Roy Leanderson can’t remember a time when he didn’t have a boat.

As a child growing up in Ballard, boats were always a big part of his life. But even as a kid, Leanderson wasn’t content to spend a leisurely day out fishing on the water. He had to tinker with his boats, taking the engines apart, rebuilding them, figuring out exactly how everything worked.

Much to his customers’ delight, Leanderson is still tinkering with boats. His business, Roy’s Marine Service, located in Kingston, has been thriving since the day he opened his doors in 1995.

“I had probably two to three months’ worth of work already lined up, and it just took off from there,” says the unassuming Leanderson.

He’s not big on bragging, but the numbers speak for themselves. More than 80 percent of his business comes from repeat customers, who say they value his honesty as well as his skill.

“I treat my customers like I’d like to be treated myself,” Leanderson says simply. “It’s worked out very well for me.”

Most of his customers in the early days knew Leanderson from the Kingston Marina, where he worked as a mechanic for 16 years until it closed. On the side, he operated an emergency tugboat. Over the years, people just came to rely on Leanderson.

He started out in business by himself, but four years ago hired an outboard mechanic, Joe Kraft, a Poulsbo native who has been working on boat engines for two decades. Kraft is a happy employee.

“Roy couldn’t be a better boss,” he says. “He never gets frustrated with anybody, he’s just a real personable guy. Our customers are really loyal, and they’ll tell anybody to come on down, he’s very honest and will give you the straight story.”

Leanderson also has a detail man and, in the summer months, a part-time assistant.

Even so, Roy’s Marine is so busy in the summertime that Leanderson and his staff can’t possibly handle all the work. But they’re more than happy to offer advice to customers who come in to buy parts and tackle a job themselves.

“They all keep coming back,” notes Leanderson. “There are some shops around that won’t give a customer the time of day, and we hear about it.”

Leanderson’s mechanical career goes back even beyond the Kingston Marina years. His first job was with his father, at Fitz Auto Parts. Then he spent a year at an Alaskan tourist lodge, where his work included keeping seven boats and 11 outboards in good repair. He also got to take tourists on fishing tours.

For Leanderson, boating is more than a job. It’s the love of his life. That is, after his wife, Caren, their two sons and five grandchildren. Boat-lovers, every one. Leanderson takes everyone out on his 23-foot Slick Craft, but he hasn’t had much time to instill a love of fishing in the grandkids.

“Fishing?” he chuckles. “I have my own business. I don’t have time to fish anymore.”

He leaves that to his customers.