In his case, the art is wooden, and, if it's in good condition, floats.

His current project is a 32-foot 1937 Elko Power Boat. He's fastening the topsides, refinishing the outer surface with epoxies and restoring the brightwork. It's a labor of love that's developed from general work at boatyards to a passion for a job perfectly done.

''Basically, I worked at boatyards for years,'' said Coffin, who started out at Bruce Barnard's Falmouth yard, returning Chris-Craft classics to their former glory.

Among the restoration projects he worked on were movie boats used in ''The Great Gatsby'' and ''On Golden Pond.''

He also ran a boat repair company in Wolfeboro, N.H., he said, and worked for nine years at Rumery's Boat Yard in Biddeford. Experience has given him an appreciation for a job well done.

''There are a lot of amateurs out there, and I've always had the pleasure of helping somebody out,'' said Coffin, who works on boats about four or five days a week.

Just about any wooden boat benefits from his specialty, yacht finishing. He applies various topcoats and finishing mixes to bring back the luster of the wood and metal brightwork. It's a highly detail-oriented business.

''With no advertisements, it's been keeping me busy the last four or five years. A lot of people put the expense out there and forget about maintenance costs,'' said Coffin.

On the one hand, sanding and refinishing must be done regularly to protect the wood. On the other, he said, an inexperienced owner can take off too much finish, causing more damage than good.

''If you don't know what you're doing with the radiuses, you can take (wood) right off,'' he said.

Coffin owns a wooden classic, a 1956 Michigan, but he has little time to work on it, he said. In the summer, a frequent client is Migis Lodge, a lakeside retreat in South Casco that keeps numerous wooden rowboats and dories, as well as a Chris-Craft.

Coffin has also worked at Hannaford as a seafood manager trainer, but about five years ago he branched out on his own.

''I decided to get back to boats and ended up making more money and being nicely independent,'' he said.

Coffin grew up around boats in Woods Hole, Mass., on Cape Cod, but the crowds drove him north to Maine.

In Gray he found the solitude - and snowmobiling space - he wanted. He now lives near Crystal Lake but also spends time at his new home on 14 acres off Route 115.

Coffin's van is his workshop on the road, and it takes him to boat projects throughout southern Maine. It also takes him to boatbuilding schools to teach his craft. For the past five years, he has contributed to a boatbuilding seminar at The Landing School in Arundel. When students are ready to put the finishing touches on their peapods, he's there to show them how.