Reprinted courtesy of Michael Maddox and his Amateur Boatwright newsletter. Photos by Michael Maddox.

          (Above) Glen-L builders Ken Schott and Butch Barto conversing while Butch drives us all back to Blue Water.

Members of an online support forum for boat builders began to have an idea. After all, they had formed online friendships during the process of building their own boats. They had shared their experiences, information, and
offered advice to others via the forum.

So, why not get together in-person? They could meet face-to-face, see one another’s boats firsthand, share rides... and maybe even share a drink and a story or two. They decided on a location, and everyone involved pitched in & made it happen. The event was such an enjoyable time, they decided to do it again the following year as well.

That was in 2007. And so was born the tradition of the annual Gathering of Glen-L Boatbuilders. Since that time, they have met every year.

The first few “Gatherings” (as they’ve come to be known) were held at Lake Guntersville in Alabama. In 2010, the
venue changed to Hales Bar Marina in Tennessee, where it was held for many years. During this time, the “River Run” became an annual tradition, with many attendees making the 33 mile trip upriver to Chattanooga for lunch on Fridays, travelling through the beautiful and scenic Tennessee River Gorge. 

Since 2021, the Glen-L boatbuilder gatherings have been held at Blue Water Resort, several miles upriver from
Chattanooga, in Dayton TN. Although the vast majority of attendees are builders of Glen-L designs, the group openly welcomes builders of other designers as well.

The story of MBW Boats is closely tied to these Glen-L Gatherings. It was at the G5 gathering in 2011 that MBW Boats founder Michael S. Maddox first experienced hand- made boats & was inspired to build one himself.

A few years later, after a combination of failures and successes, he launched his own boat— a Glen-L Utility —
at the G9 gathering in September, 2015.

“There is nothing...nothing at all,” he says, “like the feeling of going out on the water for the very first time in a boat you’ve made with your own hands. The joy is indescribable.”

It goes without saying that the group of people involved in the annual Glen-L boatbuilder gatherings are a truly wonderful crowd of unique and fascinating individuals. They’re experienced individuals too, with a collective knowledge base that they will happily share with anyone who wants to experience the joy of amateur boatbuilding.