Mattapoisett was well known for being a hub of shipbuilding in the past and that tradition is still alive, just on a much smaller scale.

While a whaling boat hasn’t left Mattapoisett harbor since The Wanderer set sail in 1878, Paul Milde, owner of Peinert Boat Works, has hand built and shipped thousands of "rowing shells" for a diverse clientele.

Peinert Boat Works specializes in designing and building a variety of boats for single rowers. Built with sliding seats to allow the rower's legs to supply much of the power, the "singles" are rowed for recreation and raced as competitive sport.

“It’s a niche market,” Milde said. “There’s not a mass market for these boats.”

Milde purchased Peinert Boat Works in 1997 from founder John Peinert who launched the company in 1976 in Bennington, Vermont.

Milde had been working as a manager in the manufacturing industry when he decided it was time for a career change.

“I felt like I needed something else to do. It sounded more interesting to me to have a business instead of sitting behind a desk,” Milde said.

Originally from Ohio, Milde attended Harvard University where he learned to row -- and made it onto the school’s lightweight crew, He's been rowing with clubs ever since.

With two other employees, Milde builds about 85 boats each year for rowing clubs, colleges and individuals.

The entire process takes place in his shop on Route 6. Hulls and decks are cast from a handful of different molds depending on the customer’s rowing style. The parts are then heated to add strength before assembly.

Though Milde doesn’t advertise or market his business, the shop is busy year round filling orders.

Customers include rowing clubs in Michigan and Florida and schools such as Harvard and Boston University. The schools use the boats to teach students how to row and the clubs make the boats available for members.

Sometimes an individual who uses one of Milde’s boats as a club member will purchase one for him or herself.

Right now, he’s working on boats destined for the Florida Rowing Club, Michigan, Washington D.C. and Nova Scotia.

The boats Milde builds cost between $4,500 and $5,000 and are built to last. He notes that, while the clubs and schools cycle through new boats every few years, a Peinert shell they can last up to 30 years with regular maintenance.

When he’s not building boats, Milde said he rows and supports the New Bedford Rowing Center’s efforts to promote the activity to a sport audience.

For more information on Peinert Boat Works, visit www.peinert.com.