Mastering the craft

Boat/US Magazine, Jan, 2005 by Dick Thompson

The Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding located in Port Hadlock, WA, is another school dedicated to teaching and preserving the skills and crafts associated with fine wooden boatbuilding emphasizing the development of the individual as a unique craftsperson.

"It is the only wooden boatbuilding school in the world that concentrates on teaching the traditional techniques that are distinctive to the Pacific Northwest's Puget Sound region," said Capital Campaign Manager Patti Walden. The school is a private non-profit educational institution whose enrollment is approved by the Veterans Administration.

The Apprenticeshop at Atlantic Challenge is one of the oldest and finest traditional boatbuilding schools in the country. Begun 31 years ago within the complex of The Maine Maritime Museum in Bath, the school recently moved to its present location on the waterfront in Rockland, ME. Between 12 and 14 apprentices are guided by an instructor through all stages of traditional wooden boatbuilding and they can expect to build three to four boats during their tenure.

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The Apprenticeshop has been building a wide variety of traditional wooden boats for over 30 years. During this time, they have launched hundreds of boats ranging from 20-foot steam launches to 40-foot schooners. "We build boats on a commission basis, instead of having a set curriculum, so we always have different projects in the shop," said Meredith Currier Bell, Apprenticeshop programs director.

The WoodenBoat School in Brooklin, ME, offers a series of courses from May to September culminating with the construction and launching of a boat. Each session concentrates on a different class of boats and begins with a course on the fundamentals of boatbuilding. This course deals with the basics of wooden plank-on-frame small craft construction.

The WoodenBoat School offers something for everyone who shares an interest in the unique worlds of boatbuilding, wood-working, and seamanship. The courses have been designed so that the student can delve into more detail about construction techniques, appealing to both the amateur and professional. The setting itself, a 64-acre saltwater campus on the coast of Maine, adds to the magic of the whole experience and draws over 600 students each year.

The Philadelphia Wooden Boat Factory is a nonprofit maritime education organization that concentrates on teaching boatbuilding skills to inner city "at-risk" youths. Many of the boats are commissioned by private individuals. They work closely with the customer, hand selecting the materials, making custom modifications and putting together a product designed to satisfy their customer's dreams.

Another organization that works with at-risk youth is the Alexandria Seaport Foundation. Located on the banks of the Potomac River in Alexandria, VA, the foundation helps young people turn their lives around. "I've seen kids who've come from absolutely crazy homes and crazy schools who have decided that they're going to make it and they do. They come to us because we can be the stepping stone for them," said executive director Joe Youcha.