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The Coast Guard, April 5 2005
Bill and Sherri Harris have built a niche market like no other in the boat transportation business.
Twenty-five years ago, the Harris' bought Don Atkinson Trucking. "That was pretty well the license to haul boats," said Bill Harris.
With that as a start point, Harris has grown Don Atkinson Trucking into a business with many assets: self-loading 53-foot trailers, built in his Lake John Road shop by newphew Tyler Harris and other workers and four trucks to haul big boats all over North America.
Seaway Fabrications, the foundry and machine shop opening April 8 at 40 Adamant Drive, is the newest facet to Harris growing enterprise. With equipment purchased from Atkinson & Bower; manned by two experienced, former A&B workers, Seaway Fabrications is qualified to continue offering A&B customers the service and supplies they received for decades from that firm.
Next to the machine shop in the Shelburne Industrial Park is a boat launch, the only one in Shelburne Harbour for lauching big boats.
The two complementary businesses - Don Atkinson Trucking and Seaway Fabrications Ltd. - offer specialized transportation and repair services to the boat building and fishing industries of Shelburne County.
"All my planning and thinking I do when I'm sleeping and driving a truck," said Billy Harris. He drives about 100,000 miles a year to Newfoundland, all over the Maritimes, across Canada to Prince Rupert, down the coast to California and all across the United States.
He and his entrourage, taking a 25-ton tuna fishing boat to California two years ago, made a big splash on the front page of the Gazette Post-News in Carnduff, Saskatchewan newspaper.
"They had never seen anything like that before," said Harris.
His specialized rigs can carry a boat up to 75 feet long and 25 feet wide, weighing 75 tons.
With trailers very low to the ground, big, steel boats can be loaded without a crane.
Harris credits his newphew and welder Tyler Harris with building the trailers and running his operation at home, while he and three other drivers are on the road.
"He looks after everything for me. And he's an excellent welder," said Billy Harris.
Sherri Harris, does the paerwork, making sure insurances and permits - required for every province and every state the big rigs haul through - are acquired and all regulations are met.
Coast to Coast
Boat Transportation
