2016 woodenboat school catalog

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WoodenBoat School Campus

Our Working Waterfront Mountain Ash Student House

WoodenBoat School Workshops

Farmhouse Student Housing

C O N T E N T S

Sailing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Kayaking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Boatbuilding and Woodworking . . . . . . 13

Related Crafts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

2016 Off-Site Courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

2016 Family Week. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Faculty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Registration Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

front cover photo © R J Leighton

THANKS FOR TAKING the time to look

through this, our 2016 course catalog/

website. WoodenBoat School has been

presenting “hands-on” classes for 36 years, and

we’ve been fortunate to watch our program evolve

into an experience that is both unique and special

to so many of you: unique for its vast array of

course offerings in boatbuilding, seamanship, and

related crafts in which we honor the tradition,

history, and craftsmanship of our maritime

heritage; special because of the feeling of

community that exists here each and every week

throughout our entire season. Our staff,

instructors, and students are people of many ages,

of diverse backgrounds, from all over the world, all

sharing a common interest in boats and boating.

You will have endless opportunities to learn

new skills, new ways of doing things, and have a

wonderful time in a truly inspiring environment.

An outstanding faculty is eager to share their vast

knowledge and experience. Students learn by

doing using hands and minds together. You’ll be

encouraged to ask questions, work hard and

learn, challenge yourself, stay up late or wake up

early, and be creative.

Our 64-acre saltwater campus located on the

coast in Brooklin, Maine, is a place where land,

sea, and a big beautiful sky come together and

help provide each individual an easy place to relax

and enjoy oneself. It’s a place where new friends

easily become old friends. A friendly staff, good

food, comfortable accommodations, plenty of

peace and quiet, and a fleet of beautiful boats to

use on our waterfront all make for a pretty

remarkable education center.

So, check out what we have to offer you this

season, and come join us for an experience you’ll

cherish for the rest of your life!

Rich HilsingerDirector

NH

MA

M A I N ECANADA

At l a n t i c O c e an

BANGOR

AUGUSTA

PORTLAND

BOSTON

BROOKLIN

2 2016 WoodenBoat School | www.woodenboat.com | (207) 359-4651

DEAR FRIENDS

C E L E B R AT I N G 3 6 Y E A R S O F WO O D E N B OAT S C H O O L 3

HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST WATERFRONT COURSE FOR YOU

We receive many inquiries from individuals who are thinking aboutjoining us on the water, yet are unsure which course(s) to sign up for.While there are certainly different things to consider, we’re confidentthat we can help you choose the best course to suit your needs.

All of our Sailing courses focus on becoming a sailor, whichmeans much more than just learning to sail. Each course takes a“hands-on” approach, and the majority of class time will be spentin boats on the water. Our instructors are fine sailors themselves,each possessing good judgment and a knack for instillingconfidence in a positive environment. Our classrooms are beautiful,wooden sailing and rowing craft that are a pure joy to step aboard.Our waters offer some of the finest sailing and cruising in the world.

WoodenBoat School’s Sailing program has something foreveryone, beginner to experienced. A wonderful introduction to theart of sailing is our very popular ELEMENTS OF SAILING course,offered throughout the season. For practical reasons, step twocould be repeating ELEMENTS with another set of instructors. Itis easy to forget information from one season to another, especiallyif you don’t have access to sailing where you live. The next stepwould be ELEMENTS II. Our CRAFT OF SAIL, SKILLS OF

COASTAL SEAMANSHIP and SEA SENSE UNDER SAIL

selections get more experienced students out on an exciting arrayof larger sailing vessels. And, for those folks looking for a unique“liveaboard” experience, we offer COASTAL CRUISING

SEAMANSHIP, CRUISING THROUGH THE WATCHES,CRUISING IN TANDEM and SAILING DOWNEAST.

You’ll also find excellent opportunities to gain experience incoastwise navigation and kayaking. So, take your time and readthrough these pages slowly. Please keep in mind that we’ll be gladto help you with any decisions that may prove difficult; just get intouch with us. Choosing the appropriate course brings not onlythe exhilaration of learning new skills, but the satisfaction of timewell spent for everyone involved.

28'6" BELFORD GRAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Friendship sloop

19'6" SWIFTY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Caledonia yawl

18'8" MACKINAW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .gaff ketch

18' GERONIMO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Westpointer

16' SHEARWATER . . . . . . . . . . .double-ended ultralight

17'8" BABSON II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .outboard skiff

16' WHISP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .sailing skiff

16' SHENANIGANZ . . . . . .Fenwick Williams catboat

15'11" DOVEKIE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Herreshoff 12½

15'11" WE 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Herreshoff 12½

15'11" SEAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Herreshoff 12½

15'11" ALLENE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Haven 12½

15'11" CRACKERJACK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Haven 12½

15' 11" CONNIE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Haven 12½

15' 11" FOX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Haven 12½

14'9" AMERICAN BEAUTY . . . .Whitehall pulling boat

14' SKYLARK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .sailing dinghy

14' WILD ROSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Maine Coast dory

14' SHIMMER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Biscayne Bay sharpie sloop

14' WINSLOW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Saturday Cove skiff

12' WHIMSEY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Beetle Cat

12' ELATER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Beetle Cat

12' JESSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Catspaw sailing dinghy

12' PICCOLO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .sailing canoe

12' FERN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Fiddlehead, double-paddle canoe

11'6" RACHEL and ARETHA . . . . . . . . . .Shellback dinghies

11'6" CHARLOTTE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tom Hill ultralight

10' GOOD COOKIES . . .Constant Camber rowing skiff

9'6" BIG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nutshell sailing pram

7' 7" LITTLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nutshell sailing pram

WOODENBOAT ’S FLEET OF SMALL CRAFT

SAILING


ELEMENTS OF SAILING I & IILearn to sail courses that emphasize seamanship,instill confidence, and are fun.ELEMENTS I Jane Ahlfeld & Robin Lincoln — June 26-July 2 (Women Only)Jane Ahlfeld & Rich Naple — July 3-9Sue LaVoie & Rich Naple — July 10-16Sue LaVoie & Martin Gardner — July 17-23Jane Ahlfeld & Annie Nixon — August 7-13 (Women Only)Rich Naple & Annie Nixon — August 14-20

ELEMENTS IIMartin Gardner & Rich Naple — July 24-30Martin Gardner & Robin Lincoln — August 21-27

Since early in WoodenBoat School’s history, we’ve had the great pleasure andsatisfaction of introducing thousands of students to the joys of sailing. OurELEMENTS courses continue to be among our most popular offerings, oftenbringing students back, year after year, for more sail training. Anyone can learnto sail, but these courses cover much more than that; our experienced instruc-tors immerse each student in the art of seamanship. Our emphasis is on theskillful handling of small craft and building confidence in one’s abilities. Thesecome from practice, and more practice.Sailing can provide a lifetime of fun and recreation, but it also requires some

basic knowledge and experience. We have observed that the quickest and best wayfor folks to learn the fundamentals of sailing is by starting out in small boats. Ourprogram will get you onto the water quickly, safely, and fully prepared. Under thecalm and knowing guidance of our seasoned instructors, you’ll learn the essentials—sailing dynamics, boat rigging and spars, and safety precautions —followed bypractical lessons on sailing techniques. Daily hands-on exercises and drills willtake students through getting underway, maneuvering through the points of sail,keeping a course, tacking, returning to a mooring and dock, and much, much more.You’ll learn to rig our boats. We have various craft here that are suitable for the

most timid and the most adventurous of students. Your on-the-water-classroom forthe week will be our fleet of Herreshoff and Haven 12½s—keel/centerboard daysailersthat are a pure delight to sail safely. Above all, we want to take the drama out ofsailing—it is a safe and enjoyable sport, and our heavy emphasis on seamanshipshould go far toward ensuring this goal. You’ll definitely have fun this week!When the wind is fickle, you’ll practice rowing and sculling. There will be daily

classroom lessons about charts and navigation, safety equipment and weatherconditions, knot tying and heavy-weather strategy. Our instructors focus theirentire summer on our fleet and waterfront facility; their “sea sense” is highlytuned, and experiencing that may be the biggest lesson of all.In our ELEMENTS II course, students who have some prior small-boat sail-

ing experience will have the chance to refresh their own “sea sense” and fine-tune their boating skills. You will work toward handling our vessels competentlyand confidently. Solo sailing will be encouraged, and a variety of more chal-lenging tactical/navigational exercises will be presented. If you’re a graduate ofELEMENTS I, this is the perfect second step in your mastery of sailing. Essen-tially, this course is about sailing, sailing, and more sailing!

Tuition: $750Note: This is a five-day course ending Friday evening.

“I am a student who came toyour ELEMENTS OF SAILINGcourse with much anxiety andfear of sailing. Your instructorsand waterfront staff did such anamazing job that I am so sad toleave. But, I am departing aconfident and excited person whocan’t wait to learn and practicemore about sailing. It was anincredible week!” M.E.T., GILBERT, SOUTH CAROLINA

ELEMENTS II QUALIFICATIONS

Becoming a sailor takes time (more than one Sailing course,we can promise), and it takes work. To ensure that younot find yourself “in over your head” in our ELEMENTSII course, we ask that you have recently completed ourELEMENTS I course, or have equivalent experience: youshould feel reasonably comfortable sailing a small boatfrom a mooring or dock, and returning her safely, usingcrew to help. Improving your sailing skills will ultimatelyincrease your enjoyment of the sport. If you have any ques-tions regarding your abilities, please give us a call.

SAILING

THE CATBOATThe pleasures of a distinct American sailing craft.

Martin Gardner — August 7-13

Catboats have been around forever and are as much a partof America’s history as the Model T Ford or the WrightBrothers’ first flight. These shallow-draft, broad-beamed,centerboard boats with a single mast right up in the bowhave played an important role among American workingand pleasure craft. The earliest examples of these vesselswere found sailing in New York waters. As the type spreadinto New England, changes were made to accommodatenot only the different conditions encountered along theseopen coastlines, but also the different fisheries in whichthey would be employed. They eventually garnered theattention of sailing enthusiasts and became popular as aracing class, youth sail trainer, family daysailer, and cruis-ing boat. Catboats are, as L. Francis Herreshoff said, “oneof our most romantic types” and survive today as pleas-ure boats—very pleasurable boats—simple, roomy, com-fortable, and when properly handled, very well behaved.This course combines practical skills with some fun,

relaxed voyaging. We’ll use catboats large and small—from12' Beetles to a 21' Crosby. We’ll rig them, sail them, reefthem, and moor them. We’ll learn how to let them takecare of themselves, to self-steer, and to heave-to. We’ll pickexciting destinations for day trips, sail to them, anchor,and explore local waters and islands. We’ll cover all thebasics of seamanship with particular emphasis on naviga-tion, using tools ranging from the lead line to the iPad.Catboats lend themselves to relaxed sailing, and we’ll

make a point of soaking up the beauties of the Eggemog-gin Reach and other local waters as we cruise under plentyof canvas.

Tuition: $750Note: This is a five-day course ending Friday evening.Prior sailing experience required for this course.

OPEN BOAT CRUISINGThe skills for adventuring.

Geoff Kerr — August 28-September 3

Beach cruising is an exciting step beyond daysailing. Maybe you’d like to cruisethe Maine Island Trail, participate in the annual Small Reach Regatta, or do someextended cruising. With simple skills, basic equipment, and modest boats, one canspend an overnight or an extended expedition voyaging in reasonable comfort,relative safety, and engaging adventure. Doing so in a trailerable, beachable boatopens up dazzling parts of the world to exploration and enjoyment. This courseis designed to introduce you to beach cruising with hands-on experience usingtime-tested boats, gear, and techniques.

This course will be based onboard NED LUDD and SWIFTY, two of IainOughtred’s versatile Caledonia Yawls. Instructor Geoff Kerr will share his knowl-edge gleaned from many years of sailing and camp cruising with NED in Penob-scot Bay and beyond. You will learn and practice a wide variety of real-worldcruising skills and tactics. Days will be filled with trip planning, keeping an eyetoward weather, tides, and currents; practical navigation using a chart and com-pass; rowing, sailing, reefing, and beyond; anchoring, beaching, and getting ashore;communications; and safety.Each day will start with a planning session for that day’s adventure, choosing a

destination and routes to maximize adventure and your opportunities to stretchyour experience. You’ll land frequently, with a major stop midday for lunch, islandexploration, and the chance to try to keep your boat where it belongs. These islandsessions will also allow for demonstrations and discussions of provisioning, camp-ing gear and strategies, and access to and stewardship of beach cruising grounds.Afternoon return passages will be by different routes, taking full advantage of thewonders of Penobscot Bay and the everchanging conditions. Students will return tocampus in time for dinner and to recharge for the next day. All you’ll need to bringwith you are your enthusiasm for small-boat sailing, your sense of adventure, and yourfoulweather gear (just in case). A list of personal gear and clothing will be providedupon registration.

Tuition: $750Note: This is a five-day course ending Friday evening. You should come to the course withat least intermediate sailing skills. We’d also like you to realize that while this is not a sur-vival course, it will be an active one. We’ll be planning and making daily passages, rowingand sailing as it happens, come sun, rain, fog, or calm. We’ll be in and out of boats repeat-edly, with wet feet and no docks. It might be hot, it might becold, it might be wet…it will be fun.

2016 COURSES

C E L E B R AT I N G 3 6 Y E A R S O F WOOD EN B OAT S C HO O L 5


SEA SENSE UNDER SAILExperience the true joy of sailingwith a lifelong sailor.

On board the 50' Gaff-Rigged Sloop VELAHavilah Hawkins — September 4-10, September 11-17

Havilah “Haddie” Hawkins has been sailing and fooling around inboats throughout his life. His father, Havilah “Buds” Hawkins designed,built, sailed, and skippered boats his entire life and was a well-knownfixture in the wooden boat community. It’s no wonder salt waterquickly found its way into Haddie’s veins. WoodenBoat School isexcited to offer students a one of a kind opportunity to sail and learnfrom this master mariner on board the beautiful 50' gaff sloop of hisown design, VELA. This will be a glimpse into the lure of sailing—a weekfull of seamanship, skills afloat, sound advice, and storytelling undersail. You’ll learn how to control VELA on all points of sailing, how hersails work, their trimming, the forces involved, dealing with windshifts, picking up moorings, anchoring and laying to. Haddie will alsoshare his thoughts on the practical aspects of running and maintain-ing a large vessel, and running a safe ship. Students will also learnabout navigation, the weather and tides, the visual signs you shouldwatch for, coastal geography and geology, marine life, sea conditions,and using common sense. Above all, this will be a wonderful occasionto enjoy the fun and rewards of sailing.

Tuition: $750 Note: This is a five-day course ending Friday evening. Students should bein good physical condition, have good balance and agility and the abilityto enter and exit small boats from larger craft, beach or rocky shore.a

COASTWISE NAVIGATIONKnowing where you are on the water.

Rich Naple — June 19-25

Except in the smallest bodies of water, the sailor is helpless if he or shelacks the age-old skills of piloting and dead reckoning. Even in theclear waters of the tropics, vigilant eyeball navigation is not enoughto keep a vessel off the reefs. Along Maine’s coast of cloudy waters, sharprocks, and sometimes thick fogbanks, only a fool would get underwaywithout a good understanding of how to use charts and instrumentsto navigate a safe voyage. For these reasons, basic piloting is taught inall our Seamanship classes. The goal of this course is to give studentsa really thorough understanding of and facility with, the subject—approaching it both “academically” and on the water.

You’ll start with charts, the fundamental tool of the navigator.Modern charts present an incredible amount of information, and toreally utilize it all—to continuously visualize the connection betweenthe chart and your spot on the water—takes skill and experience.Rich will help you acquire both. You'll learn about symbols, scales,specialized charts, and more.

You’ll examine compasses—types, azimuths, lubber lines, theconfusions of deviation and varia-tion. Parallel rules and dividers willbecome your friends as you learn thetechniques of plotting courses, LOPs,and fixes. You’ll move on to moreadvanced procedures such as run-ning fixes, compensation for set anddrift, bow and beam bearings, cir-cles of position, and the six-minuterule. You'll go boating a lot in thiscourse, putting your lessons intopractice and getting skillful with the

tools. You’ll use traditional and reliable instruments like the com-pass and leadline, and you’ll get your hands on electronic deviceslike depthsounders, Loran, and GPS. A day or two of fog will be wel-come, but barring that, you’ll work under an airplane pilot’s trainingglasses to experience running blind.

The beauty of this course is that it provides the ideal blend ofthe theory and practice of coastal navigation. By week’s end, youshould be able to enjoy the niceties of piloting and relax more withyour boat on the water.

Tuition: $750Note: This is a five-day course ending Friday evening. Students should bein good physical condition, have good balance and agility and the abilityto enter and exit small boats from larger craft, beach or rocky shore.

SAILING

“This was a fantastic week that farexceeded my expectations. I now feelconfident at the helm and I’m ready to sailmy own boat. And I can’t wait to pass thisknowledge to my kids! I’ll be back. Icouldn’t be more happy with this entireexperience. Thank you so much!” K.G., WILLOUGHBY HILLS, OHIO

EAST, WEST, AND ISLANDEXPLORATION A delightful blend of seamanship practicesand selected yoga techniques for sharpeningsailing skills and understanding nature’s wayswhile exploring local waters and islands.

On board the 36’ KETCH PATIENCE BAndy Oldman & Madeline Otani Oldman — July 10-16

The Maine Island Trail (MITA) is a 325-mile-long waterway extend-ing from Casco Bay in the west to Machias Bay in the east. The trailwinds its way along the coast over saltwater rivers and quiet bays,around magnificent and exposed capes, and among islands largeand small. It takes advantage of the existence of over 90 privatelyowned and state-owned islands and numerous public mainlandsites along the route, using them for day visits or overnight stopoverswhere one can camp in a wilderness setting.Come share Andy and Madeleine Oldman’s enthusiasm for explor-

ing, gunkholing, and navigating the MITA islands. The emphasis ofthis course will be to balance the skills and demands of island sea-manship and to develop a deeper self-awareness with the incredi-ble rewards of time spent ashore on these islands and islets. We willblend these experiences, thought processes, and the dexterity neededaboard into the yoga exercises, which will enhance coordination,concentration, confidence, and mindfulness, and complement goodseamanship. The extent and range of exercises will be tailored to each partic-

ipant and class to maximize and sharpen your focus, dexterity, bal-ance, and other skills needed for successful coastal sailing. Practicesessions will be divided into no more than two 45-minute sessionsashore each day.Each day’s voyage will be planned, charted, and navigated by the

class to reflect wind and sea conditions and the particular emphasisof the island selected for exploration. All participants will have theopportunity to learn as much as they wish about gaff rig, chart work,weather prediction, and electronic aids to navigation. The anchor-ing and landing process is often complex and exciting. At particularlychallenging locations, we often make our own detailed charts of theisland anchorage so that return visits may be repeated with safetyand certainty. We will also discuss and problem-solve how in thickfog PATIENCE B may safely approach, anchor, and then make anideal beach landing.Andy continually emphasizes safety, fitness, and constant vigi-

lance required for coastal piloting. Students will refresh and practicetheir knowledge of chart navigation using hand lead and compass,electronic sounder, radar, and GPS. We will then sail off for island land-ings, exploration, and a true appreciation of nature.

Tuition: $750 Note: Students should be in good physical condition, have good balanceand agility and the ability to enter and exit small boats from largercraft, beach, or rocky shore.


2016 COURSES

NEWTHE SKILLS OF COASTAL SEAMANSHIPSeamanship, night sailing, and exploration aboard PATIENCE B.

Andy Oldman — June 26-July 2

In this course, Andy Oldman provides experienced sailors with a unique oppor-tunity to sharpen their boat-handling skills in the challenging and intriguingenvironment of the Maine coast.We will begin with a review and practice of handling Andy’s lovely and widely

traveled boat, the 36’ ketch PATIENCE B, under sail and power. Andy continu-ally emphasizes safety, fitness, and the constant vigilance required for coastalpiloting. Students will refresh and practice their knowledge of chart navigationusing hand lead and compass, electronic sounder, radar, and GPS. You will thensail off on courses for explorations and island landings. During one of the islandlandings we will demonstrate setting up and using a portable outhaul mooringfor one of our dinghies.On your days of exploration the class will sail a course for, and chart, one of

the tiny entrancing, secluded anchorages within a half-day’s sail of the school. Thesefavorite places are often vaguely charted, so students can expect the charting of,and sometimes the entry into, these anchorages to involve an exciting mixtureof fun and cooperation on the boat, in the tender, and ashore. You’ll assemble thebasic data required to make a reasonably accurate hand-made chart by record-ing electronic and hand soundings, establishing land bearings, and makingsketches.Weather permitting, there will be at least one long sailing day with dinner

aboard in which PATIENCE B will be underway during twilight until you moorunder sail at WoodenBoat. Twilight sailing will demonstrate the value and com-fort achieved in planning, visualizing, and sighting the important waypointsalong the intended course such as key islands, land silhouettes, and buoys.Safety and fitness issues will include frank discussions on seasickness, the

challenges of moving about the deck at night and in rough weather, and meth-ods and products available for rescuing a man overboard. Toward the end ofthe week, we will practice a man-overboard recovery while underway. There will also be extensive emphasis on developing one’s senses to the ever-

changing tidal and climactic conditions; how wave forms vary off major capesand outlying islands, and how in the fog those subtly changing wave forms mayassist in navigation; we will also demonstrate how access to island beaches mayvary dramatically according to the state of the tide.Complementing those skills, we will demonstrate techniques for anchoring and

mooring under sail, the use of two or more anchors, and the use of a simultaneouspair of anchors. During a quiet morning or afternoon, we will also demonstrateand practice the use and magic of spring lines for docking and undocking.This is a wonderful chance to share Andy’s enthusiasm for, and knowledge

of, various techniques used for entry into difficult anchorages and inter-islandpassages; twilight and night piloting; and hand charting and exploration of spe-cial, local anchorages. It’s a “must” for any sailor wishing to learn and improvethe art of safe cruising.

