Sam Devlin, who builds charming, seaworthy and innovative boats in two small shops near Olympia, Washington, is moderately famous in his part of the world. His reputation goes nationwide in June when his stitch-and-glue boat-building business wins the attention of John Ratzenberger and the Travel Channel in an episode of “Made in America.”
Ratzenberger probably is best remembered for his role as mailman Cliff Clavin in the TV series “Cheers.” He’s also been the voice in all the Pixar animated films and has a long career as actor, producer, writer and director.
His “Made in America” show has probed the makings of Campbell soups and baseball bats and other American-made products from Scotch tape to Spam. He turned to Sam Devlin as a topic because Sam built a 21-foot stitch-and-glue Cape Cod catboat boat for him about 15 years ago.
Ratzenberger apparently has a thing for wood boats. In a Travel Channel website someone asked what product he would like to make. “Wooden boats,” he replied. “A finely crafted wood boat is the zenith of form and function. It’s a very practical work of high art.”
Devlin’s boats, which run from tenders and dinghies to his 45-foot Sockeye coastal cruiser, fit the bill.
Ratzenberger and the film crew boarded Edwin S Dawson, a 45 Sockeye, at DesMoines, Washington in January and cruised with Sam and his wife, Soitza, north in Puget Sound, through the Ballard Locks and into Lake Union for a look at the Seattle Boats Afloat Show. Later, the team visited Sam’s shops for more photography and interviews.
“It was a great experience, a once-in-a-lifetime adventure,” Sam says. “And I will wait anxiously for the outcome.
“As for the shop, we now need to kick in and make it all a mess again and finish the exterior of the Sockeye 45.”
Tune in: The show’s scheduled for 9 p.m. June 5 on the Travel Channel. As they all say, check your local listings.