Have you ever found yourself stranded on the water because of mechanical failure? You suddenly realize that your trip to shore won't happen as you planned. And if the weather is bad or cold, you shudder at the prospect of being in a place so far away all by yourself.

If you're Ron E. Thomas of R.E. Thomas Marine Hardware of Hancock, Maine, you're very aware that the bronze hardware that you produce can make the difference between a happy homecoming and a miserable night stranded in the cold of winter or the storm of summer.

And so John Tarbox of BoatMaine.us LLC headed up to Hancock, Maine to interview Ron Thomas. There he finds Ron in his shop with machinery abuzz, working on one of his latest patents for marine hardware.