Tuition: $750Note: This is a five-day course ending Friday evening. Students should be in goodphysical condition, have good balance and agility and the ability to enter and exitsmall boats from larger craft, beach or rocky shore.

CRAFT OF SAIL Learn and enjoy big-boat sailing with a master.

On board the 40’ Sloop TAMMY NORIEJoel Rowland — July 10-16

On board the 39’ Yawl MISTYQueene Foster — July 3-9, August 14-20,

August 28-September 3 (for women only)

On board 32' Gaff Sloop BUFFLEHEADDaniel Bennett — July 17-23, August 21-27

CRAFT OF SAIL is for folks who have some previous sailingexperience, whether it comes from a seamanship program orpersonal involvement with boats. The course is designed forthose who want to improve their skills and confidence on thewater, particularly in the context of a cruising-sized vessel.Subjects include sail theory, hull and rig balance, helmsman-ship, piloting in clear weather and fog, approaching and leav-ing floats and moorings, knots and rigging, man-overboardstrategy, handling ground tackle, crew management; and, withthose of our vessels that have power plants, maneuvering underpower, and the rudiments of auxiliary engines and navigationinstruments. The seaman aspires to the mastery of many sub-jects, but the essence of the craft of sail is sea sense: the abilityto tune in to a boat, the weather, and the crew, and apply goodjudgment so that all work together harmoniously. Our instruc-tors understand this, and they will help you to acquire thatsense by sharing their own experiences and by encouragingyou to think and feel a boat through various real and “whatif” situations. With a maximum of five students, there is plentyof opportunity to ask questions and try tricks at the helm.There are numerous sailing schools out there, but few offerexperience in cruising/charter-sized vessels like these—andnone that we know of offer instruction by such experiencedsailors on such lovely yachts.

Tuition: $750Note: This is a five-day course ending Friday evening. Studentsshould be in good physical condition, have good balance andagility and the ability to enter and exit small boats from larger craft, beach or rocky shore.


SAILING

“Thank you for one of the most excitingvacations I have ever experienced!”

B.K., HOWELL, MICHIGAN

TALLSHIP SAILING ANDSEAMANSHIPLearn numerous skills and sail handlingaboard the schooner MARY DAY.

Capt. Barry King & Jane Ahlfeld — July 17-23

WoodenBoat School invitesyou to join Jane Ahlfeld andCapt. Barry King for a week ofexperiential instruction aboardone of Penobscot Bay’s leg-endary tall ships, the schoonerMARY DAY. Launched in 1962and rebuilt during the winterof 1999/2000, the schooner is90' on deck, 125' sparredlength, displaces 96 tons, andcarries 5,200 sq. ft. of canvaswith more sails than any otherwindjammer on the bay. She isa big, pure sailing vessel, designed and rigged along the lines of atraditional coasting schooner, but built with comfort and safetyin mind. During this “hands-on,” team-oriented course, students will

have the opportunity to become integral members of the MARYDAY crew. Topics covered will include general seamanship, coastalnavigation, and marlinespike seamanship. Students will be dividedinto teams to learn the skills that every sailor needs aboard any ves-sel. The crew of MARY DAY will expertly guide you in trimmingand handling sails, steering, plotting a course, stitching a dittybag, and going aloft (optional) to stow the topsails. On Friday,students will take command and utilize the skills they have beenlearning throughout the week.Like any windjammer cruise, we will get ashore each day to

walk, stretch, and explore. There will be time at night to enjoysome traditional sailor’s songs and relax under the stars. Greatfood is the hallmark of any windjammer cruise to satisfy thehardiest appetites, including a Maine lobster picnic. The rhythm of shipboard life provides a unique environment

to experience the sights, sounds, and smells of the Maine coast-line. Most importantly, Barry and Jane bring humor, joy, and arelaxed atmosphere to the sailing experience. Join Barry, Jane,and the crew of the MARY DAY for a great week under sail dis-covering the workings of a traditional sailing ship.

Tuition: $1,175Note: This is a six-day course that begins and ends in CamdenHarbor, Camden, Maine. All reservations should be madethrough the schooner’s office at 800-992-2218. www.schoonermary-day. com. There is space available for friends of participantswho would rather not take part in the hands-on sail training.


TAMMY NORIE is a 40' sloop designed by Kim Holman. Built to be both a comfortable familycruising boat and a blue-water voyager, she was constructed in 1969 at Whisstock’s Boatyardin Woodbridge, England. The boat was one of seven sister ships (known as the WhisstockLandfall 40s) built by the yard between 1958 and 1972. On her maiden voyage, owner BudMcElfresh and his family delivered TAMMY NORIE from England to Connecticut. She cruisedin Long Island Sound and along the Eastern Seaboard with the McElfresh family until she waspurchased in 1992 by Dr. Mike Rowland and delivered to Maine. She has since completed twomore transatlantic voyages and has received constant maintenance and upgrades to herhull, cockpit, cabin, and rig. Owned now by Joel Rowland, TAMMY NORIE has been outfittedfor coastwise sailing and charter work. She is a modern, beautiful, simple, and stable boat foranyone wishing to learn sailing skills while exploring the islands and bays of the Maine coast.

BUFFLEHEAD is a 32' gaff sloop designed and built by Bud McIntosh in 1966 as hispersonal boat. Shaped full above the waterline and hollow below, BUFFLEHEAD isswift, safe, and easily driven. She sails well in light breezes, stays stiff in stronger winds,and when calm, her quiet two-cylinder, 13-hp engine gets her to her destination. Sheis an ideal vessel for the Maine coast, nimble and predictable, with a comfortable cock-pit, simple rig, wide side decks, and a cozy cabin.

MISTY is one of the famed 39' Concordia yawls built at Abeking and Rasmussen inGermany for the Concordia Company of New Bedford, Massachusetts. Designed by RayHunt and Waldo Howland in 1939, the 39s served as family cruisers and successful blue-water racers, and are known for their intricate construction details, beautiful proportions,and grace on the water. MISTY spent 45 of her 52 years on the Great Lakes in the care ofone loving family who raced her successfully. She’s received excellent care over the years,and has never needed a major rebuild. Her layout and details are original. Her yawl rig

provides many lines to pull to adjust her sails to perfection. MISTY is easy to sail in nearlyall conditions, because no sail is too large to handle.

VELA, a 50' straight-stemmed, gaff sloop, was designed by owner/skipper HavilahHawkins and built in 1996 by the Wooden Boat Co. in Camden, Maine. Sporting

a single headsail and a large mainsail—800 sq ft on a 35' boom—VELA is a pleasureto sail in all wind conditions. Lazyjacks and lifts enable the huge mainsail

to be easily handled by only two people. Comfortable, seaworthy, and well balanced,this beautiful boat provides a perfect classroom for students who will learn

how to work with the wind and sea, not against them.

C R A F T O F S A I L B O A T S

2016 COURSES

NEW


COASTAL CRUISINGSEAMANSHIPA week’s cruising on the coast of Maine.

On board the 39' Ketch ABIGAILHans Vierthaler — August 21-27, September 4-10

Over the years we’ve learned that the best way to discover thepleasures and develop the skills of cruising under sail is to sail offin the right boat with the right skipper. This season we are againproud to offer three liveaboard courses on board a classic vessel. The 39' John Alden–designed cruising ketch ABIGAIL, with

Hans Vierthaler as your instructor, is a beautiful example ofa bluewater yacht, and a great vessel on which to learn aboutsailing. Designed to provide the maximum of comfort andseaworthiness, accommodating students in a safe, spaciousmanner.Hans Vierthaler is a seasoned, proven, and enthusiastic sailor

who has spent a good portion of his life sailing and livingaboard boats. He will create a custom-tailored course in whichyou will be patiently coached toward the next level in yoursailing career—whether it be skippering a vessel on your own,or crewing with increased confidence, competence, and enjoy-ment. Everyone shares in the responsibilities of the cruise,including skippering, navigating, and cooking. There’s time,too, to savor the pleasures that cruising is all about— feeling awell-found vessel moving through a seaway, experiencing thepeace and freedom of life at sea, and slipping into quiet anchor-ages each night.This is a rare opportunity to learn anything and everything

you wish to about the complex subject of big-boat cruising,and we’re very pleased to have the chance to offer it to you.

Tuition: $1,250Note: Students should be in good physical condition, havegood balance and agility and the ability to enter and exit smallboats from larger craft, beach or rocky shore.

CRUISING THROUGH THE WATCHES Voyaging safely and confidently under sail.

On board the 39' Ketch ABIGAILHans Vierthaler — July 17-23

Why do people cruise in sailboats? Today there are probably at least as many people cruis-ing for pleasure in sailboats as there were professional American seamen in the hey-day of commercial sail. The ingredients have always been there for a most relaxing,rewarding way of getting away from one’s usual surroundings into a whole new world,one confined to the immediate horizon, the nearest landfall, and the secure dimensionsof a sailboat. For those of you contemplating what it is like and how to make anovernight or extended trip along the coast, or an ocean voyage, this week with Hanswill shed plenty of light on the subject. We offer this opportunity to the experienced,large-boat sailor wishing to advance his or her skills in the areas of coastal piloting,navigation, sail-handling, watch-keeping, safety at sea, and much more. In addition tothe topics covered in our COASTAL CRUISING SEAMANSHIP courses, thecenterpiece of this liveaboard course will be journeying overnight to a destination.Students will be able to immerse themselves in the daily routines of a traditional sail-ing vessel, while learning how to choose and plan a long-range destination appropri-ate for weather and tide conditions, safety considerations, standing a watch, andnighttime piloting. The moon will be moving towards its fullest stage during thisweek, and we hope to take full advantage of it and experience the thrill of moonlitsailing.The week will start with Hans explaining the various systems, instrumentation,

and sail configurations aboard his beautiful 39' ketch ABIGAIL. After spending thefirst night in a secluded anchorage, Hans and his students will determine the bestoption for an extended cruise after listening to the weather, developing a “back-up” planshould conditions change, and laying out a watch schedule. Tuesday you’ll set off onyour adventure.Designed to build the confidence of sailors who are seeking new challenges and

wish to go beyond the boundaries of day sails from the WoodenBoat waterfront,CRUISING THROUGH THE WATCHES may help one prepare for eventualboat ownership and/or realize the dream of an extended cruise. Whatever your reasonsfor signing on for this course, you will find your captain an experienced and patientinstructor, and eager to share his 20 years of experience sailing in the coastal and off-shore waters of Maine.

Tuition: $1,250Note: Students should be in good physical condition, have good balance and agilityand the ability to enter and exit small boats from larger craft, beach or rocky shore.

ABIGAIL is a lovely 39' ketch designed by John Alden in his later yearsand built by Seth Persson in Old Saybrook, Connecticut. Rugged yethandsome, this double-planked boat was originally launched in 1956.Having undergone both a structural and cosmetic restoration at BrooklinBoat Yard, ABIGAIL was relaunched in the summer of 1994. She is nostranger to the Maine cruising community and has also cruised theCaribbean during a brief period of ownership by an Italian count. Variedsail inventory gives ABIGAIL the versatility one needs for the changeablewinds found on Maine’s coast, and a 4108 Perkins diesel is always avail-able for those flat-calm days. Her spacious cockpit, wide decks, high bul-warks, standing headroom, and current electronics all contribute to acomfortable learning experience.

SAILING


SAILING DOWNEASTExploring the Great Wass & Roque Island Archipelagoes

On board the 36' Ketch PATIENCE BAndy Oldman — July 31-August 6

In this course on board the 36' ketch PATIENCE B, Andy Oldman and three stu-dents will chart a course for the unsurpassed beauty of Maine’s Downeastcruising grounds and islands east of Mount Desert. We will visit and explore theGreat Wass Island and Roque Island archipelagoes. Our itinerary, always sub-ject to weather and sea conditions, will include Jonesport, Mistake Island Har-bor, The Mudhole and Crumple Island, and on to Roque Island, famous forits cirque sand beach, and adjacent islands: Great Spruce and The Brothers.This course has an ambitious schedule, and students can look forward to

extended days under sail with possible overnight sailing in the mix. Undoubt-edly, the weather will vary, consisting usually of fine summer winds mixed inwith some thick Downeast fog.Students will commence loading at noon on Sunday, and depart for French-

boro in plenty of time to arrive before dark. At first light on Monday,PATIENCE B will depart for Moose Peak lighthouse and Mistake Island Har-bor on Great Wass, and arrive by sunset. The return is timed to enjoy thespectacular scenery and sunset off Schoodic Point and Mount Desert as wehead west to Frenchboro again for our final night at anchor. We will returnin time to regale our fellow classmates with exciting Downeast tales at theFriday night lobster bake. Navigation, sail handling, maritime safety, anchor-ing, our own meal preparation, and island landings/exploration will occupymuch of our time. Under sail we will have the opportunity to extensively useradar and a state-of-the-art chart plotter. On land, plenty of time is avail-able for hiking, sketching, and photography. PATIENCE B has carried twofamilies some 45,000 miles on two major open water passages, and is fullyequipped and well found. She is spartan by contemporary yacht standards, filledwith old-world ambiance and comfortable, cozy accommodations. Andy willcommunicate with the selected students to arrange basic meal planning, gearnecessities, etc. well in advance of our departure.

Tuition: $1,500Note: Due to the extensive physical challenges of the trip, excellent physical condi-tion, good balance, and agility are basic requirements for this voyage, along withprevious large-boat sailing experience.

CRUISING IN TANDEMThe pure simple joy of sailing and cruising.

On board ABIGAIL and MISTYHans Vierthaler and Queenie Foster — July 24-30

If you’ve ever wondered what it is like and how to make anextended trip along the coast, or an ocean voyage, this weekwith Hans and Queenie will shed plenty of light on the sub-ject. We offer this opportunity to the experienced, large-boatsailor wishing to advance his or her skills in the areas of coastalpiloting, navigation, sail-handling, safety at sea, and much more.Shipboard life and cooking aboard will also be part of this cruis-ing experience. In addition to the topics covered in ourCOASTAL CRUISING SEAMANSHIP courses, the cen-terpiece of this liveaboard course will be cruising in the companyof another boat and an extended group of sailors. Students willbe able to immerse themselves in the daily routines of a tradi-tional sailing vessel, while learning how to choose and plan along-range destination appropriate for weather and tide con-ditions, and safety considerations. The week will start with Hans and Queenie explaining the

various systems, instrumentation, and sail configurations aboardtheir beautiful vessels--Hans and his beautiful 39' ketchABIGAIL, and Queenie and her gorgeous 39' Concordia yawlMISTY. After spending the first night in a secluded anchorage,both instructors and their students will gather together anddetermine the best option for the remainder of the week afterlistening to the weather, and developing a “back-up” plan shouldconditions change. Tuesday you’ll set off on your adventure.During the week, students will have the opportunity to changevessels for the day to get a feel for how the other vessel performsunder sail. It will be a wonderful chance to see how the othercrew lives or sails, so to speak. Designed to build the confidence of sailors who are seeking new

challenges, CRUISING IN TANDEMmay help one prepare foreventual boat ownership and/or realize the dream of an extendedcruise. Whatever your reasons for signing on for this course,you will find your captains are experienced and patient instruc-tors, and eager to share their many years of experience sailingin the coastal and offshore waters of Maine.

Tuition: $1250Note: Students should be in good physical condition, have goodbalance and agility and the ability to enter and exit small boatsfrom larger craft, beach or rocky shore.

Another traditional sailing vessel for a variety of our Seamanship courses is the

William Hand–designed 36' cruising ketch PATIENCE B, launched in 1988. Harry

and Martha Bryan and their two children spent three years lovingly crafting the gaff-

rigged boat and then sailed off on a 32,000-mile adventure that most folks only

dream about. In 2000–2001, Andy, Madeleine, and Sumi Oldman continued the

adventuring on PATIENCE B with a 20,000-mile voyage to France, the

Mediterranean, the Atlantic islands, Brazil, Chile, and home to Boston via the

Galápagos Islands and Panama Canal. PATIENCE B is not only beautiful to look at,

but a great pleasure to sail. She is a proven bluewater sailer, dry, comfortable, handy,

able, and reasonably quick if her crew treats her properly. The versatility of her rig

gives her the ability to be sailed quite comfortably under any wind or sea condition.

2016 COURSES


ELEMENTS OF COASTAL KAYAKINGMike O’Brien — September 4-10

Selecting an appropriate kayak; safety skills; basic gear and equipment;transporting kayaks; paddling strokes; launching and landing; nauticalcharts and navigation; capsize and recovery skills; and better under-standing weather and sea conditions are a sample of the many topicscovered in this fully comprehensive course. Good fun and a great education!

Tuition: $750Note: This is a five-day course ending Friday evening. Students should be ingood physical condition, have good balance and agility and the ability toenter and exit kayaks from beach or rocky shore.

ELEMENTS OF RECREATIONALKAYAKINGMike O’Brien — August 21-27

In this easygoing introductory course, you’ll explore the same idyllicwaters and islands visited by our ELEMENTS OF COASTAL KAYAK-ING course – but we’ll paddle stable, extra-wide kayaks at a comfort-able pace. Those new to kayaking will find basic paddling strokes andother techniques more easily mastered aboard these friendly boats.

Tuition: $750Note: This is a five-day course ending Friday evening. Students should bein good physical condition, have good balance and agility and the abilityto enter and exit kayaks from beach or rocky shore.

THE PLEASURE OF SEA KAYAKINGExpert guidance for enjoying paddling in all types of water.

Perhaps nothing, absolutely nothing, conveys the joy of being afloat quite so purely as a kayak. Thus, WoodenBoat School offersyou two outstanding opportunities in a world-class setting to learn and enjoy the art of this popular water sport. In a series of day trips, you’ll explore some of the most spectacular parts of the Maine coast. From the basics to tips on accomplishing moreadvanced sea kayaking skills, these courses and talented instructors will enable you to discover a new and exciting environmentthat beckons just off saltwater and freshwater coastlines everywhere.

KAYAKING

“You have a treasure here.

The staff, food, instructors, fellow

students, your waterfront – everything

made this a wonderful experience

with like-minded souls.” S.M., BELMONT, NEW YORK

Note: Kayaks, paddles, sprayskirts, and life jackets will be provided by the School, but students are welcome and encouraged to bring their own if desired.

NEW


HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST BOATBUILDING COURSE FOR YOU

The key to deciding which class best suits your needs is to carefullyread each course description, which incorporates muchinformation about the course’s content and level of experience.We’ll also be glad to help you with any questions you may haveafter reading this catalog, and if need be we can put you in contactwith our instructors. Choosing the right course means that you willbe satisfied, appropriately challenged, and among others whosegoals and abilities are similar to yours. Keep in mind that havingsome previous hand tool/woodworking experience will resultin a much richer experience for anyone interested in one ofour boatbuilding courses. For those lacking this experience,we highly recommend taking our INTRODUCTION TOWOODWORKING course or a basic carpentry class in yourhometown before signing up for one of our boatbuildingclasses. For those of you looking for a great introduction totraditional wooden boat construction, we recommend:FUNDAMENTALS OF BOATBUILDING, INTRODUCTION TOBOATBUILDING, BUILDING A NORDIC PRAM, BUILDINGTHE OCEAN POINTER, BUILDING THE McKENZIE RIVERDORY, BUILDING A MAINE COAST PEAPOD, and BUILDINGA DORY. If you are interested in a certain type of construction,there is plenty to choose from. You’ll find various courses in thefollowing construction methods: plank-on-frame, plywood-epoxy, strip-plank, stitch-and-glue, and much, much more. You’llalso find a wide variety of courses in which a class or individualswill build canoes or kayaks. A fair number of students areinterested in taking a series of courses, with a goal of becomingmore proficient or even working toward a career in boatbuilding.We suggest considering the following sequence: LOFTING;

FUNDAMENTALS OF BOATBUILDING; BUILDING HALFMODELS; ELEMENTS OF BOAT DESIGN; then one or morecourses that focus on a particular design or type of construction.Many of our shop courses are designed for beginning,intermediate, or experienced woodworkers; a wise choice basedon skill level can determine how much you may benefit from thecourse. Again, take time to read each course descriptioncarefully.

BOATBUILDING &WOODWORKING

FUNDAMENTALS OF BOATBUILDINGThe theory and practice of classical boatbuilding.

Greg Rössel — June 5-18, July 3-16, September 4-17Wade Smith — June 19-July 2

Warren Barker — July 17-30Thad Danielson — August 7-20

FUNDAMENTALS OF BOATBUILDING is the core curriculum of our boat-building courses and our most popular offering. This series deals generally withthe whole craft of boatbuilding, specifically with wooden boats, and most specifi-cally with plank-on-frame small craft.

We tend to build difficult boats in these classes—round-bilged, carvel and lap-strake-planked types—because if you can build one of these, you can build almostanything. Ideally, each class will start one boat, work at planking another, and fin-ish a third. The emphasis is always more on learning than on pushing through aproject. Each session combines daily discussion periods with an abundance of prac-tical work. Usually you’ll start out talking about boat plans and design, and how todevelop a project plan.

An explanation of lofting will follow, and everyone will get a chance to give it atry on the lofting table. (See LOFTING, as follows, for a complete treatment ofthis subject.) From there, it will be a continuous stream of boatbuilding lessons,both at the blackboard and on the workbench: how a body plan comes together;the meaning of a fair line; various types of small-boat construction; the right toolsfor the job at hand, and how to use them; different methods for planking a boat; dis-cussions on fastenings, glues, woods, etc.; the tricks of steam-bending; techniquesof lamination; and much more.

Molds and patterns are picked up, and stems and transoms assembled. Plank-ing, fastening, caulking, fairing, fitting seats and risers, knees and breasthooks—each operation is carefully explained and supervised. You’ll find yourself working onyour own and alongside others, on real boats or just for practice. If your class hap-pens to finish a boat, you’ll launch it, and that is some fun! You’ll finish this coursewith a better understanding in your mind—and in your hands—of the boatbuild-ing process.

FUNDAMENTALS OF BOATBUILDING is open to everyone, althoughwoodworking skills and familiarity with tools and with the language of boat-building really help students to get the most out of it.

