About Us

Bay Weld Boats

Company Founder Allen Engebretsen brings to Bay Welding a lifetime of experience in Alaska‘s fisheries and is an expert in the design and fabrication of both fiberglass and aluminum vessels. He is known to be relentless in his pursuit of perfection and has personally overseen all aspects of vessel construction and design.

Allen grew up as a commercial fisherman and homesteader in Homer, Alaska. To make money in the winters when the salmon didn’t run, he learned to weld and build boats under the tutelage of local boat builder George Hamm.

Allen hung up his own shingle in 1974 and started Bay Welding to service local commercial fishing vessels. After working on hundreds of boats and fishing Alaska’s waters for over 20 years he used his expertise to build the first aluminum Bay Weld skiff in 1996. The product was an immediate local success and since then Bay Welding’s unparalleled quality has brought more customers every year to design and build beautiful custom aluminum vessels that are rugged enough for Alaskan waters.

Allen’s son Eric Engebretsen took over as general manager of the business in 2009 and set his eyes on growing the company into a full-service custom builder. Since then he’s brought CAD design capabilities in-house, moved to pre-cut hull packages (while maintaining custom design) for construction speed and consistency, provided financing options for clients, built out wood, vinyl, and machine shops, and diversified Bay Welding’s target markets to include tourism, energy, government, recreation, research, and freight to serve the wide range of boating needs in Alaska. In 2020, after Bay Welding’s 220th build, he took over as owner of the business. Eric now oversees all operations.

Ian Weatherly is Shop Floor Manager and welding quality control administrator. Ian is also in charge of general hull and cabin fabrication. Eric and Ian also design and oversee installation of all mechanical, propulsion, and plumbing systems.

Bay Welding currently sits at the center of Homer’s thriving marine industry, employs an average of over 30 workers year-round, and serves clients all over Alaska and the North Pacific. Drawing upon the local workforce, Bay Welding takes pride in hiring employees who have practical and diverse experience in maritime fields.

The company retains its deep roots in the Alaskan fishing industry and is uniquely positioned to help individual clients who want to explore remote coastlines in comfort, businesses who want to build safe, reliable USCG-inspected commercial vessels, and everything in between.