Who Am I?
Wooden boatbuilder, designer, and educator — combining traditional craftsmanship with modern methods to build and share beautiful boats.
Hi, I’m Dan — a wooden boatbuilder, designer, and educator based in the Cotswolds, UK.
I’ve been building boats in one form or another for as long as I can remember. It started with wooden models as a kid, inspired by my grandfather’s love of boats and woodworking. Over the years, model boats became full-size builds, and what began as a hobby eventually grew into a business.
My route into this wasn’t exactly traditional. I originally trained as an electronics engineer, and later ran a woodworking business, which is where I picked up a lot of the practical skills I still rely on today — everything from workshop setup and machinery through to CAD design and CNC. Looking back, all of that fed directly into what I do now…
Dan Lee Boatbuilding grew out of that mix of hobby, side projects, and pure passion.
These days, the business focuses on building and restoring wooden boats, developing modern CNC cut boat kits, and creating online courses and resources for people who want to learn the craft themselves. I also work with the Boat Building Academy in Lyme Regis, where I return each year as a guest tutor on their Build a Skiff course.
A big part of what I do also lives online. I started making videos years ago simply to share what I was working on and learn as I went. Over time, that’s grown into a large community and has become a key part of the business — allowing me to document builds, teach techniques, and bring people along for the journey.
Watch the full video of
My Story So Far
Created as a celebration for reaching 50k subscribers on my YouTube Channel.
What I Do
Where traditional boatbuilding meets modern technology.
Custom Boatbuilding
Building wooden boats blending traditional and modern methods, such as CNC cutting. I am currently building Temptress, a 24ft wooden powerboat.
Boat Restoration
Structural repairs, refinishing, and bringing classic wooden boats back to life. Previous restorations include a Healey 55, Stapley and Tideway dinghy.
Boat Design & CNC Kits
Developing digital, downloadable, CAD designed boat plans and CNC-cut kits to make building more accessible to all. Includes the Temptress design.
Online Courses
Step-by-step online training currently covering varnishing, painting and CNC woodworking. Learn from anywhere, with lifetime access.
Consultancy & Training
Offering guidance, 1-2-1 support and structured training to help others build, restore, and improve their skills, online over Zoom.
YouTube & Content
Documenting my projects, sharing tips and techniques, and giving an honest look at the realities of boatbuilding on both YouTube and socials.