Tuition: $1,200 two-week course

LOFTINGMaking sense of all those lines and numbers. Greg Rössel — June 26-July 2,

August 28-September 3

Without question, lofting is an essential skill for the boat-builder. Once you’ve mastered it, you can at least startto build any boat for which there are plans. Moreover,you’re going to be able to interpret plans and better com-prehend the shape of the vessel, and what the buildingprocess will be. Also without question, learning loftingcan be intimidating and/or frustrating. Lofting is complex,and there are numerous ways to go about it. Lofting takestime and concentration, and a good teacher really helps(see WoodenBoat Nos. 110 and 111). Greg thoroughly understands and enjoys lofting; and

he has taught it repeatedly and in a variety of settings.He has a clear idea of how to present it, and how to helpyou master it. In this week you’ll discuss the written mate-rial that Greg has developed, build half models, and—in teams—loft several small craft. We have a couple ofboats in mind, but it is also possible that some studentsin the course can bring in their own plans (call us).Tables of offsets, diagonals, buttock lines—all will be

demystified and will become for you the wonderful toolsthey are for understanding, discussing, and building boats.By the end of the week, you should be able to visualize,lay down, and talk boat plans with the best of them. Thiscourse is meant to dovetail with the two-week FUNDA-MENTALS OF BOATBUILDING courses, three ofwhich Greg will also teach, and in which one of the loftedboats will probably be started. If there is time, you’ll alsotake lines off a classic round-bottomed boat and drawup a set of lines.

Tuition: $750 | Materials: $53

Note: This is a five-day course ending Friday evening.



ELEMENTS OF BOAT DESIGNLearn the principles and process—then practice onyour own design.John Brooks — August 14-20

Would you like to understand how to design your own boat or gain a better graspof how design affects a boat’s performance? Would you like to better read and com-prehend the hull line drawings? Would you like to explore the relationship of con-struction methods to hull design—which works well with what shapes? Would youlike to think, eat, sleep, and discuss boats for a solid week? If so, you’ll find thischallenging and fun course with talented boatbuilder and designer John Brooks tobe right up your alley.

Whether you want to get a taste of the design process, be able to put yourideas on paper, or start down the road to becoming a professional designer, thiscourse will allow you to accomplish several things. You’ll dispassionately analyzethe science of what makes a boat float and move, while gaining an understandingof the role art plays in boat design. You’ll learn what makes a boat seaworthy ornot; performance oriented or not; and buildable or not. And you’ll start creating yourown design, mainly working on the preliminary and lines drawings, as much astime allows. Before taking pencil to paper, you will research the type of boat you wantto design, discuss your initial ideas with John, and learn how to start drawing on yourown, using basic drafting skills plus learning new ones required for drawing boats.

Various building methods will be explored, from traditional to modern. Anytechnique can be used for each student’s own “dream boat,” from plank-on-frameto vacuum-bagged and epoxied veneers reinforced with exotic materials. You willlearn how to back up your project ideas with sound engineering principles, hydro-statics, and scantlings that reflect the intended use and life of the boat. You’ll also learnabout the intricate interplay of various views in a set of plans as John demonstrateshow a half model goes together. Students will explore various methods andapproaches to designing a boat, from ancient to cutting edge, and have a chanceto pick the ones that work best for you.

Students need not have any previous experience with boat design or mathe-matics; just a keen interest will do. The main focus of the course will be on under-standing the concepts and principles that play a part in boat design and in developingan eye for aesthetics. In spite of modern technology, designing boats is still as muchan art as it is a science. The eye and judgment of the designer are still the mostimportant ingredients in any design. You will leave Brooklin with a whole newunderstanding about boats and a new group of friends to share them with!

Tuition: $750



COMPUTER DESIGNUnderstanding capabilities andadvantages of the computer in yourown boat design work.Clint Chase — July 10-16

What is computer-aided design (CAD)? How does one useCAD to loft on a computer? How is a 3D model built? Canwe use the computer to do more advanced calculations?What would one need to cut with a CNC machine? By the endof this course with designer/boatbuilder Clint Chase, stu-dents will have a better appreciation of these essential ques-tions and some of the answers. Moreover, you will end upwith a toolbox full of computer skills and a 3D model ofyour own boat hull! Clint is eager to share his knowledgeand skills that he’s acquired over the years using Rhino3D, amodeling program popular with designers.The week will be busy but fun as you learn the many facets

to drawing your own boat design on the computer. Every-one will be starting with an existing lines plan – perhaps oneyou’ve drawn in the ELEMENTS OF BOAT DESIGNcourse or on your own. You can also start with a refined linessketch of the boat of your choice. The boat can be any hull type,but for learning computer design, a simpler hull form like amultichined or lapstrake hull is easiest for the beginner. What-ever plan you choose, it must come to class scanned into yourlaptop as a JPEG file. This is our starting point.As the week progresses, we will virtually build a 3D model

of the hull and deck of your design. Students will learn tonavigate in Rhino and become proficient with its tools andthe list of commands that enable the lines to take shape onthe screen. Demonstrations and discussions of the basic andmore subtle aspects of computer lofting, 3D modeling, hydro-static calculations, creation of layouts and CNC cutting files,and problem-solving will flow together through the week.You’ll print your work on a large-format printer on Friday,and we’ll visit a nearby shop and see how a boat kit can becut on a large CNC router.Everyone in the class will be bringing a variety of expe-

rience and knowledge and a willingness to help each other soeach student leaves with new friends and the fundamentalsof computer design.

Tuition: $750

Note: This is a five-day course ending Friday evening.Requirements: You will need a MAC or PC laptop that is within10 years of age; 4MB RAM; video graphics capability; and afree 90-day trial version of Rhino 5 loaded and ready to go.Minimally, a 15 ½" screen size is recommended as is acomfortable mouse with pad. Students should have solidexperience with lofting or drafting table. WoodenBoat School’sLOFTING or ELEMENTS OF BOAT DESIGN course provideexcellent prerequisite information for this COMPUTER DESIGN course.

2016 COURSES

NEW

INTRODUCTION TO BOATBUILDINGA one-week primer on building small boats.

John Karbott — June 5-11Bill Thomas — September 4-10

There are many individuals out there who have decided that theywould like to build their very own boat but don’t know how to getstarted. Many first-time builders have run into problems understandingthe process of what to do first and, as a result, soon get intimidatedand the idea loses momentum. Bill Thomas and John Karbott, notedboatbuilders and teachers, invite anyone interested in wooden boats andwoodworking to join them in either of these two six-day courses focus-ing on the skills and techniques used in basic boatbuilding. No priorboatbuilding experience is required; simply a desire to learn. If youwant to build a good-looking, simple sailing skiff, Bill or John canhelp you get started and guide you through the step-by-step proce-dures to taking on and completing such a project on your own. Bill has chosen a Karl Stambaugh design, the Bay Skiff 12, as the

boat students will construct during his course. This multi-purposeskiff offers a great compromise between rowing and sailing qualities.We will be building a rowing version during the course. Using tradi-tional boatbuilding methods, she is built of marine plywood over astrongback and moulds. John Karbott’s students will build two of hishandsome 12½' semi-dory skiffs combining marine plywood, whiteoak, and Northern white cedar. Both classes will start with under-standing boat plans and lofting and proceed through scarfing, fram-ing, planking, and interior joinerwork. As with any one-week buildingschedule, there will be plenty for students to do as we finish the boats. As both skiffs take shape through each week, Bill and John will lead

discussions in small-craft design, selecting a suitable design for theamateur builder, setting up a one-man shop, proper hand and powertool usage, and much more. Whether you have a hankering for tradi-tional skiff construction like the Bay Skiff 12 or the 12½' Semi-doryskiff or are simply looking for a perfect introduction to wooden boatconstruction, you will thoroughly enjoy any of these weeks.

Tuition: $800

Note: These are six-day courses ending Saturday afternoon.

INTRODUCTION TO WOODWORKINGUnderstanding wood and woodworkingtechniques with an emphasis on hand tool usage.

Bill Thomas — June 26-July 2

Over the years we’ve seen individuals arrive on our campus to par-ticipate in a boatbuilding class who have little or no woodworkingexperience. They often feel intimidated when picking up a tool to usefor the first time, especially in a setting where there are accomplishedwoodworkers working alongside. We know for a fact that individualswho do possess previous hand tool experience have the potential togain so much more from our boatbuilding classes. This introductory course offers a place for folks of all skill levels to

learn from a seasoned craftsman, Bill Thomas. Bill has been a self-employed woodworker and designer for more than 30 years. He’sdelved into everything from house carpentry, cabinet, and furniture workto high-end boat joinery. And Bill has been teaching woodworkingand boatbuilding for nearly 20 years.Each day, Bill will cover numerous lessons in tool selection and

capabilities; hand tool usage and maintenance; tool sharpening; properlayout procedures; shop safety; power tools; and lots of woodwork-ing techniques that will serve you well in future endeavors. Everyonewill also learn a lot about wood itself, how it works, and what to lookfor in selecting a species for a particular purpose. Glues, epoxy, andfastenings will be covered as well. The focus of the entire week will beintroducing students to the tools and techniques common to all typesof woodworking and joinery, in addition to a look at boat-relatedprojects. Each student will undertake the design and construction oftheir own toolbox during this week.Whether you have had some type of formal woodworking experience

or have never had the opportunity to try your hand with woodworkingtools, you will gain much from this course with Bill Thomas. This weekwill prove to be an excellent preparation for a basic boatbuilding courseor for your own home projects. It’s also a great opportunity to workalongside a very talented craftsmen who has plenty to share.





BOATBUILDER’S HAND TOOLSMaking, restoring, and using traditional tools of the trade.

Harry Bryan — June 19-25

In spite of the ever-increasing number of power tools in thewoodworking/boatbuilding trades, the foundation of the boat-builder’s skills is still largely dependent on the use of hand tools.Hand tools bring you in close contact with wood, enabling theuser to get to know and work with its grain structure. Many of the pieces that make up a wooden boat are complex

shapes employing compound angles and rolling bevels. Often itis more efficient to create these pieces with hand tools than try-ing to set up a machine that is not appropriate to the job at hand.This five-day course with well-known boatbuilder/designerHarry Bryan will focus on developing skills with hand saws,draw knives, chisels and slicks, auger bits and planes. You’llacquire skills, such as, cutting the complex angle on the end of adeck beam and have it fit first time. You will have the confidenceto cut a stem rabbet and make short work of a plank scarf usinga slick and smoothing plane. Keeping these tools sharp is absolutely necessary for con-

trolled, accurate work. Therefore, time will be spent presentingsimple, straightforward methods for creating a razor-sharp edge.From setting and filing a handsaw, to renewing the edge of a drillbit for cutting steel, we will learn to restore tools rather them tossthem aside when they are dull. You’re encouraged to bring alongany old tools that you feel may be candidates for restoring. Harrywill also discuss where to acquire good tools, how to avoid wast-ing your money on cheap ones, and how to recognize andrestore that jewel covered with the rust of neglect.Making and modifying tools is a natural progression for the

hand tool user. Students will learn about hardening and tem-pering tool steel, as well as sawing, filing, and drilling to createprecise shapes. There will be practice in the use of silver solderand rivets for joining metals. Each student will be encouragedto make a tool of their own during the week, such as a carvinggouge, chisel, boatbuilder’s bevel or pencil divider.Hand tools are not a nostalgic holdover from the past. After

this fascinating week with Harry Bryan, you’ll feel the directconnection between the craftsman and his work.

Tuition: $750


BUILDING A DORYThe elegance of traditional workboat construction.

Graham McKay — August 28-September 3

A century ago, dories were found everywhere along the New England coast—they would carry a good load under sail or oar, they could handle roughseas, and they were relatively easy to build. There are tales of small hard-working shops turning out 20 dories in 20 days! Lowell’s Boat Shop, foundedin 1793, is the birthplace of the American Fishing Dory. Thousands ofdories were manufactured at Lowell’s throughout the last two centuries.We invite you to join professional boatbuilder Graham McKay from Low-ell’s Boat Shop in Amesbury, Massachusetts, in constructing a traditional 15'Banks Dory. As the head boatbuilder at Lowell’s, Graham has extensiveexperience and insight into traditional dory construction methods.Graham will use John Gardner’s The Dory Book as a construction guide

through the course. The boat will be built from traditional materials withthe bottom and topsides planked in northern white pine and the frames,stem, and other parts made of white oak. Laps will be secured with copperrivets, and the frames will be joined at the chines with riveted stainless-steel clips.Using traditional Lowell’s building methods, lofting will be minimal, with

the students using patterns lofted from plans and planking by eye. The dorywill be built upright so that plank lines can be sighted and the rivets easilyreached. By week’s end, the hull should be completely planked and framesand the inwales steamed into place and fastened.Graham will cover building from plans, copper-riveting, caulking, spiling,

beveling and lap fitting, steam-bending, and other traditional skills. This willbe a fast-moving, exciting class where everyone will be actively involved. Andif you’re lucky in the class lottery on Saturday, you could be the winner of abrand-new fishing dory!

Tuition: $800

Note: This is a six-day course ending Saturday afternoon.

2016 COURSES



BUILDING THE OCEAN POINTERStrip-plank construction of a 19’6”outboard-powered skiff.

John Karbott and Bob Fuller — August 14-27

When visiting the coastal communities of New England, oneimmediately takes notice of the number of outboard-powered skiffsalong any given waterfront. One of the prettiest is the Ocean Pointer– a 19'6" center-console skiff designed by David Stimson. Based onAlton Wallace’s 18' inshore lobster skiff, the Ocean Pointer is designedfor strip-built wood construction. The hull has a flared bow andtransitions to a tumblehome at the stern. The bottom is a soft chinewith a small keel, which allows for good tracking and a comfortableride. Ocean Pointer also features a spacious, self-bailing cockpit andcenter-console steering station. A transom-mounted outboard engineof approximately 50 hp seems to be the ideal choice for a motor.In this two-week course taught by professional boatbuilders John

Karbott and Bob Fuller, students will build one of these beautifulskiffs. The strip construction technique utilizes epoxy adhesive andedge-nailing. You will learn how to laminate the stem, forefoot, andkeel. Lofting, panel development, and patternmaking will also be keyfacets of this project. The self-bailing cockpit and framing are anintegral part of the construction and allow the boat to be built withouta complex set of molds.John and Bob will arrive with a partially built skiff that will be set

up upside down with framing in place. Students will begin fittingplanks, gluing and fastening them along the keel, stem, and transom,and continuing up to the sheer. The hull will then be faired andsanded, and flipped upright. You’ll then sheathe the cockpit withfiberglass and epoxy; construct the foredeck and side decks; make andinstall the coamings, gunwales, and rails in place; and build the centerconsole and seat box. Students will also start the subassemblies for a second Ocean

Pointer. You’ll lay out and build the transom, motorwell, cockpit,framing components, keel, and stem. This will be an exciting, rewarding experience, keeping everyone

busy the entire two weeks! With John and Bob’s guidance, you willlearn how to start a project and see it through to completion in anorganized, efficient manner. Upon returning home, you may beinspired to begin building your own Ocean Pointer or similar strip-planked powerboat. Previous woodworking experience is highlyrecommended for this course.


Note: See page 42 for a photo of the Ocean Pointer.

BUILDING THE MAINE COAST PEAPODIn in-depth look at traditional wooden boatconstruction, tools, materials, and the rightway to do the job.

Sam Temple — September 18-October 1

Peapods have been a natural fit for Maine’s harbors for over a century.Long used as working boats in the lobster fishery and all kinds ofwaterfront work, these craft are seaworthy, stable, and comfortable.Models vary from small tenders to larger versions meant as a primaryvessel. The class project during these two weeks will be the MaineCoast Peapod, a 14' traditionally planked double-ender designed byJoel White. This is a boat that is a joy to row, sail, or tow!The class will begin with Sam and his students reviewing Joel’s

plans, followed by assembling and fairing the building jig. Once the jigis completed, you’ll build a white oak backbone with matching stemsand cut rabbets. Oak frames will be milled and then steam-bent ontothe vessel. She’ll be planked with northern white cedar and copperrivets. Joel designed the sheer plank to be lapstrake, and Sam willexplain this procedure for students to tackle.After the rivets are headed over, you’ll install breasthooks, rubrails,

inwales, and thwarts. Eventually, the peapod will be completed forsailing by students building a dagger board, tiller, and rudder. If there’senough time, the lug rig and a pair of oars can be fashioned out ofspruce.These two weeks with experienced boatbuilder Sam Temple will

give a good foundation in lining out, spiling, and traditional carvelplanking. It will certainly be a confidence builder for anyone lookingto do accurate work using traditional methods. The emphasis will beon hand tools, trusting one’s eye, and looking for fair lines. Previouswoodworking experience will be very helpful to those interested inthis course.



NEW NEW

©Benjamin Mendlowitz


BUILDING THE PENOBSCOT 13Glued-lapstrake construction of a beautiful daysailer.

Arch Davis — August 21-September 3

Arch Davis and his lovely small-boat designs have been well known tothe readers of WoodenBoat magazine for a number of years. We arevery excited to welcome Arch back to our campus this season andinvite you to spend two weeks with this innovative designer-builderconstructing his latest design, the Penobscot 13.In this course, students will build two of these fine-looking

lapstrake daysailers. The Penobscot 13 is the little sister to two ofArch’s most popular designs, the Penobscot 14 and 17. The 13 issmaller and lighter than the 14 but possesses comparable lines withsimilar characteristics under oar and sail. She features the same glued-lapstrake construction—with fore-and-aft stringers—that has provenso successful in the bigger Penobscots. The designer has introduced anumber of modifications to simplify the building process so thatstudents can aim to complete the two boats and prepare them forpainting in the two-week time frame.

On the first morning, Arch will review the plans with students andexplain how the Penobscot designs were developed. Students will thenget busy setting up the station molds, stem, and transom on a simplestrongback. All the stages of construction will be covered: fitting thekeel, sheer clamps, and stringers; beveling and fairing; planking(including scarfing plank stock to length), and cutting gains. Once thehulls have been completed and turned over, you’ll fit breasthooks,quarter knees, seats, and rails, and complete other finishing details.These two weeks will be a comprehensive introduction to Arch

Davis’s unique method of glued-lapstrake construction, and will leavestudents well equipped to build a Penobscot 13 of their own, or oneof the bigger Penobscot designs, or to tackle any other similar project.The course promises to be very rewarding to those participating andwill bring plenty of satisfaction as these lovely craft come to life undertheir hands. And two very lucky students who win the raffle on the lastday of class will each be taking home a very beautiful boat that willprovide enjoyment for years to come.


2016 COURSES

BUILDING THE MCKENZIE RIVER DORYA captivating week building boats withcraftsman, historian, and author Brad Dimock.

Brad Dimock — July 10-16

With the 2008 publication of Roger Fletcher’s Drift Boats & RiverDories, these highly maneuverable shallow-draft boats haveundergone a great surge in popularity. Originally designed as fishingboats on Oregon’s McKenzie and Rogue Rivers, river dories havefound admirers on shallow fishing streams and whitewater riversaround the world.In the late 1940s Woodie Hindman created the archtypical

McKenzie River dory: the 16 Double-ender with Transom. Thiselegant design has proved excellent for rowing in swift, shallow orwhitewater streams, and handles well with a small outboard motorfor flatwater and lakes. Students will be building this dory as atraditional plywood-on-frame boat, but assembling it in the moremodern free-form method without forms or strongback.Brad Dimock has been building, rowing, repairing, restoring, and

researching river dories in the Grand Canyon and the West for fourdecades. He’ll begin this course by having students loft the design andexpand the frame patterns, then create the frames, transom, and stem.You’ll also scarf together sheets of marine plywood into full 16' sidepanels and floor. By mid-week, students will assemble the hull andbegin installing chines and gunwales. By Friday, the class should bebusy fitting seats, flydeck, and floorboards, and applying the last ofthe oil and paint. With luck, you’ll float her on Saturday! A luckywinner of the lottery will take her home for the cost of materials.During the week you will gain the knowledge and skills to build

your own McKenzie River dory, her larger cousin the Grand CanyonDory, or any number of other similar craft. You’ll learn lofting,scarfing, fabricating parts, free-form assembly, and outfitting, as wellas many of the arcane arts you’ll use along the way. You’ll use aminimum of fancy tools, relying more on adaptation andimprovisation. Brad will also cover maintenance, storage, and repair.

Tuition: $800


NEWNEW


GLUED-LAPSTRAKE PLYWOOD CONSTRUCTIONBuild Merlin, a versatile, fixed-seat 14’rowboat; and the Compass Harbor Pram,a wonderful 9’ sailing dinghy.

John Brooks — September 11-17

This very popular course focuses on the construction methodof modern, small boats that is commonly called for in manydesigners’ plans. During this week students will build two hullsfor one of John’s well-known designs that features light weight,resilient strength, permanent watertightness, and graceful lines.The Merlin rowboat and the Compass Harbor Pram are greatintroductory projects for this one-week class, having narrow,flat bottoms and curved, lapstrake topsides. Both hulls willoffer interesting, instructive challenges for the class and makeuseful boats for a wide variety of activities after class. During this captivating course, students will start by learn-

ing how to prepare and scarf the marine-grade mahogany ply-wood planking stock. You’ll then learn how to make andassemble the backbone parts: transoms, inner stem, keelson,and bottom. John will also show students the similarities anddifferences of the backbone parts for a round-bilged hull. He’llexplain how the building jigs are created, then show studentshow to attach the backbones over them and how to bevel thekeelson and bottom in preparation for planking. With twohulls to work on, everyone will have plenty of opportunity tolearn how to spile, make and attach planks, and how to bevelthe laps.The goal of this course is to give everyone the skills they will

need to take a set of plans with full-sized patterns and build abeautiful boat – especially the hardest first step, turning lineson raw paper and raw lumber into a solid, real hull. Plans forMerlin and the Compass Harbor Pram will be available fromJohn at a discount to his students. Please keep in mind thatwoodworking experience is required for this busy and var-ied class.

