projects from his office high above the shop floor. We have been there. It is truly impressive! Give him a call at 203-873-0015 (shop) or 203-829-6754 (cell), or visit facebook.com/BlackRockBoatWorks ■