Tuition: $800


FINISHING OUT SMALL BOATSCreating neat woodwork and joinerwork.

John Brooks — September 18-24

Here’s a week that promises to be a fulfilling and challenging one, with plentyof opportunity to learn--with brains and hands--how to build the intricateparts and finish out small open boats. The joinerwork of a small boat is par-ticularly exacting because there is nowhere to hide slipshod work--no buryingrough joints under decks or in cabinetry. John will teach you how to make ele-gant parts and gorgeous, tight-fitting joints for a boat you’ll be proud to varnish.The course is designed to be a follow-up to some of our plywood/epoxy hull

building classes and very useful to anyone completing a small boat. Many ofthe skills and techniques you acquire can be transferred to big boats as well.Your instructor will start the week describing how to organize a project as com-plicated as a boat. Students will learn how to work from boat plans, drawings,or the lofting board. John will explain the versatility of various types of pat-terns and show you how to make them, as well as how to use them.You’ll learn about making curved parts such as a laminated outer stem and

steam-bent floorboard frames. John will demonstrate methods for measuringand layout in the hull to accurately position interior parts and pieces. He’ll alsoexplain how to accurately scribe and fit parts such as the breasthook, quarterknees, and bulkheads. And you’ll learn how to use epoxy and other glues and bed-ding compound; and to become familiar with woodworking in three dimen-sions with no right angles in sight.Working both at the bench and in the boat, you’ll refine your skills with a

wide array of boatbuilding tools, from planes, spokeshaves, scrapers, and chis-els to the tablesaw, bandsaw, and router.Throughout the week, John will be showing you many tricks, tips, and jigs

that make each job easier and faster, as well as look better and help you make aboat beautiful and truly yours. Please keep in mind that woodworking expe-rience is required for this busy and varied class.

Tuition: $800



REBUILDING A HERRESHOFF 121/2Taking stock, building a new keel assembly,followed by the planking process.

Eric Dow — July 17-30, August 14 -27

In the summer of 2013, the Herreshoff 12½ SEAL was brought toWoodenBoat School by a student to incorporate into our two-weekSmall Boat Repairs course. The boat, hull #1007, was built in 1926 atthe Herreshoff Manufacturing Co. in Bristol, Rhode Island. She sufferedserious damage in a 2009 storm in Connecticut and has been out of thewater since. After a thorough survey conducted at WoodenBoat School,it was decided that a more practical strategy for the boat would be a com-plete rebuild instead of a complex series of repairs. This season we areexcited to offer students the unique opportunity to join boatbuilder EricDow as we bring SEAL back to life. In the July session, we’ll use station molds from Eric’s shop, set up

prior to the beginning of the course. There is a mold for every framefor all Herreshoff-built boats. After checking these for fairness, stu-dents will begin replacing all of the original oak frames by milling,steaming, and bending new frames of straight-grained white oak ontoeach mold. At the same time, other students will proceed in cuttingout, building, and rabbeting a new keel/stem assembly, replacing floortimbers, and creating a new transom. This building system, in whichmany of the components are finished before the boat goes together,requires precise work and results in an efficient building evolutionand a very exact rebuild. Throughout these two weeks, everyone willget an in-depth look at the many details and decisions involved in therebuild of a traditional wooden boat. In our August session, students will be engaged in the entire plank-

ing process, from spiling to striking a waterline. Of all the differentplanking methods, carvel or “plank-on-frame” is the most common,and this is the manner in which SEAL was planked. Using northern whitecedar, students will replank her in the same style that was used in 1926.There are 10 planks per side on the Herreshoff 12½, so you’ll get plentyof practice at hanging strakes. Eric will discuss and demonstrate resaw-ing plank stock, hollowing and rounding, stealer planks, the various typesof fastenings on today’s market, fitting butt blocks, stopwaters, and aproper caulking bevel. After SEAL is planked up, students will smoothand fair the entire hull. We’ll return to the boat in our 2017 season to continue the rebuild

of SEAL by replacing bulkheads; installing new deck frames, fore andaft; building new decks, coamings, and cockpit sole; and reinstalling thefin/ballast assembly. Both of these two-week sessions will be challenging, but with Eric’s

knowing supervision and years of experience, each student will learna great deal about first-class boatbuilding and how to take on a rebuildor restoration on their own.


Note: Previous woodworking and/or boatbuilding experience is required for this course.

WOODEN BOAT RESTORATIONMETHODSThe rebuilding process finalized.

Walt Ansel — July 17-30

The upcoming 2016 steam launch restoration class will conclude fiveyears of tremendous effort by instructor Walt Ansel and numerousWoodenBoat School students. The 24' fan-tailed launch will retainonly her original skin of cedar strip planking, part of her stem, andher overall sublime shape. Woven in and around this original fabric area new backbone comprised of keel, stem knee, shaft log, floors, framesand sheer clamps. Additionally, she has a new fantail rim timber, deckbeams, and, last but not least, beautiful new beaded Alaskan yellowcedar ceiling.Using a very fine launch at Bath Maritime Museum for inspiration,

the class has brought some subtle changes to our original Michiganlaunch. Three mahogany floor grates and pre-made deck planks withrabbeted yellow cedar edge banding have been built. The interior sideseats will be panel-faced lift-ups and students will replace the origi-nal heavily-nailed staved coaming with a new one of quarter sawnsteam-bent oak.Additional projects for the 2016 session will include the comple-

tion of the cockpit sole installation, the design and construction ofthe side seats, completion of decking and covering boards, and coam-ing construction. The big project will be the construction of a classiclaunch canopy to fit the boat that will have sheer and bow ends muchlike a snowshoe frame. There will also be plenty of small and largehardware installation jobs that will be completed.Come join us for two weeks of challenges that will be sure to increase

your skill levels. It’s a demanding project – almost like finishing out apiece of furniture – but our students, under the expertise of ship-wright Walt Ansel, always pull together and help each other out torestore to the highest standard. It’s going to be an emotional goodbyeto this fine old launch at the end of this final session. Many individu-als have put their hearts and souls into the work they’ve contributedto her and if they’re lucky, they’ll get to ride in her someday on a quietlake back in Michigan.



2016 COURSES

NEW

STITCH-AND-GLUE BOATBUILDINGLearn introductory and advancedmodern plywood boatbuildingtechniques suitable for simple orheavy-duty boats.

John Harris — August 7-13

The “stitch-and-glue” construction method is the eas-iest way to build a boat, as tens of thousands of ama-teur boatbuilders will testify. The approach, whichemphasizes the use of epoxy adhesives and strategicfiberglass reinforcement combined with marine ply-wood, is ideal for first-timers. But like so many things,it’s easy to do but hard to do well. This class is about howto do it well.The stitch-and-glue techniques date back to the

advent of modern adhesives in the 1960s. The basicprocess involves prefabricated plywood parts, whichare stitched together with loops of wire, then gluedwith epoxy to create rigid and seaworthy hulls. Theprocess dispenses with lofting, elaborate molds, andmuch of the complex joinery of traditional woodenboat building.While the method is beloved of amateurs, in recent

decades professionals have seized on this type of con-struction as a way to create beautiful free-form hullshapes with amazing strength and light weight. Whilestill benefiting from the speed and ease of stitch-and-glue boatbuilding, pros deploy sophisticated techniquesthat result in optimized structures and glittering finishes.As the owner of Chesapeake Light Craft, John Har-

ris has shipped 26,000 stitch-and-glue kits and builthundreds of boats in classes and in his own shop. Inthis class, students will build an attractive, sophisti-cated camp-cruiser of Harris’s design called NANA-SHIP. Water-ballasted, yawl-rigged, self-righting, andunsinkable, this seaworthy 12'6" sailboat offers manyopportunities to focus on the finer points of stitch-and-glue, including perfectly hand-drawn fillets thatlook like they were molded in place; fast and cleanfiberglass sheathing and reinforcement; the use ofadvanced materials like peel-ply, high-performancefoil construction; and hollow wood-epoxy spars.Whether you’re building your first boat, or looking

to learn the advanced tricks that the professionals useto get “showboat” finishes, this one-week class willadvance your abilities to work with wood, epoxy, andfiberglass. And the boat we build together will be raf-fled off at the end of the week to one very lucky student!

Tuition: $800




INTRODUCTION TOCOLD-MOLDED CONSTRUCTIONEverything from approaching the project totechniques and materials.

Mike Moros — June 26-July 2

For years cold-molded wood constructionhas been used successfully in building smallsailing dinghies, competitive rowing shells,cruising sailboats, rugged multihulls, andswift powerboats. The technique involveslaminating together layers of wood veneersor very thin planks to create a hull that iswatertight, extremely strong, and light-weight. Blend these noteworthy featurestogether with a relative ease of boatbuild-ing, and you have a method of constructionthat is a very popular choice among pro-fessional and amateur builders alike.

The object of this course will be to seeand learn firsthand exactly how the pro-fessionals take on a cold-molded projectand how smaller builders can incorporateprofessional systems into their own styles.Mike Moros, WoodenBoat School’s ShopManager, will lead this course, one thathas been requested time and time againby a large number of alumni and inter-ested public. Mike brings plenty of expe-rience to the class, including being amember of Brooklin Boat Yard’s buildingcrew, where he worked on a number oftheir large cold-molded sailing vessels.

We have chosen Bill Garden’s 12'6"catboat TOM CAT design as the main class project, which should provide studentswith a close look at much of what you need to know in building laminated wood-en boats. Daily discussions will cover material choice, handling, tooling, costs andtime, and application techniques. Topics that will receive individual attentioninclude epoxy resins, health and safety, fastening systems, spiling, planking, vac-uum-bagging, trimming, and fiberglassing. A small side project will look at repairmethods.

Mike promises that this will be an energetic week with plenty to do, so comeprepared to roll up your sleeves and put in six full days. For anyone contem-plating the cold-molded approach for their own boat or, perhaps, to add to theirboatbuilding business services, this course will be invaluable.

Tuition: $800


FINE STRIP-PLANKED BOATCONSTRUCTIONA guide to building small boats with wood strips and epoxy.

Nick Schade — June 12-18, September 11-17

If you want to build a lightweight, rugged, and beautiful small boat, com-bining thin strips of wood with epoxy and fiberglass will make a cartop-pable, low-maintenance, and gorgeous vessel. Nick Schade has been buildingstrip-built boats for over 25 years. He has written two of the standard textson the subject, Building Strip-Planked Boats and The Strip-Built Sea Kayak,and his efforts have guided thousands of people through building their ownboats using the popular stripplanked method.In this six-day course, students will explore this method of construction

while building two very different boat designs created by Nick. In the Junecourse students will build the Mystic River tandem canoe and the micro-Bootlegger recreational kayak. In the September course students will buildthe Nymph pack canoe and the Night Heron sea kayak. Nymph is a small,extremely lightweight, easy to handle double-paddle canoe. Night Heronis an elegant, high performance sea kayak design that has found a place inthe permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.The Mystic River 17' tandem canoe is a wonderful example of a classicwoodstrip canoe with graceful lines and a beautiful recurved stem. ThemicroBootlegger 17 is an open-cockpit tandem kayak with lines reminis-cent of a 1920s mahogany runabout. All four of these boats will provide anexcellent overview of the strip-planking process.Students will gain experience in a wide variety of techniques involved in

this modern boatbuilding process. Strip-planking small boats uses thincedar strips reinforced inside and out with fiberglass and epoxy. The fin-ished boat is lightweight, strong, and beautiful. The fiberglass fabric isabsolutely transparent and allows the beauty of the wood to shine through.Students will learn how to work with the wood strips and fiberglass fabricand epoxy. With the open canoes we will mount inwales and outwales,breasthooks, thwarts and seats. On the kayaks we will make the deck andhull, join the two together, and make the cockpit, coaming, and hatches.Day One will have students fairing up the forms, shaping the inner stems,

fabricating the kayak coaming and canoe backrest, and getting a start onthe planking. Tuesday will have us continuing with planking, installingstems, and working on hatches and gunwales. Before you know it, we will startsanding the hull and deck and applying fiberglass on Wednesday. On Thurs-day, the kayak and canoe will come off the forms. After fairing the insides ofthe hulls, carbon-Kevlar hybrid fabric will be laid-up on the interiors. ComeFriday, students will start finishing up the canoe while the hull and deck ofthe kayak are joined together. The class wraps up midday on Saturday withfinal fiberglass work and completion of details on both boats. Throughoutthis course, Nick will take time to discuss the many variations on the strip-building process that students can use on their own boatbuilding projects.After a week of fine craftsmanship and fun, we’ll step back to admire two stun-ning boats that will raffled off to two lucky students.

Tuition: $800


Mystic River Tandem

Night Heron

microBootlegger

Nymph


2016 COURSES


24 2015 WoodenBoat School

TRADITIONAL WOOD-AND-CANVASCANOE CONSTRUCTIONThe art of the canoe with a master builder.

Rollin Thurlow — July 10-16

Cedar-and-canvas canoes are coming back. Not only are theywonderful to look at and a pleasure to build, they also perform quitewell. This construction method permits a clean, sharp entry and asubtle shape that is difficult to achieve with aluminum or fiberglass.The century-old technology of clenching thin planks to steamedframes and then covering the hull with a tight canvas skin yields anamazingly flexible and rugged craft. And the ingenious formsdeveloped years ago by companies like Old Town and E.M. Whitemake the building process relatively quick and easy. Rollin Thurlow has been building and using, writing and

teaching about wood-and-canvas canoes for years. In this course,he will lead you through the complete construction of onetraditional Maine Guide canoe, the 17' Atkinson Traveler, and onetraditional Maine fishing canoe, the 15' square-sterned Kingfisher.You’ll start by steambending the clear cedar ribs onto the two forms.

While they cure, you’ll make up ash thwarts and prebend the stemsand gunwales. Then comes the fitting and fastening of the planking—a good chance to practice hand-tool skills in a very satisfying process.Working this thin cedar is a real pleasure.At week’s end, you will canvas the canoes in the traditional manner,

using the “envelope” method, stretching the canvas drum-tight,tacking it in place, and filling the outside weave with a specialcompound. Between steps, there may be time to carve your ownpaddle—a fascinating project unto itself. Three students will leave thiscourse with a new canoe nearly ready for paint and varnish; all willleave with knowledge and experience of what is probably the mostindigenous of American boatbuilding techniques, a process directlyevolved from birchbark canoes and still very much alive today.

Tuition: $800


BUILDING A NORDIC PRAMThe traditional approach tolapstrake construction.

F. Jay Smith — July 24-30

The Norwegian pram was the workhorse between ship and quay alongthe coast of Norway for centuries. Norwegian designs, in this case thepram, are also well ensconced on the rigorous proving grounds of theNorth Atlantic. The pram was a source of inspiration for many of thiscountry’s most highly regarded designers, including L. Francis Her-reshoff.In this course, students will build the classic “ferry” or pram in the

traditional manner of “hand and eye” construction – that is, withouta set of molds. No lofting or spiling is required. Building “by eye” hasbeen the cornerstone of Nordic lapstrake construction since the Vikingage. You’ll quickly see that the Norwegian tradition for building pramsis so simple and elegant that this really makes the pram what it is.Classic construction of the pram is lapstrake using cedar planking,

copper rivets, and treenails, and students will rely on a few basic handtools. Jay will give considerable attention and time to proper choosing,tuning, sharpening, and use of traditional edge tools without a relianceon power tools. Economy and simplicity will be wedded with dura-bility and function.From beginning to end, students will play a major role in the daily

decisions with regards to the construction of the pram. If you’re imag-ining a week of nonstop, hands-on activity, you have the right idea.Come prepared to work, not watch! Jay Smith will provide the adviceand inspiration; you’ll supply the energy, the newfound abilities, andthe confidence. So come join us for a delightful week making shav-ings and building boats in the Norwegian tradition.

Tuition: $850Note: This is a special seven-day course that begins on Sunday morning

and ends the following Saturday afternoon.

THE ART OF WOODCUTSAn intriguing woodworking project for thebeginning or intermediate woodworker.

Gene Shaw — August 21-27

Woodcut printmaking is a relief-printing artistic technique inwhich an image is carved into the surface of a block of wood,with the printing parts remaining level with the surface whilethe non-printing parts are removed, typically with gouges, knives,and chisels. It was created in about 1400 in Europe and, through-out time, has gone through various levels of technical and artis-tic development among woodworkers around the world.

Gene Shaw, artist and master woodworker, has designed thiscaptivating course for individuals interested in learning how to cre-ate black-and-white woodcut prints. On Monday morning, Genewill introduce students to the proper use of carving tools, meth-ods to sharpen them, and how to make a straight knife from asimple hacksaw blade. During the week, work will be done onboth soft and hard woods, plywood, and linoleum blocks. Therewill also be an introduction to various papers, inks, and brayers.Printing will be by hand using a traditional Japanese barren (ofseveral types) or a bamboo paddle, the instructors favorite.

A trip to a nearby gallery that exhibits woodcuts and woodengravings by a number of local artists will be planned early in theweek to expose students to a wide variety of styles. A visit to ahandmade paper gallery will include a demonstration and achance for each student to make a couple sheets of paper. After thepaper dries, students will use it to print their own woodcuts.

Anyone interested in woodcarving and woodworking will befascinated by this week with Gene, a very talented craftsman andartist. By the end of the course, everyone will have achieved asolid foundation for designing and producing high-quality wood-cut prints in a small space using quality tools and materials.



WOODCARVINGIntroductory techniques for first-time carvers.

Reed Hayden — July 17-23

Professional boatbuilder andwoodcarver Reed Hayden offersstudents new to carving a stimu-lating look at decorative wood-carving during this week. Whetheryou are a casual hobbyist or adevoted craftsman, this weekpromises each participant very sat-isfying results using basic carvingtools and woodworking skills.

Reed will introduce a variety of carving and woodworking techniquesincluding design and drawing, incised lettering, low and high relief carv-ing, overlays, three-dimensional projects, router work, and gold-leafing.All of these procedures will enable students to produce elaborate carv-ings as well as integrate them into marine and residential applications.

One of the first projects will be a motif sign. Coupled with this exer-cise will be a decorative carved shell. Both of these projects will help thestudent develop a “good eye” toward visualizing various shapes and forms.As one’s carving skill and experience develop, so does that “good eye.”Having brought the motif sign to a point where it is ready for paint, stu-dents will be encouraged to explore other techniques. These may be incor-porated into a project of their own design. Reed will provide plenty ofexamples of his own work and others for reference.

If you’ve ever had the ambition to design and carve, this week mightbe just what you’ve been waiting for. Complete with design advice, tool andwood selection, carving instruction, and finishing techniques, Reed’shelpful course should provide immense satisfaction and inspiration.



ADVANCED WOODCARVINGAmbitious projects designed to challengeexperienced carvers.

Reed Hayden — August 7-13

This week is designed for those individuals who have previously takenReed’s introductory course or a similar woodcarving course and havegained considerable carving experience. The main class project will be a2’ stylized dolphin of Reed’s design. Three-dimensional carving, profile reliefcarving, carving a logo, rope border, small figurehead, or stern eagle aresome examples of the work that will be covered. Students are also encour-aged to bring any of their own carving projects they may want to work on.

Tuition: $750 | Materials: determined based on project


2016 COURSES


NEW


BUILDING HALF MODELSThe practice and pleasure of carvinghalf models.Eric Dow — September 25-October 1

There are few products of woodworking as exciting tobehold as a well-done half model. It reveals the char-acter of the boat it represents at a scale that can beadmired at a glance and appreciated for a lifetime. Halfmodels are a wonderful way to remember a boat ofthe past or dream about one of the future.

Half-hull modeling is both a practical way toenjoy woodworking with limited time and tools, and atangible way to grasp the intricacies of boat plans. Tocarve for yourself and mount a half model is to for-ever capture a design in three dimensions.

In this week of hands-on participation, you’llexplore the tools, techniques, and materials for half-model making from lines plans; the woods; the glues;the tools; the paints and varnishes. Students will haveaccess to the extensive model plans collection at theWoodenBoat Store. Eric also encourages folks to bringlines drawings of their own boat or favorite designs.

Besides creating one or two models of your own,you will learn a lot about boat plans and gain a feel-ing for the long tradition of half-hull modeling—andgo home with the ability to build more on your own.

Tuition: $750 | Materials: $127wood and one set of plans


SCRATCH MODELMAKINGShip model building for beginners to advanced as taught by a master.

Steve Rogers — August 28-September 3

We have built models of ships throughout historyfor many reasons, but the simplest is that it bringsgreat pleasure. It doesn’t matter if your interests liein a Beetle Cat or the BONHOMME RICHARD,you can learn how these boats were constructed andbuild a model yourself. Whether your interest is eth-nological, historical, technical, or just curiosity, mod-elmaking will prove to be fascinating and an excellentlearning exercise.Steve’s course has been designed to appeal to the

advanced builder, as well as the beginner. First-timemodelmakers will be able to work on a purposefullychosen traditional small craft that not only teachesmodel building, but the techniques of full-sized tra-ditional wooden boat construction. You will touchon all the basics of scratch modelmaking, along with

advanced procedures and finishing techniques. Advanced students will be able to work on amodel of their choice or choose from a large selection of master molds for traditional round-bottomed sailing and working craft. Each master mold builds a specific boat in a specificscale, using plank-on-frame construction. The necessary plans for each boat will be pro-vided by the instructor. All of these boats are traditional, historic, interesting, and challeng-ing. Since there is only one building master for each boat, they will be reserved on a first-come,first-serve basis after the student registers for the course and contacts Steve. A complete listof the molds is available from the instructor by e-mailing him at [email protected].

Some of the available building master molds include:

RAINBOW, a Stonington dragger in ¾" scaleBarnegat Bay sneakbox in 1" scaleStone Horse in ¾" scaleDelaware Ducker in 1" scaleGEORGE W. BEALE, a menhaden steamer in 3/8" or ¼" scaleBeals Island lobsterboat in ¾" scaleADA C. LORE, Delaware Bay oyster schooner in ¼"scaleCape Cod catboat in ½" scaleHerreshoff 12½ in 1" scaleWianno Senior in ½" scaleEDNA LOCKWOOD, a bugeye in 3/8" scaleVICTORY CHIMES (Edwin & Maude), a three-masted

ram schooner in ¼" scale

At the end of the week, you will have an excellent foundation to build on and quite abit of valuable information to take home. You will have some of the skill and knowledgenecessary, but more important, all of the enthusiasm you can imagine to pursue the hobbyof a lifetime!





2016 COURSES

BUILD A FRIENDSHIP SLOOP MODELChoose from several different designsincluding Mystic Seaport’s ESTELLA A,WoodenBoat School’s BELFORD GRAY, andothers.Mark Wilkins — July 3-9

Join professional ship model maker Mark Wilkins for a captivatingweek learning how to create a 3/8" = 1" scale model of this cele-brated and iconic sloop that has become synonymous with Maine’smaritime past.

This course is designed for those who are looking to build a fullmodel, and it should appeal to the advanced builder as well as theintermediate. You’ll need to be familiar with lift-style construction(such as half models). Mark will touch on some of the basics of scratchmodelmaking, along with advanced techniques and some finishingmethods. He’ll cover assembly and shaping of the hull, decks and cock-pit soles, cabins, sparmaking, and rigging. In addition, students willbe exposed to different approaches to making their own fittings and deckstructures. More-experienced students will have the opportunity toembellish their model by adding a hollowed-out cuddy cabin or evenparts of the hull.At the end of this week, students will be very familiar with all aspects

of the Friendship sloop, as well as having an excellent foundation forbuilding future models. And you will have spent a week with a verygifted artist and modelmaker who is more than willing to share allthat he has learned in the trade.


Note: This is a six-day course ending Saturday afternoon

VINTAGE POND YACHTS – PART IIFurther work toward completion of yourpreviously started pond yacht.

Thom Mclaughlin — July 24-30

This week is intended to provide the environment and guidance for youto return to Brooklin and resume work on the pond yacht you startedhere at WoodenBoat School. Students from Thom’s building coursesfrom the past 15 years working on the 36" Acadia or Brooklin hulls, orany of the 50" Vintage Marblehead pond boats Naskeag, Peony, Rus-ticator, Iduna or Norumbega are invited to participate. Construction methods and tasks covered in this course will include

epoxy sheathing of the hull, completion of the fin and rudder, fabri-cation of internal support beams, decking, electronics installation, sailcontrol device, manufacture of mast and booms, mounting fittings,and final rigging. Perhaps not every class member will accomplish allof these steps, but at a minimum you will depart this week inspiredwith specific production knowledge and with the confidence to finishyour model at home and get it out sailing.

The course materials fee will cover the cost of the wooden mate-rials for all of your boat’s deckbeams, mast, booms, deck, and elec-tronic board. With Thom’s assistance and list of resources, studentswill be expected to bring along the electronics, appropriate fittings,and rigging items. As always with our pond yacht courses, studentswill have the opportunity to sail completed pond yachts on our water-front or in local ponds throughout the week.

Tuition: $800 | Materials: $160Note: This is a six-day course ending Saturday afternoon.

NEW

BUILD YOUR OWN WILLOW/QUICKBEAM SEA KAYAKTwo easy-to-build, all-purpose stitch-and-glue sea kayaks.

Bill Thomas — September 18-24

Boatbuilder and designer Bill Thomas has spent the last 35 years work-ing with wood; the last 20 years paddling and building boats. He’sbeen teaching boatbuilding classes since 1998. During this time hehas tried out numerous kayaks, each of them someone’s idea of theperfect boat. Like many folks who spend considerable time on thewater, Bill started dreaming, drawing, engineering, and constructingdesigns and models of his own and eventually arrived at the Willow seakayak, a great boat to paddle. Students will have the choice of build-ing the 17'7" Willow sea kayak or another of Bill’s designs - the 17'9"Quickbeam. Willow is suitable for paddlers and gear loads up to 300lbs.; Quickbeam will accommodate taller paddlers and carry largerpayloads. Feel free to contact Bill if you have any questions about theboats. Both are built by the stitch-and-glue method, using 4mmokoume plywood and epoxy. The kayaks feature cambered decks forstrength, ease of construction, and beauty. Laminated deckbeams graceboth interiors. The hulls are sheathed inside and out with 6-oz fiber-glass cloth. Each boat has a keyhole cockpit sized to take a standardsprayskirt. Adjustable footbraces and proper seats come with the kits.There are bulkheads and deck hatches, with the option of a day hatch.The weight of the finished boats is approximately 45 lbs., much lighterthan similar fiberglass or plastic kayaks.

Bill has introduced enough rocker to allow control in big seasand surf, with a long waterline providing straight tracking. Hard chinesassure easy, safe turns. A rudder will not be needed but can be addedif the builder would like to have one. In touring kayaks such as these,Bill feels it is ease of control and stability that guarantee safe and enjoy-able paddling. Boats with low wetted surfaces may have a high top-end speed, but keeping them upright and tracking straight can makefor a long day.

You don’t necessarily need to be an accomplished woodworkerto build a kayak. With a few basic carpentry skills, you’ll be up for thechallenge. With a little patience, lots of enthusiasm, and expert guid-ance from your instructor, you can build a beautiful boat.

Tuition: $800 (partner: $400)Materials: Willow Kit– $1,414 | Quickbeam Kits – $1,440


BUILD YOUR OWN GREENLANDSKIN-ON-FRAME KAYAKA busy week that results in a wonderfullysimple and affordable boatbuilding project,ideal to do with a partner.

Mark Kaufman — June 19-25

During this rewarding seven-day course, students will have the oppor-tunity to build an elegant replica of a traditional West Greenland-style skin-on-frame kayak based on museum surveys. Participantswill have a choice of building one of two different Greenland kayaks.

These kayaks have a flat, low aft deck with gracefully upsweepingends, a pronounced V-bottom, and hard chines. Participants willhave a choice of building a reproduction of the Fram Museum #176kayak from 1888 which measures 17'10" in length by 20½" in width,or a replica of the Ken Taylor Illorsuit kayak from 1959 which is 16'6"long x 20¾" wide. Both of these kayaks can be fitted with the stan-dard egg-shaped cockpit rim (16" x 23") or the longer egg-shapedcockpit (16" x 31").

Minor sizing adjustments will allow the builder to custom-fitboth of these kayaks. Traditional construction techniques will beblended with modern materials to create a kayak that is fast and light.The finished kayaks, constructed from Western red cedar with steam-bent white ash ribs and a stitched-on nylon skin, will weigh between25 and 28 lbs.

Instructor Mark Kaufman will create a materials/kit package thatincludes pre-machined and mortised Western red cedar gunwales,stringers, deckbeams, stems, white ash rib stock, laminated white ashmasik deckbeams, finished cockpit rim, seat slats, latigo leather decklines, nylon skin, urethane coating, and a partially pre-shaped West-ern red cedar paddle blank.

Skills Mark will teach include procedures for accurately repli-cating the original profile of the kayak from line drawings, layoutprocedures, mortise-and-tenon construction, steam-bending, hullshaping, sewing on a skin, and carving a Greenland paddle.

Mark promises a fun, fast-paced, intensive week as each kayaktakes shape. Students can expect some long, very productive daysso that each day’s goals can be met, and by the end of the week eachparticipant will have a stunning kayak that is ready for the water.

Tuition: $850 (partner: $400)Materials: 16'6" West Greenland Kayak – $1,335

17'10" West Greenland Kayak – $1,387

Note: This is a special seven-day course that begins on Sunday morning

and ends the following Saturday afternoon.


NEWNEW


BUILD YOUR OWN STITCH-AND-GLUE KAYAKVersatile, durable, easy-to-build designs for both the recreational and serious kayaker.

Eric Schade — July 3-9

Is there a perfect kayak? You can’t have all in one kayak. Forspeed, you want a hull that is long and narrow. For comfort, youwant broad beam and a big cockpit. For maneuverability andease of handling, a short kayak is desirable. Artful compro-mise is the mark of good design, and Eric Schade has a num-ber of beautiful kayaks that may just fit your bill. Students whoregister for this very popular course will be able to chooseamong the following designs: the 14' 6" Shearwater Sport, theShearwater 16 or 17, and the Wood Duck series.The Shearwater Sport is Eric’s most versatile traditional

kayak. It offers the perfect compromise of light weight, sharpWest Greenland handling, effortless cruising speed, and anextra-large cockpit for comfort. And it’s more than fast enoughto accelerate onto waves for surfing. The Shearwater 16 and17 are great-looking, performance oriented touring kayaks,perfectly suited to the experienced paddler. The Shearwaterdesigns feature a cambered deck and a West Greenland-stylehard-chined hull. The Wood Duck 10, 12, and 14 are all com-pact, easy-to-launch, recreational kayaks built for comfort andspeed. With big cockpits and ample stability, they are ideal forexploring inland waterways, fishing, or just having fun withyour kids. All of these designs are built from a Chesapeake Light Craft

kit using the most advanced wood-composite techniques.Stitch-and-glue plywood construction of computer-cut panelsmakes the assembly very user-friendly. The structure is carefullyand neatly reinforced with epoxy and fiberglass for use onrocky beaches. During construction, Eric will explain optionsfor outfitting the boats with seats, backrests, foot braces, hatchcovers, and deck rigging. At the end of the week each kayakwill be ready for sanding and paint or varnish. On Saturdayafternoon you’ll be taking home a beautiful, new boat alongwith plenty of new skills and shop tips you can use on manyfuture wood-epoxy composite boatbuilding projects.

Tuition: $800 (partner: $400) Materials: Shearwater:

Sport – $1,31816' – $1,31817' – $1,318

Wood Duck: 10' – $1,21312' – $1,21314' – $1,265

Double – $1,318


Wood Ducks

Shearwater Sport

Shearwater 17'


2016 COURSES



BUILD YOUR OWN ANNAPOLIS WHERRYExperience the ultimate in arecreational, open-water pulling boat.

Geoff Kerr — June 12-18

In this six-day course, each student will build an Annapolis Wherry froma Chesapeake Light Craft kit. The Wherry is designed after the graceful 19thcentury livery boats used on the River Thames. She is, however, lighter andslimmer, combining breathtaking grace with thoroughbred performanceunder oars. Solid stability, sea-kindly lines, a buoyant bow, and ampleflare make the Wherry a natural choice for rowing in choppy water. It isdesigned around a sliding seat and, in the hands of an experienced oars-man, cruising speeds easily reach 5 to 7 knots. The Annapolis Wherry(see Small Boats 2007)may be unsurpassed as a rowing trainer, exercise boat,long-distance cruiser, or open-water racer.

The boat is made of 6mm okoume plywood with 9mm okoume ply-wood frames, thwarts and flotation tanks. Outwales, breasthook and quar-ter knees are solid mahogany. The Annapolis Wherry is built using theLapStitch™ construction technique. Traditional lapstrake boatbuildingemploys molds over which planks are nailed or riveted together. By usingprecision-rabbeted, computer-cut plank shapes and frames which doubleas molds, a CLC Lapstitch™ kit boat is wired together just like a stitch-and-glue kayak. When glued with small epoxy fillets, the planks create a stiff andstrong hull that will last for fifty years.

The pre-cut hull planks are scarfed together, and then connected to theframes and each other with copper wire stitches, then fixed in place withepoxy fillets. Next come thwarts, knees, wales, and air tanks. Fiberglasscloth on the bottom, inside and out, provides abrasion resistance. Theinstructor will also discuss the proper way to sand and paint or varnish yourboat, and will explain sliding seat installation.

At the end of an absorbing week, students will have learned aboutstitch-and-glue basics, including epoxy work, fiberglassing, and laminat-ing. Building a LapStitch™ boat is easy, but assembling an 18' boat in a weekmeans a tight schedule, and you’ll be spending plenty of time in our shop.It will be an exciting week with an outstanding boatbuilder to guide youthrough your project!

Tuition: $800 (partner: $400) | Materials: (single) – $1,582 (tandem) – $1,687


BUILD YOUR OWNNORTHEASTER DORYThe elegance of a traditional workboatin stitch-and-glue construction.

George Krewson — September 4-10

A dory is a lot of boat for themoney, which explains theenduring popularity of thetype over the last 150 yearsor more. Graceful roundsidedlapstrake dories like this 17-footer were once the primaryrecreational craft on the NewEngland coast. In this six-daycourse, you’ll assemble afaithful reproduction in just aweek, using marine plywoodand epoxy. Capacity is threeadults, and you can add asailing rig if you choose.Enjoy fast rowing with one

oarsman or two, or add a slidingseat unit.This very popular John C. Harris design uses Chesapeake Light

Craft’s patented LapStitch™ process, which yields boats of 19th-cen-tury appearance but 21st-century weight and durability. Morethan 11 years after the first CLC LapStitch™ models, the NortheasterDory enjoys numerous refinements for faster, easier, prettier, andstronger construction. Just as in the original dories, we begin witha sturdy flat bottom, erect frames, and then add planks in a sin-gle day. A handsome timber rail adds stiffness, and the structure isfurther reinforced with epoxy and fiberglass. Solid timber seatsfeature alternating Spanish cedar and cypress strips, which willlook great under varnish. All plywood is marine-grade okoume.

The impulse for this new design was the desire for a fast but safeand dry rowing craft, for exercise during Maryland winters on thecreeks near John’s Kent Island home. Simple and sturdy, the dorycan live in or out of the water, ready to go in any condition of windand wave. Dories are great load-carriers, and the Northeaster Doryis no exception. The maximum payload is 800 lbs.

By the end of this exciting week, hulls will be assembled, readyfor sanding and painting at home. If there’s time during the class,those who elect to add the traditional dory sailing rig may getstarted on that option. Come join John, a leading designer in thewooden boat community, and experience the satisfaction of build-ing your very own beautiful dory.

Tuition: $800 (partner: $400)Materials: Row – $1,687

Sail (sloop) – $3,111Sail (lug) – $2,952



RELATED CRAFTS

TRADITIONAL AND MODERN OAR MAKINGCreating beautiful oars that turn minimumeffort into maximum power.

Clint Chase — August 14-20

There are few projects more thoroughly satisfying than oar mak-ing. Making your own oars engages all the senses—the sweet smellof spruce, the feel of the plane peeling off a perfect shaving, andthe sound of hand tools at work. The “tricks of the trade” that makecrafting an oar truly enjoyable are not easy to pick up on your own,but will be generously shared in this course. After a week in a pile ofshavings, you will leave this course with a new knowledge aboutoars and rowing, along with your very own set of beautiful oars.

Clint Chase brings years of experience as a boatbuilder and oarmaker, and has designed this exciting course to guide studentsthrough the fundamental steps of making and finishing oars: millingthe blanks, choosing a pattern, tapering, rounding the looms, shap-ing the blades, and tuning the oar. Clint will teach his techniques forcounterbalancing each set of oars with cast-lead “slugs.” Each stu-dent will choose the spruce oars they want to create. Some willchoose flat-blades or spoons. Others can choose laminated-ply-wood blades or carbon fiber. Whether you choose traditional ormodern, you will learn the crucial methods and knowledge requiredto craft a lightweight, strong, and balanced oar, making rowing agreat pleasure.

On Saturday morning, Clint will teach you how to leather youroars and make the collars, and you will go home with a fancy leather-ing kit, finishing instructions, and resources for further learning.Most of all, you will head home with a beautiful, functional set ofoars to prove it.

Tuition: $800 Materials: $106


THE ARTS OF THE SAILORPractical marlinespike and hand-sewn canvasprojects for small boats.

Eric Stockinger — August 7-13

Hervey Garrett Smith’s classic 1953 book, The Arts of the Sailor, is theinspiration for Eric Stockinger’s introductory course on traditional ropeand canvas work. While many people have an interest in learning howto sew canvas with a sailmaker’s palm and needle, there is little practicalinstruction available, and even less information on where to find good,modern substitutes for tools and materials once used by sailors aboard tallship. Here’s a great opportunity to gain some of those skills and plenty ofinformation on knots and ropework, as well.

The week will begin with the fundamentals of palm and needle sewing,discussions of tools and various materials, and basic marlinespike rope work.Students will work on several projects throughout the course. Everyonewill make their own ditty bag with a fancy marlinespike handle and acanvas bucket made with wooden mast hoops, brass thimbles, and cop-per tacks.

Most “fancy” knots have humble and practical origins aboard ships.Eric will show you how to create useful items that will look good andfeel at home on a small wooden boat. Students will make a rope fender,a Monkey’s Fist heaving line, and other small undertakings such as lan-yards, mats, Turk’s Heads, bracelets, etc. Eric will also discuss rope-stropped blocks, as well as other options for rigging small boats.

At the conclusion of the week, each student will come away with agood set of basic tools, the knowledge to use them, and, hopefully, theinspiration to take on other projects for their boat or around the house.

Tuition: $750Materials: $105


NEWNEW


BRONZE CASTING FORBOATBUILDERSThe process of patternmaking and castingcustom hardware.

Mike Saari — August 7-13

If you are a professional or amateur boatbuilder, in a small orlarge operation, working on traditional or modern craft, poweror sail, wood or even plastic, one thing you always have to con-sider is the matter of hardware. Boatbuilders are often in need ofspecial bronze fittings that are either not available off the shelf ormust be cast at great expense.

This course with Mike Saari will introduce the basics of pat-ternmaking, sand molding, and bronze casting. Students willlearn how to build an inexpensive furnace and all the tools nec-essary to cast hot metal using sandcasting technology. Even ifyou don’t want to do your own casting, you will learn enoughabout design and patternmaking to minimize the cost of hav-ing a commercial foundry make your castings.

In this hands-on, introductory course, each student willmake a pattern of his or her design to cast original hardwarefrom start to finish. Anyone who has ever lost an oarlock willappreciate learning how to make copies of original hardware.Students will learn foundry safety practices and resources forsupplies. Last, but not least, students will learn how to finish offtheir castings.

Tuition: $750 | Materials: $264Note: This is a five-day course ending Friday evening.

RELATED CRAFTS

MARINE PAINTING AND VARNISHINGThe art and science of finishing prep work to final coat.

Gary Lowell — August 21-27

Painting a boat is not simply a matter of opening a can and dipping in abrush—especially if you want the job to look decent and last well. Marinefinishing requires a lot of careful preparation, good technique, and anunderstanding of a bewildering array of products.

Gary Lowell packs a great deal into this one-week course. He startswith the preparation of the surface—the key to a fine finish. Too manygood coats of paint do little more than emphasize a rough hull, and toomany fine hulls have been damaged by the misuse of power tools. You’llwork with a variety of grinders, sanders, and scrapers on a variety of woodenboat parts. You’ll develop the feel needed to make these tools work for you,not against you.

You’ll examine the whole smorgasbord of currently available finishingproducts—strippers and primers, additives and thinners, enamels andepoxies, antifouling paints (both traditional and high-tech), varnishes andoils, etc. You’ll discuss how to pick the right product, and how to apply it.You’ll learn about different types of brushes and rollers, and the techniquesof masking and cutting in, striking a boot top, and keeping a wet edge.And you’ll practice how to artfully coordinate the tools and techniques asyou paint and varnish the boats on hand, or possibly your own.

You’ll also learn how to protect yourself from the potentially harmfuldusts and chemicals involved in this work. Gary will show you how to geta beautiful finish and stay healthy at the same time.

This is a very worthwhile course for boat owners or anyone else whowould like to make a good boat shine.


BLACKSMITHING FOR BOATBUILDERSAn introduction to traditionally forgedironwork for marine projects.

Doug Wilson — June 12-18

The time-honored craft of blacksmithing is alive and well. Thiscaptivating, five-day course, taught by master craftsman DougWilson, will expose students to the principles of the craft, focus-ing on hot-forging steel. Students will learn fundamental hand-forging processes and then have the opportunity to create usefulitems. No power tools will interfere with your understandingof the forging process.

Do you need a special tool or would you like to restore an oldone? Can it be fixed, or will you need to replace the original?How about steel hardware? The lessons learned here will applyto both ornamental forge work and tool making with high-car-bon steels. The mysteries of hardening and tempering will beaddressed, and students will learn to properly heat high-carbontools of their own making.

As students become more confident in basic blacksmithingskills during this course, they’ll move on to designing and mak-ing individual pieces to take home. The promise of success inthis course will be limited only by the talent and enterprise of thebeginner, and not by the lack of expensive or elaborate equipmentand materials. And as students find themselves becoming moreconfident in their blacksmithing skills over time, they will dis-cover, with pleasure and satisfaction, that they have becometheir own teacher.

Tuition: $800 | Materials: $215Note: This is a five-day course ending Friday evening. This coursewill be held at Doug Wilson’s shop located in Little Deer Isle, a short drive from WoodenBoat School.


METALWORKING FOR THE BOATBUILDER AND WOODWORKERA survey of tools and techniques.

Erica Moody — August 28-September 3

This highly useful course designed by professional metalworker EricaMoody will provide students the unique opportunity to review and prac-tice various metalworking techniques geared toward assisting the profes-sional or amateur woodworker and/or boatbuilder in fabricating orrepairing metal parts for their projects. We will start by looking at thevarious types of metal used in the marine environment and their propertiesand uses, and review the tools and techniques to work them in simpleways without the need to set up an expensive, fancy metal shop at home.

Focus all week will be on working mostly with different bronze alloysand copper. Techniques covered will include drilling and tapping, form-ing, silver brazing, soldering, and finishing methods, as well as heat treat-ing for toolmaking. Suggested class projects will be to start and finishyour own bronze and tool-steel scribe/marking tool to use in class, anda pair of custom bronze chart dividers, and/or a small bevel gauge. Stu-dents can also bring parts to repair or fabricate, or just practice skills.

No previous experience is necessary. This week with a very talentedmetalworker will give each individual the opportunity to clarify metal-working questions and start building the skills and confidence that bringssatisfaction from being able to repair, replace, or customize your owndeck and hull fittings, cabin hardware, tools, or beautiful accessories andgizmos. It will be a great way to get started!

Tuition: $750 | Materials: $132Note: This is a five-day course ending Friday evening.

2016 COURSES


MAKING FRIENDS WITHYOUR MARINE DIESEL ENGINEAn introduction to evaluating small marine diesels.

Jon Bardo — June 5-11, September 25-October 1

Realizing that the diesel enginepowers the world, we are offeringthis course to provide you an in-depth view of the small marinediesel engine. Despite their appar-ent complexity, diesels are quitesimple machines that can be givenan almost indefinite lifespan bypainless preventive maintenancetechniques and proper operation.Jon Bardo has had over 30 yearsof experience troubleshooting andrebuilding diesel engines from 16hp to 2,400 hp, and has tailored acourse that will meet the imme-diate needs of each student andhis/her own engine.During the week, students will

be presented with a wide array ofhands-on demonstrations andlectures designed to cover thecare and repair of the smallmarine engine. Fuel systems,cooling systems, lubricating sys-

tems, electrical systems, exhaust and intake systems, and more will all beexplored and thoroughly explained in layman’s terms. Mechanical prob-lems are almost always the result of some human weakness or deficiency, andJon will create a “survival guide” for owners of diesel-powered watercraft toproperly maintain their own power plants and extend the lives of theengines.

You’ll get plenty of grease under your fingernails in this course as yourinstructor details correct operation of your engine from start-up to shut-down. Students will have a great chance to find out what to look for in trou-bleshooting common problems, and which repairs you can do yourself andwhich should be done by a professional mechanic. And if you should needrepairs, Jon will teach you how to find and deal with a mechanic, and howto tell if you’re being taken care of or being taken for a ride. If you are oneof the many boat owners who are interested in improving your under-standing and ability and gaining confidence in dealing with your motor,then come join Jon Bardo for a fascinating look at the marine diesel.

Tuition: $750 Note: This is a five-day course ending Friday evening.A copy of Peter Compton’s book Troubleshooting Marine Dieselswill be provided to each student at the start of the course.

INTRODUCTION TO CANVASWORKProject design, tools of the trade,industrial machine stitching, materials,and lots more.

Ann Brayton — September 11-17

Ann has been running her very successful canvaswork busi-ness out of the family barn in Brooklin, Maine, for close to 20years. Her reputation as an exceptional canvasworker (spe-cializing in custom interior and exterior boat cushions) leadsmany of the area boatyards and boat owners to her doorstep eachyear with orders in hand. We are fortunate to be able to offer stu-dents the chance to work alongside Ann learning the basics ofthis valuable skill.

Canvaswork is one of those traditional crafts that have beenpart of the boat owner’s world for centuries. Sails, protectivecovers, seabags, even clothes were once made out of canvas bya ship’s bosun. These days, the availability of new syntheticfibers has drastically changed the landscape for those produc-ing marine canvaswork, though many techniques remain thesame. Students in this course will learn the ins and outs ofworking with a wide range of these materials that are on themarket today.

Students will begin the week learning to use the industrialsewing machines we’ll have on hand for this course, followedby an introduction to all the various fabrics and foams availableto the canvasworker. We’ll then look at the other tools of thetrade, and learn how to install grommets, zippers, and otherfastenings. The course will cover how to make various stylesof boat cushions ranging from simple cockpit cushions tobeveled V-berth cushions, and as time permits, students willlearn to make other useful canvas projects, such as bags, tool rolls,etc. Everyone will discover the step-by-step procedures indesigning a project, choosing materials, and proper cuttingand assembling to produce quality work that you will takepride in. Most canvaswork projects involve simple sewing tech-niques that are easy to master with plenty of practice, even ifyou’ve never done any sewing before. Students are welcome tobring their own projects to work on during class but must dis-cuss their ideas with Ann prior to this week.

There is much satisfaction to be achieved from producingyour own canvaswork, not to mention the financial savingsinvolved. After this week in the loft with Ann, you’ll head homewith confidence, a new awareness in working with fabrics, acompleted project or two, and a seabag full of new skills.

Tuition: $800 | Materials: $50Note: This is a five-day course ending Friday evening. This course takes place at the Center Harbor Sail Loft in Brooklin.

RELATED CRAFTS

MAINE COAST: WATERCOLOR TRAVEL SKETCHBOOKMaritime details near and far.

2016 COURSES

NEW

PAINTING THE DOWNEAST COAST IN OILSA comprehensive approach to understandinghow to see and paint the Maine coast.

Jerry Rose — July 24-30

You are invited to joinlocal artist Jerry Rose fora fascinating weekpainting in oil. Each daywill find students work-ing both in group set-tings and out on theirown. Jerry will cover avariety of topics, includ-ing seeing and compos-ing a sketch, tools andtechniques to achievewet-on-wet oil painting,

mixing paint and brush techniques, capturing morning light, the ele-ments of composing and arranging the visual elements to form a betterdesign, experimenting with design and technique, and lots more. Morn-ing and afternoon demonstrations and discussions by the instructor willcover a different facet of landscape painting/sketching and help studentsunderstand the process of painting in oils. Following Jerry’s presenta-tions, students will work on their daily assignments followed by a class cri-tique. The week promises to be challenging, fun, and inspiring. Previouspainting experience is recommended.

Tuition: $750 Note: This is a five-day course ending Friday evening.

SEASCAPE/LANDSCAPE IN WATERCOLORCapturing nature’s inspiration in watercolors.

Paul Trowbridge — July 10-16

The inspiration for this course with artist Paul Trowbridge will benearby landscapes, tidal zones, the ocean, boats, and people. This classwill be flexible enough to accommodate all levels of watercolor expe-rience, allowing for group instruction, demonstrations, critiques, lotsof individual instruction and feedback.

There is nothing like setting aside the time to paint at WoodenBoatSchool’s campus on Eggemoggin Reach to expand your skills andgenerate excitement about your work. With the support of fellowclassmates and instructor, you should experience greater confidencein your work, learning to recog-nize your own strengths and makethe most of them. The schedulewill allow students to put in thehours needed to make progress,and to address the question, “Howcan we make paintings that cap-ture our subject in a fresh, direct,and inspirational way?”

You will become familiar with (or review) negative- and positive-shape painting; painting in puddles; using the white of the paper as adesign element; as well as other general concepts of drawing andpainting, including composition and color theory.

This class is for people who love the visual excitement of nature andwant to capture some of that thrill in watercolor painting.

Tuition: $750 Note: This is a five-day course ending Friday evening.

Amy Hosa — September 4-10

Fill a sketchbook with colorful memories while learning how to draw quick studiesthat capture the essence of coastal Maine. Each day we travel to new locations – boat-yards, harbors, lobster wharves, quaint towns, islands, fields of wildflowers, and the rockyshore. Drawing from life not only gives you time to discover details, but also creates asensory record of that place and time.

The goal of this course is for you to master the art of “quick-study color sketches.”Instruction includes pen and pencil techniques; how to draw architecture and trees, theshoreline, piers, boats and people; composition; perspective; and watercolor. Amyoffers multiple step-by-step demonstrations each day that address a range of skillsfrom basic drawing, composition, and color for the novice to more challenging tech-niques for the advanced. Daily group and individual critiques will nurture the noviceand challenge the experienced artist. All levels of experience ae welcome.



MAY 22–28 / MAY 29–JUNE 4

Each year we traditionally mark the opening of oursummer season with two weeks in the spring in whicha number of our alumni come to Brooklin to help usopen our doors. Alumni give us a week or two of theirtime and talent, and we return the favor with a week’sroom and board, plenty of appreciation, and a few sur-prises thrown in to boot. There’s plenty to do on ourwaterfront, in our shops, and at our dorms.

It is also a wonderful week of camaraderie withfolks getting back together in this beautiful setting torelax, talk boats, and share stories. Call after January3rd if you’d like to be added to the lottery list. We’llpull names in March for these two popular weeks.

MARINE PHOTOGRAPHY I & IITechniques and tips for getting that perfectdigital shot on and around the water.

Jon Strout and Jane Peterson — September 4-10 (Marine Photography I)September 11-17 (Marine Photography II)

Photographing on, in, oraround the ocean is verychallenging. The coast ofMaine is certainly no excep-tion. Lighting conditions areconstantly changing, offer-ing unique opportunities forthe most experienced pho-tographer. How to make themost of these opportunitiesis the test every photogra-pher faces.As we’ve seen, digital

cameras have changed theworld of photographyovernight. Well-known pho-tographer Jon Strout and his

able assistant Jane Peterson come to our campus to offer two uniquephotography courses. MARINE PHOTOGRAPHY I will be an intro-duction to camera technique, the chemistry of light, and capturing first-class images. During the week, Jon will conduct daily sessions in shootingwith available light. By using proper exposures and correct shutter speeds,you will learn the techniques needed to capture a multitude of condi-tions.

MARINE PHOTOGRAPHY II is for the photographer who hasalready taken an introductory course, or is equivalently prepared andlooking for the challenge of improving his or her style and technique,and moving on to the next level. Individual and group assignments willbe given, and are designed to further develop one’s ability to see and cre-ate an image of what you experience and feel. Jon and Jane will offeradvanced work on exposure and metering, lens selection and use, thethree-dimensional photograph, the element of time, and, of course, com-position.Students will use their own digital cameras, whether point-and-shoot

models or SLR. With the convenience of digital photography, the instruc-tors will critique students’ work daily. Each morning each class will meetin our Boathouse to review the previous day’s work and prepare to covernew ground. But the real essence of both courses will be taking pictureswith your instructors and on your own. The WoodenBoat School water-front and boatbuilding shops, the many harbors and local boatyards, thetown of Brooklin, and nearby Acadia National Park will provide a wealthof photogenic material. The challenge and pleasure of both of these weekswill be to capture it all on film!



RELATED CRAFTS

AlumniWorkWeeks

NEW

CHESAPEAKE LIGHT CRAFT SHOPAnnapolis, Maryland

We’re very pleased to be working with John Harris and the good folks at CHESAPEAKE LIGHT CRAFT in Annapolis, Maryland, and, once again, to be able to offer courses at their excellent facility. www.clcboats.com

Tuition for each of these courses is $800 (partner $400)Check our website for our entire 2016 program www.woodenboat.com

Gift certificates available for all WoodenBoat courses.

Can’t make it to Brooklin, Maine?

MARCH 21-26 BUILD YOUR OWN ANNAPOLIS WHERRYWith Geoff Kerr Materials: Single – $1,429

Tandem – $1,529

APRIL 4-9 BUILD YOUR OWN STITCH-AND-GLUE KAYAKWith Eric Schade

Materials: Shearwater Sport Materials: Wood Ducksport – $1,179 10' – $1,07916' – $1,179 12' – $1,07917' – $1,179 14' – $1,129

Double – $1,179

APRIL 11-16 BUILD YOUR OWN NORTHEASTER DORYWith George Krewson Materials: Row – $1,529


MAY 2-7 BUILD YOUR OWN LAPSTRAKE DINGHYWith Bill Cave

Materials: Eastport Pram Materials: PassagemakerRow – $1,029 Row – $1,379Sail (lug) – $1,958 Sail (sloop) – $2,678

Sail (lug) – $2,578

SEPTEMBER 5-10 BUILD YOUR OWN SASSAFRASWith Bill Cave Materials: 12' – $1,029

16' – $1,205

SEPTEMBER 26-OCTOBER 1 BUILD YOUR OWN NORTHEASTER DORYWith Bill Cave Materials: Row – $1,529


OCTOBER 24-29 BUILD YOUR OWN ANNAPOLIS WHERRYWith Geoff Kerr Materials: Single – $1,429

Tandem – $1,529

OCTOBER 31-NOVEMBER 5 BUILD YOUR OWN STITCH-AND-GLUE KAYAKWith Eric Schade

Materials: Shearwater Sport Materials: Wood Ducksport – $1,179 10' – $1,07916' – $1,179 12' – $1,07917' – $1,179 14' – $1,129

Double – $1,179

ANNAPOLIS WHERRY

STITCH-AND-GLUE KAYAK

LAPSTRAKE DINGHY

SASSAFRAS CANOE

SKERRY DAYSAILER

NORTHEASTER DORY

37

2016 OFF-SITE COURSES


FAMILY WEEK

BUILD YOUR OWN WOOD DUCK KAYAKEric Schade

Bring your tools and work clothes, and build your very own 10' or 12'Wood Duck recreational kayak, a very cool boat suitable for novicepaddlers and fun for those with more experience. Starting with com-puter-cut marine plywood parts, your kayak will be glued togetherusing epoxy, and sheathed with fiberglass for strength. Bring yourenthusiasm and your desire to try something new and exciting!

Tuition: $600 (partner: $300)Materials: 10' – $1,213 12' – $1,213

14' – $1,265 Double – $1,318Note: This is a six-day course ending Saturday afternoon.

BUILD YOUR OWN BEVIN SKIFFChristian Smith

Designed by Joe Youcha, the 11' 8" Bevin Skiff has been built by hun-dreds of families at various Family Boatbuilding events around theworld. This simple, good-looking marine plywood skiff comes in akit and can be built for oar or sail. Ideal for first-time builders!

Tuition: $600 (partner: $300)Materials: Row: $1,107Note: This is a six-day course ending Saturday afternoon.

JOIN US AT WOODENBOAT SCHOOL FOR FAMILY WEEK!

More and more families these days want to add a learning component to their vacations. We are

excited to offer this special opportunity for you to share a unique experience with your children

and/or grandchildren. All the courses are fun, educational, and great family projects. And your

family will have memories for a lifetime. Contact us for details.

Classes run from July 31 to August 6. CHOOSE AMONG THE FOLLOWING:

“Thank you for a wonderful week andbeing open to me bringing my teenage

daughter and son. This will be a week we will never forget!”

M.C., WORCESTER, VERMONT

JULY 31-AUGUST 6


BUILD YOUR OWN ECHO BAY DORY SKIFFClint Chase

The Echo Bay Dory Skiff is a beautiful and stable 12' rowing or sailingskiff that is a delight to enjoy out on the water. Designed by boat-builder/instructor Clint Chase, the skiff is easily built from a kit con-sisting of marine plywood and solid wood parts, a construction manual,and a full set of plans. A great family boatbuilding project!

Tuition: $600 (partner: $300)Materials: Row - $1,477; Sailing components

can be purchased from the instructor Note: This is a six-day course ending Saturday afternoon.

LEARN TO SAILWith Jane Ahlfeld and Gretchen Snyder

Introduce your family to a sport they can enjoy for the rest of theirlives! Under the calm and knowing guidance of Jane and Gretchen,students will quickly learn that sailing is safe, fun, and builds self-reliance, encourages respect for the environment, and offers numerousrewards that come from being challenged out on the water. Your class-room for the week will be our safe and exciting fleet of Nutshell prams,Shellback dinghies, and Haven 12½s. This will be an awesome fivedays on the water!


FAMILY WEEK COURSES

FAMILY WEEK courses are designed for families

with school-aged children between 9 and 15.

Adults and children must participate

in the same course.

NOTE: Room & Board is half price

for children this week.

The sailing bug caught JANE AHLFELDwhile vacationing on one of the Maine wind-jammer schooners. She decided to take aleave from elementary school teaching…andhas yet to return. She shipped out on theMARY HARRIGAN, a 50' schooner, asmate to teach Cruising Boat Seamanshipfor WoodenBoat School in the Caribbeanand Maine. In ’93 and ’94 she taught acourse in Small Boat Sailing on the localboats of Bequia. Since 1989 she hasreturned to Brooklin each summer to teachand work on our waterfront. When not onboats, Jane is a computer consultant. Shehas a masters in Education and holds aU.S. Coast Guard License. Students oftencomment on Jane’s patience, knowledge,sense of humor, and attention to both thegroup and individual needs. She teaches theskills and gives all the support needed togain confidence on the water.

WALTER ANSEL is a long-time native ofMystic, Connecticut. He grew up running

wild at Mystic Seaport Museum Shipyardand is still there after 35 years. Walt begansweeping out the Shipyard shop when he was14; while he still does pick up a broom, he hasgraduated on to doing other jobs as well. Oneof his very favorite projects was building aBeetle whaleboat with his retired boatbuilderfather, Willits Ansel, in 2002. Walt supervisedthe restoration of the Eastern rigged draggerROANN and was able to go to sea on her forthe Museum. Walt also worked on the whaleship CHARLES W. MORGAN on both her1980’s and 2013 restorations and got theopportunity to sail with the whales onStellwagan Bank on the MORGAN’s 38thvoyage. Walt is married to Carol, a schoollibrarian who is passionate about photo-graphing birds and the seacoast. Togetherthey enjoy birding, cruising in boats, andEnglish country dancing as done in the timeof Jane Austen. They are proud parents ofDouglas, a filmmaker, and Evelyn, an authorand ship caulker. Walt has built and restoredboats at WoodenBoat School for 16 years.

After graduating from the Marine ScienceDepartment at Southern Maine VocationalTechnical Institute in 1972, JON BARDOwas employed on the schooner yachtAMERICA as an engineer. Having survived14 months of bluewater cruising, Jon cameashore and spent the next seven years repair-ing diesel engines in everything from com-mercial fishing vessels to logging equipment.Eventually drawn back to the sea, Jon workedon commercial tugboats for four years andthen started his own business working ondiesel engines, which he enjoys to this day.

WARREN BARKER built his first boat,a Culler skiff, in 1976 after earning his B.A.at Williams College. He then studied atHoosuck Design and Woodworking Schoolbefore joining Murray Peterson Associatesin Maine, where he helped to build a num-ber of prams and spars, as well as the 42'ketch NIA. For the next four years he workedas a project foreman at Eric Goetz CustomSailboat Company, mostly building high-tech, one-off, cold-molded racing boats.Along the way, Warren has built or rebuilta variety of small craft on his own. A two-and-a-half-year stint restoring the yawlCOTTON BLOSSOM ended with his firstcommission in his new shop, a Haven 12½'.A Bridges Point 24 kept the doors open,followed by CURLEW, a reproduction of theHerreshoff Alerion. Immersed in the


“It was a blast! You have the perfect setting for a sailing class. The Boathouse, pier, boats, staff, and sailing

instructors are absolutely great. We’re already thinking about next year!”

S.B., SIDNEY, TEXAS

FACULTY


Herreshoff technique, he used their meth-ods to produce a 26' gig for PortsmouthAbbey School and a Columbia dinghy.Having completed the 30'6" WilliamGarden–designed “Camilla” and theHerreshoff 12½' “Crow Dancer” in hisWestport, Massachusetts, shop, he took theposition of senior instructor at IYRS men-toring the construction of Herreshoffdesigns from 12' to 35' and a smattering ofother designers’ work. Trying to stay aheadof the students, he is learning the ins andouts of GarWood and Chris-Craft boats.

DANIEL BENNETT built his first boatout of recycled materials when he was 10years old and first taught sailing at 13. At 15,he took LOFTING and FUNDAMENTALSOF BOATBUILDING courses atWoodenBoat School. Next came work inboatyards and then a life at sea, sailing48,000 nautical miles aboard square-rig-gers and schooners in the Atlantic andPacific. At 19, Daniel purchasedPLUMBELLY, a 26’ Bequia-built enginelessdouble-ended gaff cutter, and while servingas Assistant Shop Manager at WoodenBoatSchool, he readied for a singlehanded voy-age to Bermuda that fall. After a rough tripand the necessary repairs, he became a highlymotivated student of the weather and sailedon to the Caribbean and beyond, using bothtraditional and modern navigational means.Daniel logged 47,000 nautical miles overthe next six years during several Caribbeanwinters, New England summers, andtransatlantics to the U.K. and back, includ-ing a 4,000-nautical-mile nonstop voyagewestbound. Sailing mostly singlehanded,he found work as a shipwright/carpen-ter/rigger to support his boat and simplelifestyle. For the past 20 years, Daniel hasbeen sailing the coast of Maine asowner/captain of Bufflehead SailingCharters in which he shares the beauty andchallenge of sailing Maine’s island dappledwaters. He recently logged 2,200 nauticalmiles a year within 50 miles of Rockland.

ANN BRAYTONhas lived here in Brooklinfor years raising kids, animals, and vegetablegardens, as well as guiding kayak trips for a

local lodge. At a young age she realized therewards of making useful things with herown hands, and after several years workingin a local sail loft over 20 years ago, she beganher own canvas business in her barn, allow-ing her to work more easily around her fam-ily’s schedule. Initially, Ann focused mostlyon yacht interiors (cushions and curtains) forboats being built or rebuilt by local boat-yards or individual boat owners, but hassince expanded into doing a wide range ofexterior canvas projects as well.

At 15, JOHN BROOKS joined his grand-parents and other family members on atwo-year sailing trip from the PacificNorthwest to South Africa. In college hestudied engineering and journalism, then hewent to work building boats, took a boatdesign course, and built a Chesapeake Bayskipjack for himself. In the 1980s, John

moved to Maine with boat in tow, andworked for a number of Mount DesertIsland boatyards plus a keyboard maker, acabinetmaker, and a custom furniturebuilder; he also designed and built his firstglued-lapstrake boat, a 15’ fast pulling boat.In 1992 he and his wife, Ruth Ann Hill,started their own business designing andbuilding glued-lapstrake boats, and togetherthey wrote How to Build Glued-LapstrakeWooden Boats, published by WoodenBoatBooks in 2004. After moving to Brooklin in2003, John continued designing boats anddeveloping plans while also taking advan-tage of an opportunity to work at DougHylan’s shop and Brooklin Boat Yard as amaster carpenter. Since 2009, he and Ruthhave worked together as Brooks BoatsDesigns full-time, developing plans and kitsfor boats they built on MDI and for newdesigns. They live in Brooklin with their

“John Brooks is a very professional boatbuilder andteacher. He brought passion, energy, skill, and a sense of humor. A superb course!” A.B., TRAVERSE CITY, MICHIGAN

2016


four children, a flock of chickens, andassorted boats. John has taught classes atWoodenBoat School for over 20 years.

HARRY BRYAN built his first boat atage 10, his first boat that floated at age12, and his first boat with almost noleaks at age 15. After successfully resist-ing attempts to be formally educated atthe University of Vermont, he workedon fishing boats at Fairhaven Marine inFairhaven, Massachusetts, and on yachtsat Concordia Company in SouthDartmouth, Massachusetts, before mov-ing to New Brunswick, Canada, in 1972.Since that time he has repaired com-mercial craft and built dories, skiffs, andsailboats form 7' to 36'. His shop, whichrelies on a small diesel engine and solarpanels for its power, emphasizes a grow-ing commitment to pedal power andhand tools (see WoodenBoat No. 132).

BILL CAVE spent 28 years as a firefighterin Washington, D.C. An avid sailor andsmall boat enthusiast, he’s also worked as amate on a schooner. Bill built his first boatin a WoodenBoat School class. TheChesapeake Light Craft staff recognized histalent and hired him, along with his son,Matt, for good measure. As ChesapeakeLight Craft’s primary staff boatbuilder, Billhas built dozens of boats of all sizes andtaught many boatbuilding classes on hisown. He lives in Bryantown, Maryland andwhen not building boats for a living, hebuilds them as a hobby.

THAD DANIELSON felt a strong attrac-tion to the ocean and boats at the age of nineon a liner voyage to East Africa with hisfamily in 1954, reinforced over the next fouryears by having the Dar es Salaam waterfrontas his playground. After high school inRhode Island followed by college and grad-

uate school, Thad got into sailing. Someyears later, a chance look at one of the firstsets of plans sold by WoodenBoat turned hisinterest from general woodworking andhouse building to wooden boats. He movedto Marblehead, Massachusetts, set up Redd’sPond Boatworks, and was soon busy build-ing and restoring a wide variety of tradi-tional wooden boats. He recently retiredfrom the shop but is still building boats.Thad is the North American Secretary of theAlbert Strange Association.

BRAD DIMOCK combines a family pro-clivity for carpentry with his discovery ofGrand Canyon boating when he was 18years old. He has spent nearly every sum-mer and a few winters since then runningthe Colorado and other rivers in a widevariety of vessels, from historic lapstrakereplicas to modern river dories; from kayaksto paddle rafts to large motorized pontoons;and a few things that weren’t really boats atall. Brad rowed wooden boats for dory pio-neer Martin Litton for 10 years, and hasrun dories extensively on whitewater riversthroughout the West. He has also writtenaward-winning biographies of several lesser-known but mythic boaters of the ColoradoRiver. Brad has built dories from Maine toNew Zealand, but does most of his boat-building at his shop in Flagstaff, high in theArizona desert. He combines techniquesfrom traditional and modern methods, andoccasionally invents new approaches as theneed arises. Many of his boatbuilding tech-niques were born of necessity for lack oftools or time in wilderness settings.

ERIC DOWwas brought up a Maine fish-erman, but pursued boatbuilding “as a meansof being able to sleep later in the morning.”He graduated from the marine departmentat Washington County Vocational TechnicalInstitute, and for over 38 years he has beenbuilding boats in Brooklin, Maine. He builtmany of the WoodenBoat half models fordisplay, has been intimately involved with thedevelopment of the Nutshell Pram kits, and,these days specializes in the construction ofthe Haven 12½.

“Harry Bryan is a master….watching his handsworking is more than learning technique, it’s like

listening to really beautiful music. BOATBUILDER’SHAND TOOLS far exceeded all my expectations.

I would take any course Harry taught!” F.C., BEACH HAVEN, NEW JERSEY

FACULTY

OCEAN POINTER

QUEENE HOOPER FOSTER taughtherself how to sail by reading books andstudying the photographs of Morris andStanley Rosenfeld. Right out of college shepurchased a boat and learned to sail thehard way. She continued her education bysailing annually to Maine from theChesapeake Bay, participating in the earlyclassic yacht events in Newport, RhodeIsland and in Maine. She has sailed innumerous Newport to Bermuda Races,always in classic wooden boats, and was thefirst woman to skipper her own boat in thethat famous ocean race. Sailing for the NewYork Yacht Club in her Aage Nielsen KetchSAPHAEDRA, Queene sailed across theAtlantic to Cowes, England and was theonly woman skipper to race in the America’sCup Jubilee. She and her international crewreceived a Third Place Trophy from PrincessAnne for the week of competition. Hercareer has been in publishing in New YorkCity, specializing in marine titles, includingChapman’s Guide to Boating Etiquette, adetailed guide to boating traditions. Queeneis an experienced sailing instructor andthese days enjoys being out under sail on herConcordia yawl MISTY.

BOB FULLER, a third-generation boat-builder and patternmaker with a commer-cial fishing background, grew up in Halifax,Massachusetts. He apprenticed with his fatherand grandfather, working in the family shopwhere he also learned the trade of designingand building traditional wooden ship’s steer-ing wheels. Bob built his first in 1976 at age15. On occasion, when fishing on the bays andinlets on the South Shore of Massachusettsand Cape Cod, he would see Simmons SeaSkiffs being used in the rough waters and tooknote as to how seaworthy and perfectlymatched they were for the strong southerlywinds and following seas that prevail onsummer afternoons. Bob has built numer-ous Simmons Sea Skiffs for fishermen andduck hunters in his Halifax shop.

MARTIN GARDNER, born on theChesapeake Bay, and with two grandfatherswho were professional seamen, should havehad a life in boats. It started well enough,

with numerous fishing trips out on the bayand various model boats. Then somethingwent wrong, and for a few decades, Martinpursued a career that included more timein airports than in anchorages. In the 1980she came to his senses and began sailing seri-ously, eventually leaving his day job to cruisefor four years aboard a 28' Lyle Hess cutter.He has sailed over 25,000 miles on a vari-ety of bluewater boats. He holds a U.S. CoastGuard Master’s license and an assortmentof U.S. sailing and ASA instructor qualifi-cations. He now teaches sailing year roundand keeps a cruising catboat back on theChesapeake Bay.

JOHN C. HARRIS owns ChesapeakeLight Craft, the Annapolis-based purveyorof wooden boat kits and plans. His longtenure at CLC was preceded by a passion forboatbuilding and small craft that stretchesback to earliest childhood. His first suc-cessful design was launched at age 14. Morepaddling, rowing, and sailing craft followedquickly, though he paused to get a degreein music—his second passion. After collegehe was determined to make a career as aboatbuilder and designer in the esotericworld of wooden boats. Eighteen years later,he’s shipped 26,000 boat kits and seen hisdesigns built in more than 70 countries.


2016

“There is an incredible culture here at WoodenBoatSchool where good people are allowed and encouraged topursue and perfect their passions in the company ofother like-minded individuals. Everyone seems to enjoybeing here! Thanks to you and your entire staff forcreating such a culture.” C.J., SEVERNA PARK, MARYLAND

His work as a designer and builder rangesfrom dinghies to large multihulls and fromkayaks to powerboats. He lives on the shoresof Chesapeake Bay near Annapolis with hiswife, daughter, and an always-changing fleetof curious small boats.

HAVILAH HAWKINS, a second-gener-ation captain, was raised in the windjam-mer business on the schooners STEPHENTABER, ALICE WENTWORTH, and MARYDAY, which was designed by his father, Capt.Havilah Hawkins, Sr. Havilah, also a fourth-generation boatbuilder on his mother’s side,designed and built his 50’ gaff-headed sloopVELA, with help from the Wooden BoatCo. in Rockport, Maine. He has been run-ning a day-sailing business out of Martha’sVineyard for the past 11 years. He presentlyruns, in conjunction with WindwardPassage, a program dedicated to giving kidsa chance to experience the Maine coastunder sail. Havilah has had a 100-ton aux-iliary sail license for carrying passengers for30 years.

REED HAYDENwas introduced to boatsat the age of 12 when he got his first sum-mer job on the Hyannis, Massachusetts,waterfront. He earned a Bachelors of Fine Artsdegree in Sculpture from the University ofMassachusetts and settled in the seaside townof Sandwich where he was a leading wood-carver. In 2000 Reed started his own suc-cessful sign carving business while he wasworking part-time at Ballentine’s Boat Shopin Cataumet. It was at this boatyard wherehe became interested in boatbuilding. In2003 he and his family headed up to Mainewhere he joined the crew at The HinckleyCompany. These days Reed keeps busy work-ing as a carpenter at Brooklin Boat Yard anddoing custom commercial and residentialsignwork at his own shop in Surry.

AMY HOSA hails from San Francisco.Her love of things maritime took hold in theearly ’90s when she volunteered in the SmallBoat Shop on San Francisco’s historic HydeStreet Pier to restore old boats and learnedto sail. She began filling “travel sketchbooks”with quick studies of boats in action on the

Small Boat Shop’s annual small-craft sail-ing and rowing excursions across SanFrancisco Bay. Amy is currently self-employed as an illustrator and graphicdesigner (www.amyhosa.com), and has alsobeen the exhibit designer for the MaritimeMuseum at San Francisco MaritimeNational Historic Park for the past 14 years.Her fine art watercolors have been in numer-ous gallery shows, and she is a member ofthe California Watercolor Society.

JOHN KARBOTT spent most of hischildhood along the beaches and water-front of Plymouth, Massachusetts, watch-ing commercial lobsterboats andoccasionally catching a ride on one. Hedreamt that someday he would have hisown. During high school he purchased anold wooden skiff and a few traps, and joined

the crowd. While in school, he lobsteredand raked sea moss during the summer sea-son and worked odd jobs throughout thewinter. He graduated from Boston’sWentworth Institute with an AssociateDegree in Architectural Engineering, butboats and the water were his first loves. Johnspent the next 30 or so years, lobsteringcommercially in the Plymouth/Cape Codarea. After owning and maintaining woodenboats all his life, he decided to pursue thatcareer full time and sold his successful lob-stering business. John now keeps busy build-ing boats and doing boat repairs insoutheastern Massachusetts, mostly of thelobsterboat style/design.

MARK KAUFMAN has been fascinatedwith boats and boatbuilding since his child-hood days of growing up boating with his


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family on Pennsylvania’s Allegheny River.As a teenager, he built his first boats, awood-and-canvas Trailcraft canoe and aMinimost hydroplane. Later, he acquired apassion for flying and home-built aircraft,and built a two-seat, high-performancecomposite aircraft. After college, Markbecame interested in aircraft restorationand restored an award-winning “tube-and-fabric” 1948 Piper Vagabond aircraft. Heholds instrument, commercial, and flightinstructor ratings. During the last 14 yearshe has become an avid bicyclist and kayaker,and builds his own custom fillet-brazedbicycle frames and skin-on-frame kayaks.Mark is a technology educator at GardenSpot High School in New Holland,Pennsylvania, teaching beginner andadvanced woodworking, as well as com-puter-aided drafting and prototyping. Manyof his advanced woodworking studentshave built skin-on-frame canoes, stitch-and-glue kayaks, wood-strip canoes, andskin-on-frame Aleutian and Greenland-style kayaks in addition to their regularcourse work. He also teaches a number ofadult education classes on skin-on-framekayak construction. Mark always looks for-ward to the classes he teaches atWoodenBoat School.

GEOFF KERR does business as TwoDaughters Boatworks in Westford, Vermont,on New England’s “west coast.” A boatersince taking a Hurricane Island OutwardBound School course at age16, and later aCoast Guard officer, Geoff learned the tradeat the Alexandria Seaport Foundation withJoe Youcha. He served as shop foreman andinstructor in that dynamic environment.In his oneman, full-service Vermont shop,Geoff does small-craft repairs and restora-tions, as well as new construction, special-izing in Iain Oughtred’s Caledonia Yawl.He has been affiliated with Chesapeake LightCraft since the company’s infancy, and is alicensed builder of their many designs, aswell as an authorized and experiencedinstructor.

BARRY KING has been sailing all his life.Along with his wife Jennifer Martin and

their children, this family has been sharingtheir schooner MARY DAY with guests since1998. In addition, to being a USCG licensedmaster, Barry has an M.S. in Experientialeducation and is a Wilderness EMT. “I loveseeing the strong teamwork and sense ofself that can be gained by the endless vari-ety of skills that make up the world of tra-ditional sailing vessels.”

GEORGE KREWSON is a rocket sci-entist based in Cocoa, Florida, where he hasspent the past 30 years working on theSpace Shuttle program. George grew upsailing and surfing and began buildingboats after visiting WoodenBoat Schoolduring a Maine vacation. After building afew kayaks on his own, he became a “beta”builder for Chesapeake Light Craft andhas assembled the prototypes of many newdesigns over the years. As an instructor,he particularly enjoys sharing the sense ofamazement he felt with his own first buildwhen flat pieces of plywood came togetherinto a beautifully curved hull. George beganexperimenting with exotic wood veneerswith his second boat, and has become a “go-to” guy in classes and on the CLC forumfor technical tips on the subject. When he’snot on the water, you can find him in hisshop working on the next project.

A passionate sailor, SUSAN LaVOIE hasextensive cruising experience in coastal aswell as offshore waters, in addition to manyyears of dinghy and one-design racing. Aspast Commodore of the Blue Water SailingClub in Boston, Massachusetts, she wasresponsible for organizing cruise activities,developing seminars based on safety, navi-gation, and electronics and racing tech-niques. A member of the National Women’s

Sailing Association, Susan instructs yearlyseminars directed toward women. She isthe author and illustrator of Sailing Safelyand How to Get Home, a sailing book forbeginners and intermediates. Holding a U.S.Coast Guard license, Susan enthusiasticallyshares her passion for sailing, teaching theskills needed for enjoyment and confidenceon the water, and just messing around onboats with others.

ROBIN LINCOLN grew up sailing onCape Cod. She says the greatest gift her fam-ily ever gave her was exposure to water andboats at an early age. Sailing has been a con-stant thread throughout her life. Racing asa young girl in wooden Mercurys, BeetleCats, Lightnings, and Wianno Seniors, shewon many championships. Robin alsotaught sailing seminars, organized races,and helped establish summer sailing pro-grams for children and adults at yacht clubsand summer camps. She sailed to Europe


2016

“Mark Kaufman is anexcellent teacher. Highlyorganized and very wellprepared. A great class!”

W.A., CRANSTON, RHODE ISLAND

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aboard the schooner WESTWARD andcruised the west coasts of the U.S., Mexico,and Central America aboard a 38-foot cut-ter. Over the years, Robin’s sailing experi-ences have taken her up and down bothcoasts of the U.S. from Canada to Florida,Mexico, and the Carribean. She was a part-ner in a sail loft in Costa Rica for four years,where she had the opportunity to examinesails and rigging while sailing on differentboats from all over the world. For over 20years she owned and operated CenterHarbor Sails in Brooklin, Maine. Robin’slife both in the loft and on the water givesher an intimate and well-rounded knowl-

edge of boats and sailing. She has enjoyedteaching at the WoodenBoat School foralmost every year since its inception. Shecontinues to spend every spare minute shecan sailing the beautiful coast of Maine.

GARY LOWELL was born and raised ina small town in Maine. After living inWisconsin for six years, he moved with hisfirst wooden boat to Greensboro, NorthCarolina. While studying broadcasting incollege, Gary worked at the local TV stationas a director and lighting director. While thejob paid the bills, boatbuilding fed his soul.He began rescuing and repairing old, clas-

sic sailboats and sailing them along theNorth Carolina coast. A descendant of thewell-known New England boatbuildingLowell family, Gary couldn’t ignore his her-itage any longer. In 1993, Gary left televi-sion to open his own boatbuilding shop.Starting in his backyard, the business hassince grown to one of the largest woodenboatbuilding shops in the country. LowellBoats Inc. is an award-winning boatshopspecializing in classic runabout restora-tion. To supplement his painting and var-nishing course at WoodenBoat School, Garyhas produced a high-quality DVD onFinishing Techniques for Wooden Boats.Gary often takes summers off to travel backto Maine with his family and enjoys sailingthe coastal waters.

GRAHAM McKAY grew up in Amesbury,Massachusetts, on the banks of theMerrimack River. His early fascination withboats and maritime history drew him tosailing tall ships. After attending Harvard foreconomics and baseball, he sought to expe-rience the maritime industry from all angles.Graham spent time as a commercial fish-erman, professional sailor, fisheries scien-tist, and commercial diver. In 2006, heattended the University of Bristol, England,for a masters degree in Maritime History andArchaeology. Upon his return to the states,Graham split his time building boats atLowell’s Boat Shop in Amesbury and as acaptain for the Ocean ClassroomFoundation. He is the emerging ExecutiveDirector of Lowell’s Boat Shop which, inaddition to being a wooden boat shop, is alsoa fully functioning museum and educationcenter. Graham lives in Newburyport,Massachusetts, with his lovely and patientgirlfriend Abbie and their dog Niki.

Landlocked in the Midwest, THOMMcLAUGHLIN grew up working onfarms and having the cycles of nature deeplyrooted under his skin. After finishing agraduate degree in visual arts (sculpture),he found himself surrounded by water asan art professor at the University of SouthFlorida. In 1993, while searching for an artform that could more directly inspire an awe

“Graham McKay was enthusiastic, full of energy with acontinuous presence yet totally empowering as far asallowing us to work, learn, make mistakes and correctour errors. As a woodworker with some small craft

experience, it was my first experience with traditionaldory construction and I had a fantastic time workingon various projects/pieces that all came together as a

beautiful finished dory.”J.W., JACKSON, WYOMING

2016


of nature, he stumbled onto pond yachts.Since then he has written articles on, inves-tigated the history of, and made many vin-tage pond yachts. He is currently theSoutheast regional vice-president of theVintage Model Yacht Group. In the lastseven Vintage Marblehead National Regattasboats of Thom’s design, and their con-struction initiated in courses at WoodenBoatSchool, had third or better placing in finalstandings. In the 2011 National Regatta heplaced First Overall in class and also receivedthe Craftsmanship Award.

ERICA MOODYwas born in landlockedupstate New York and schooled in westernMassachusetts, but finally made it to thecoast in 1991 for a summer working onMartha’s Vineyard. Since then she has notbeen far from the sea. Upon moving toBoston in 1992, she was fortunate to sail ona friend’s 1940s Alden sloop for a few years,getting to know the Massachusetts coastfirst from the sea rather than from the road.Her passion for sailing and the beautifulcraftsmanship and design of the woodensailboat has never left. She was inspired tofind a career in the building trades, andfound an apprenticeship with a custommetalworker in Boston. She has now beenworking professionally as a metal crafts-man in and around Boston for 19 years, thelast 14 running her business MagmaMetalworks, Inc. Erica has taught classesand workshops at Wentworth Institute ofTechnology and Massachusetts College ofArt & Design in Boston, Harvard’s GraduateSchool of Design, and WoodenBoat School.She and her husband Paul finally made themove from Boston to the wonderful coastof Maine in 2014, and are currently livingand working in Waldoboro.

A longtime interest in woodworking ledMIKE MOROS to open his own success-ful cabinet shop not far from where he grewup in Pine Brook, New Jersey. Over time, hefound himself attracted to wooden boats andthis eventually brought Mike toWoodenBoat School as a student in 2001.After a few courses in successive years andjoining in on Alumni Work Weeks, the boat

bug bit hard and Mike signed on as theschool’s Assistant Shop Manager in 2006. In’08 Mike took over the reins as ShopManager. During the off-season Mike hasworked on the carpentry crew at BrooklinBoat Yard. In 2009 Mike opened his ownbusiness, Michael Moros Woodworking,providing wooden boat work, custom wood-working and general contracting. When notworking, Mike enjoys being outdoors, espe-cially boating and fishing. He recently com-pleted a handsome Glen-L Marine 16' centerconsole skiff for himself and is now restor-ing a 1952 Chris Craft.

RICH NAPLE has been sailing since 1967.His first port of call was where the SevernRiver meets the Chesapeake Bay as a mid-shipman at the U.S. Naval Academy. Before

leaving for his assignment as a bridge offi-cer on the USS Kitty Hawk, he remained inAnnapolis to teach the fundamentals of sail-ing to incoming freshman on Rainbow 24s.After lecturing Naval officers in vessel sta-bility in San Francisco, where he also taughtsailing on Rhodes 19s, Rich brought his tal-ents back to upstate New York to teach highschool physics. He also became a fan ofmulti-hulls, sailing and racing Hobie 16s onvarious Adirondack lakes. Re-careering inhis 40s, Rich apprenticed with a Shaker fur-niture company in New Hampshire, afterwhich he struck out on his own, making finefurniture inspired by his favorite quiet andelegant woodworking traditions. When notin his shop in Saratoga Springs, New York,Rich likes to windsurf on mountain lakesand ocean bays. With an easy-going nature,

encouraging teaching style, and love for theadventure of life, Rich brings a unique blendof experiences in sailing, teaching, andknowledge of woodworking to WoodenBoatSchool.

ANNIE NIXON fell in love with the oceanand sailing right after college when she wentto work for Thompson Island OutwardBound in Boston, Massachusetts. Shelearned to sail and teach aboard their tra-ditional 30’ open rowing and sailing vessels.Annie then spent four years at the ChewonkiFoundation in Wiscasset, Maine, leading21-day sailing wilderness trips for highschool and college-age students. On theseexpeditions Annie captained both a 26'Crotch Island Pinky and a 28' MackinawLake design. She taught elements of sea-manship, wilderness “leave no trace” ethics,and marine ecology as part of these expe-ditions. For five summers Annie worked ontwo larger traditional vessels in Maine, the

schooners MARY DAY and AMERICANEAGLE. In 2006 and ’07 she was mate andeducator for WoodenBoat School’s courseon the MARY DAY. Annie currently holdsa USCG 100-ton license.

At the age of three, MIKE O’BRIEN firstclimbed aboard a skiff, and at seven hetaught himself how to sail by readinginstructions found in the family encyclo-pedia. As a college student he rowed in“eights” and went undefeated during threeyears of surfboat rowing competition alongthe New Jersey shore. After earning a degreein physics, Mike pursued graduate work inoceanography. Later, while serving asChairman of Marine Sciences at a smallcollege, he filled his vacations by designingand building boats in his one-man shop.Mike has been Associate Editor for Sailor andTechnical Editor for Soundings. He wasSenior Editor here at WoodenBoat for morethan 20 years. Now in semi-retirement, heworks as Boat Design Editor for the maga-zine. He also writes and publishes BoatDesign Quarterly. Mike takes much of hiswaterborne pleasure aboard sea kayaks. Heis a registered Maine Guide.

ANDY OLDMAN has had a passion forboats since age five. By seventh grade, hehad read nearly every seagoing book in theschool library and was soon preoccupiedwith building a working gaffrigged modelremarkably like PATIENCE. Three memo-rable summers ensued near Castine, Maine,where teenagers sailed on a 45' schooner asfar as Monhegan Island in the days of handlead and compass. Andy discoveredPATIENCE on a coffee break at a midwin-ter boat show; the child’s model had comealive. Andy and his family recently com-pleted a wondrous, year-and-a-half voyageon their ketch that took them across theNorth Atlantic to France, down to SouthAmerica, over to the Galápagos Islands, andmany points in between. Meanwhile, Andyis dedicated to sharing the knowledge ofwooden boats and sailing that he is so for-tunate to have acquired from a beloved cadreof old-time sailors, friends, and adventurers.

MADELEINE OTANI OLDMAN spenther early childhood summers along thecoastal beaches of Kobe, Japan, learning toswim, row small wooden boats, and navi-gate strong currents. Island-hopping andexploration on launch excursions werealways the highlight of those summers.Moving to New England renewed her loveand respect for the ocean. Through her hus-band Andy’s passion for boating, she wasintroduced to the joys of sailing and coastalcruising, and an opportunity for a 14-monthsea voyage. For the past several years,Madeleine has practiced yoga and Koreanmartial arts. More recently, she began teach-ing in outreach programs including chairyoga for senior citizens. She will receiveher Master’s Certificate this year. Madeleinealso works as the Education Coordinator atFamilies First, building partnerships witheducational and transitional housing organ-izations, and supporting underserved fam-ilies in their effort to build strongparent-child relationships.

From an early age, JANE PETERSONhasbeen interested in photography. After yearsof using 35mm film, she has gone digital SLRand has not looked back. Her interests arenature and macro photography, but she hasbeen venturing into documentary work aswell. Growing up in Maine, Jane has a strongaffinity for the coast and a love of the soulof Maine and her people. Photography is away of capturing moments of wonder forher. She has studied photography with NealParent, Rick Sammon, Jon Strout, and oth-ers. Her work has been exhibited locally aswell as in WoodenBoat magazine.

STEVE ROGERS has loved boats andwater all his life. Not only does he paintboats, he builds them as well in ship modelform. He is a nationally recognized shipmodel builder, has written five books onthe subject, and won a certificate of com-mendation at the 2000 ModelbuildersCompetition at the Mariners’ Museum inNewport News, Virginia. Steve is also a sig-nature member of the American Society ofMarine Artists. Although model buildingand fine art would seem unrelated, each


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supports and enhances the other.Understanding construction methods,thinking in three dimensions, and workingfrom blueprints, reference books, and pho-tographs allows Steve to visualize the boatsand ships that become the subjects of hispaintings. He works primarily in acrylics andpaints traditional working craft. These arenot pampered fiberglass yachts, but hard-bitten and overworked oystermen, crab-bers, and menhaden steamers. His paintingscapture the toughness and durability ofeveryday working boats, and the sheerbeauty and stark terror of the weather andwaters they work in. Steve is the recipientof the 2005 Established Artist Fellowshipfrom the Delaware Division of the Arts. Heis represented by the Peninsula Gallery inLewes, Delaware, and the Art of the SeaGallery in South Thomaston, Maine.Although most of his models are in thehands of private collectors, several pieces arein local museums, including the St. ClementsIsland Potomac River Museum and theHavre de Grace Decoy Museum.

JERRY ROSEbelieves that great paintingsare a product of love and respect for the sub-ject. Drawn to coastal communities wherepeople make their living from the sea andland, Jerry divides his painting time betweencoastal Maine and the Bahamas. He paintson site, which strengthens his understand-ing of the landscapes and people in theselocations. His paintings cover a variety oftechniques, which are done in watercolor,oil, acrylic, and egg tempera. Jerry receivedhis formal training in Fine Arts from OhioUniversity and Graphic Design from theUniversity of Cincinnati, but his interest inrealism came together 30 years ago whenhe felt it was important to paint a way oflife that was quickly disappearing in theoutlying islands of the Bahamas. That needcreated the search for methods of paintingthat would best describe the vanishing lifebefore him and has helped him understandsome of the old-world techniques to whichhe subscribes. Jerry is a member of theInternational Society of Marine Paintersand a signature member of the FloridaWatercolor Society. His work has been pub-

lished in The Best of Watercolor by RockportPublishers, Coast to Coast: The ContemporaryLandscape in Florida, A Gallery of MaritimeArt, Painting Light and Shadow, and numer-ous other art publications and magazinesincluding Maritime Life and Traditions, pub-lished in Great Britain. He has receivednumerous awards and has had many one-man gallery, museum, and private exhibi-tions. His work is in public and privatecollections in the U.S., Europe, the Bahamas,and the Caribbean. Jerry maintains a stu-dio and home in Sedgwick, Maine, withextended trips to the Bahamas on his sail-boat. www. jerryrosepaintings.com.

GREG RÖSSEL grew up cruising on thewaters of New York Harbor and spendingtime in the boat yards on the south shoreof Staten Island where economics (more

than anything else) made wooden boats thecraft of choice. He makes his home in Mainewhere he specializes in the constructionand repair of small wooden boats. Sincegraduating at the top of his class in boat-building technology from WashingtonCounty Vocational Technical Institute, Greghas had a multifaceted career. For severalyears, he was an assistance restorer for amajor private collection of antique run-abouts and airplanes. Then he spent anothercouple of years as an instructor and assis-tant director at Maine Maritime Museum’sApprenticeshop program. All the while, hewas building his own shop at home in Troy,Maine, and tackling a wide variety of small-boat construction and restoration projects.For over 25 years, Greg has been able towork for himself full-time, aside from a fewodd jobs like setting up a wooden Whitehall


2016

“Your LOFTING course was exactly what I needed. Afterthe week with Greg, I now feel confident to loft on myown. He was able to break the process down and showedus lots of steps and tricks to make it simpler. I’d take anyclass Greg Rossel taught!” C.S., MARTINEZ, GEORGIA

factory in Mexico, custom lines taking anddocumentation for museums and other cus-tomers, and writing over 200 articles forWoodenBoat, and other publications. Hehas also written and illustrated BuildingSmall Boats, a book on carvel and tradi-tional lapstrake boatbuilding, published byWoodenBoat Publications and TheBoatbuilder’s Apprentice, which exploresother styles of construction and techniques.Since 1987, Greg has been an instructor atWoodenBoat School in Brooklin, Maine,teaching lofting, skiff building and the“Fundamentals of Boatbuilding”. Also, forthe past 21 years he has been producing aweekly two-hour radio program aboutworld music (which mercifully) has noth-ing to do with boats.

Captain JOEL ROWLANDhas been sail-ing since 1994. First as a student on aHurricane Island Outward Bound expedi-tion aboard a 30' open Pulling Boat, andthen as deckhand and mate to his uncleMike Rowland, for two transatlantic voyages

aboard the 40' sloop TAMMY NORIE. Joelhas since returned to Outward Bound toinstruct courses in Maine, Florida, andPuerto Rico. He is now the owner ofTAMMY NORIE, living aboard, sailing andchartering her from the island of North

Haven in Penobscot Bay. Having learned asan adult from the most patient instructorsand having taught sailing to many peopleof all ages and backgrounds, Joel is verycomfortable sharing his knowledge and sail-ing skills, and enjoys helping others to findthe beauty and simplicity in what can be acomplex learning process.

MICHAEL SAARI is a master metal-smith, having studied and taught in theU.S. and abroad for 40 years. His restora-tion and commission work can be seen inmany major museums and public parks.Currently, Michael is part of the restora-tion team for the historic whaleshipCHARLES MORGAN at Mystic Seaport,Connecticut, where he is replacing andrestoring metal ship parts in wrought iron,steel, copper, and bronze, as well as mak-ing whalecraft. An experienced sailor,Michael has competed in the Star class andhas restored his own 1957 wooden Firefly.His home and studio are in Woodstock,Connecticut. Michael is an adjunct pro-fessor of art at Nichols College in Dudley,Massachusetts.

ERIC SCHADEwas trained as a mechan-ical engineer, and has practiced that pro-fession for 20 years. In 1983 he built hisfirst boat, a small strip-built canoe. Sincethen he has built more than 50 small boats,including kayaks, canoes, rowing boats, and


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“Joel Rowland was anoutstanding instructor!The week on TAMMYNORIE was great.

Thanks!” C.H., PARIS, FRANCE

small sailboats. In 1996 he foundedShearwater Boats to offer custom strip-builtcanoes and kayaks. Gradually Shearwater hasdeveloped to the point where it offers anextensive line of stitch-and-glue watercraft- kayaks, canoes, rowing boats, and sail-boats. In 2005 Eric started designing boatsfor Chesapeake Light Craft. These new boatsinclude Shearwater, Wood Duck, andShearwater Tandem, which have all provenquite popular. Eric has taught boatbuildingat a number of shops and has mentored theconstruction of nearly 200 boats. This expe-rience, and the feedback he gets from super-vising the construction of his designs, notonly has improved his skills as a builder, buthas honed his skills as a designer. Eric’sgreatest area of expertise is the computer-generated engineering of complicated andprecise plywood boat kits that, when cut bycomputer-controlled machinery, can beassembled by amateurs.

NICK SCHADE grew up around canoesand kayaks. After beginning a career as anelectrical engineer for the U.S. Navy spe-cializing in low-frequency electro-mag-netics, he realized he wanted to get back onthe water himself. Not able to afford thekind of boat he wanted, Nick decided todesign and build a “strip-built” kayak. Whilethis type of construction was popular withcanoes, it was not commonly adapted forkayaks. Nick worked together with hisbrother to develop the process, and over theyears has branched out and developed inno-vative kayak designs using the plywoodstitch-and-glue method. As his skill as akayak paddler and boatbuilder evolved,Nick’s designs evolved to match his chang-ing aims. The driving goal has been to max-imize on-the-water performance whilerespecting the natural materials used tocreate the boat. Out of these efforts, Nickhas created Guillemot Kayaks, centered ondesigning high-performance sea kayaks forother craftsmen interested in building theirown boats. He wrote The Strip-Built SeaKayak, an instruction book describing thestripbuilt method, which has helped fostera revival in the construction of woodenkayaks. Nick’s shop is currently located in

Glastonbury, Connecticut, where he buildsprototypes of new designs and makes aselect number of custom-built kayaks. Hehas taught kayak construction at MysticSeaport and the Connecticut Valley Schoolof Woodworking. His work has been exhib-ited at the American Craft Museum, andone of his boats is in the permanent col-lection at the Museum of Modern Art inNew York City.

GENE SHAW moved to Lancaster,Pennsylvania, in 1972 after receiving a FineArts degree from the Pennsylvania Academyof Fine Arts and a Bachelor of Arts degreefrom the Philadelphia College of Art. Whileat PAFA, he received numerous awards,prizes, and grants. In Lancaster, Gene com-bined his fine art/design training and his loveof woodworking, a skill he learned fromhis father, to establish The Wooden Plane,a custom cabinetry and home restorationbusiness. He and his wife Tanis built a newhome in town, featured in Fine

Homebuilding magazine in 2006. TheHistoric Preservation Trust of LancasterCounty twice awarded him the C. EmlenUrban Award, for preservation leadershipand new-home construction in an historicdistrict. Since 2005 he has traveled toBrooklin, Maine, to attend boatbuildingcourses at WoodenBoat School. While here,Gene has made numerous sketches that arethe basis for the woodcuts he creates uponhis return to Lancaster. He has exhibitedhis work at the following Pennsylvania gal-leries: the Benjamin Mangel Gallery in BalaCynwyd, the Gallery Doshi in Harrisburg,the Chestnut Gallery in Lancaster, theLancaster County Day School, and theLancaster Art Walk. He is also representedby The Turtle Gallery in Deer Isle, Maine,as well as Lancaster Galleries, Lancaster,Pennsylvania.

As a child, CHRISTIAN SMITH exploredthe coves and marshes of Buzzards Bay inhis father’s 12’, home-built plywood skiff. In


“Eric Schade was fantastic! What an opportunity to workwith the man who designed the kayak and who has theultimate knowledge in the kayak’s assembly.” J.K., KANSAS CITY, MISOURI

2016

his twenties, he circumnavigated the globeon a 41’ ketch that he and his friends restoredfrom a hurricane wreck. At the age of 30, hebuilt his first small boat, all by eye. In hismore than 20 years in the marine industry,Christian has repaired yachts large andsmall, and taught sailing, windsurfing, andboatbuilding to both children and adults. Heis the most recent family member of a longline of boatbuilders, woodworkers, andwoodcarvers. Christian currently makes hisliving along the shore of Buzzards Bay as aboatbuilder, chainsaw artist, purveyor ofgourmet bacon, and writer.

F. JAY SMITH apprenticed to masterbuilders in Norway and the Faroe Islands

and has specialized in Nordic lapstrake con-struction for over 30 years (see WoodenBoat#234). Regular trips to Scandinavia over theyears have enabled Jay to expand his researchon Scandinavian-related boatbuilding tech-niques. At his Aspoya Boats yard in Anacortes,Washington, he keeps busy with new con-struction, repairs, and interior refits. His mainfocus, however, is on traditional Scandinaviandesigns including prams, faerings, Folkboats,and, currently, a 56’ replica of a Viking ship.As a way of passing on the knowledge that waspassed on to him, Jay teaches boatbuilding inhis own shop, and has lectured at The Centerfor Wooden Boats in Seattle and taught at theNorthwest School of Wooden Boat Buildingin Port Hadlock, Washington.

Despite an education and otherwise prom-ising start in electronics manufacturing inVermont, WADE SMITH couldn’t ignorethe subversive call of the wooden boat in theback of his mind, and so left everythingbehind to study boatbuilding at theApprenticeshop in Nobleboro, Maine.Rather than returning to the safety of a 9-to-5, Wade decided to follow his passionand continues to this day as a boatbuilderand boatbuilding instructor. Wade workedfor Barry Thomas in the boatshop at MysticSeaport, researching, documenting, andreplicating historic watercraft from themuseum’s collection, and learning everyword of John Gardner’s famed Boatbuildingfor Amateurs course. After Barry’s retire-ment, Wade continued on as the Directorof the John Gardner Boat Shop for 11 years,during which time he helped to create, andsubsequently oversaw, an exponentialincrease in boatbuilding related courses,and assisted in setting up new boatbuildingprograms from Maine to Honduras. After15 years of working primarily as a teacher,Wade wanted to get back to building boatsand was invited to join the crew at Taylorand Snediker Boatbuilding in Pawtucket,Rhode Island, whom he considers to be themost insanely multi-talented group of boat-builders working anywhere today. Sincethen, he has been teaching boatbuilding forfour weeks per year at WoodenBoat Schooland engaged in highend commercial boat-building the rest of the year.

The love of sailing has kept GRETCHENSNYDER on or near the water for most ofher life. For over 20 years Gretchen hasdelivered boats up and down the East Coast,across the Atlantic, in the Mediterranean,and throughout the Caribbean islands whereshe spent three years in the charter business.Her enthusiasm for sailing and boats is notonly confined to the sea, but has also led toher own land-based business. Gretchen hasowned and operated “The Loft” in VineyardHaven, Massachusetts, a sail loft specializ-ing in gaff-rigged working sails, as well asthe canvas needs of the entire boat. She soldThe Loft in July 2005 and decided to cruisenew horizons, the sea of education. She is


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“Wade Smith was top notch! He’s knowledgeable andkept the course well-paced. He shared lots of

information! As a bonus, he also exposed his students tonew ideas. Wade is very enthusiastic about wooden

boats and the entire construction process.” R.T., POWELL, OHIO

now a licensed elementary school teacherpresently enjoying her Kindergarten/Firstgraders on Martha’s Vineyard.

ERIC STOCKINGER grew up in subur-ban Detroit, Michigan, and spent summersat a family cottage on Lake Huron when hegot bitten by the water bug. He went on toget a degree in freshwater fisheries man-agement from Michigan State University.After college Eric got involved with wood-working as a hobby, building stuff on theside, including several kayaks. He had beenaware of The Apprenticeshop in Rockland,Maine, since his freshman year at college,and after jobs in Detroit, San Diego, andDallas, he packed his bags and headed toRockland. After completing a two-yearapprenticeship at The Apprenticeshop, Ericbecame the Shop Director. Several yearslater, he took over as Executive Director,and held that position for three-and-a-halfyears. In the winter of 2012, Eric and his wifemoved to Blue Hill, Maine, and began work-ing at Brooklin Boat Yard where he is cur-rently employed. Eric is a member of theInternational Guild of Knot Tyers.

JON STROUT grew up on the coast ofMaine, specifically Casco Bay. He has alwaysbeen impressed by the natural beauty ofMaine, but the beauty of the coast is mostspecial, as it is constantly changing. ForJon, photography is an avenue to try tocapture what he feels and to reflect thebeauty and emotions of this pristineenvironment. Whether it is the power of acoastal storm or the simple beauty ofbarnacles captured in the light of a sunset,there is always something to be seen.Preferring to work in black and white, Jonis able to reduce an image to its basics ofpatterns, shapes, lines, and textures. Byusing these basics and their interplay withlight, he searches for the extraordinary inthe ordinary scene. Jon enjoys thischallenge; it’s a passion. He has studiedwith well-known photographers NealParent, John Sexton, Brenda Tharp, andGeorge DeWolfe among others. Hisphotography has been exhibited throughoutMaine, including Bowdoin College.

SAM TEMPLE has family connections totwo of Maine’s premier wooden boatbuilding businesses, Rockport Marine andBrooklin Boat Yard. He worked part-timeat the Rockport facility from age 11 throughcollege. Sam then spent four years as oneof the full-time Brooklin Boat Yardconstruction crew. He then set out on hisown and started Barnyard Boat Shop,building traditional small wooden craft forcustomers. In 2008, Sam returned toRockport Marine and has enjoyed leadingtraditional rebuilds and the constructionof new cold-molded yachts workingalongside world-class craftsmen. Outsideof work, Sam and family spend time on agrowing fleet of small boats including, mostrecently, the Beals Island lobsterboatROXANNE.

BILL THOMASgrew up paddling the riversand coast of North and South Carolina,playing in the mountains and trying findmeaningful work while avoiding a real job.He has been a self-employed woodworker,cabinetmaker, furniture builder and boat-builder for nearly 35 years. Being an avid seakayaker and boater, Bill also designs seakayaks, canoes, and other small boats. Billteaches woodworking and boatbuilding inhis own shop, at the WoodenBoat School andin other venues across the United States. Bill

is a Registered Maine Guide, and holds aWilderness First Responder certification. Inaddition to his shop classes Bill also leads onwater kayaking and sailing classes. The vari-ety of work Bill does: building, designing andteaching both in the shop and on the water,when coupled with his passion for the out-doors, helps to keep his skills rooted in realworld experiences. And, it keeps him fromgetting bored. Bill lives, works, and plays inMaine.

Patching Boy Scout canoes on Maine’sAllagash River in the mid-1960s wasROLLIN THURLOW’s first successfulcanoe-building experience--successful, butnot very graceful! After graduating fromMaine Maritime Academy and a tour in theNavy, Rollin attended the wooden boat build-ing program at Maine’s Washington CountyVocational Technical Institute. His interestlead him to collaborate with Jerry Stelmokto start their own wooden canoe buildingcompany. While wooden canoes have had along history, Rollin and Jerry discovered thatthere was precious little written about theactual how-to construction of the canoes.The canoe company became a real rein-venting- the-wheel type of project--long ondesire but short on capital and business skills,leading to the demise of the original company.But it was not long before with renewed


2016

interest and skills, Rollin started his owncompany, the Northwoods Canoe Company.Co-authoring with Jerry the book The Woodand Canvas Canoe ensured that the how-toand historic information they had collectedwould become available to the public at large.Since its publication in 1987, it has becomethe bible for wood-and-canvas canoe build-ing. Rollin has taught canoe building andrestoration at a variety of locations through-out the U.S. and at WoodenBoat School sincethe late 1980s. Building a variety of his owndesigns plus historic reproductions, Rollin’sshop in the small town of Atkinson, Maine,the Northwoods Canoe Company, hasbecome known as one of the premier woodencanoe shops for both restoration and newwooden canoes.

PAUL TROWBRIDGE has painted inwatercolor since the early 1970s. He studiedfine arts at Principia College, the MuseumSchool of Boston, the University of Maine atOrono, and received a Masters of Fine Artsin Painting from the University of Memphis.He settled in Maine because of his exposureto the area growing up, its strong visual appeal,and his love of the outdoors and the Downeastway of life. Paul built his home in Sedgwickwhere he and his wife, Jennifer, maintain adance and art studio, and from which hetakes painting excursions. He worked in ani-mation at the Neworld Studios in South BlueHill, Maine, participates in a figure drawinggroup, is a member of the Deer Isle ArtistsAssociation, and has taken part in plein airevents in Blue Hill and Castine. Paul teacheswatercolor at the Deer Isle Art Association andin regular classes during the summer. He hasbeen artist-in-residence at Camp Newfoundin Harrison, Maine.

Descended from grandparents who loggedover 100,000 nautical miles, HANSVIERTHALER has spent over 20 yearssailing the coast of Maine. His love affairwith boats started when he spent six yearsworking for a sailboat rental company inDeer Isle, where he took care of a smallfleet and taught sailing to vacationingsummer residents. He then became inter-ested in larger vessels and crewed on theschooners NATHANIEL BOWDITCH,AMERICAN EAGLE, BILL OF RIGHTS,and NEW WAY, as well as other, smallerboats. Ten years ago he joined the crew atBrooklin Boat Yard as a rigger and car-penter, and in 1992 he earned his 100-TonU.S. Coast Guard Captain’s license. In1994 Hans fulfilled a longheld dream and

purchased the John Alden ketch ABI-GAIL, and he looks forward to sharing hislove of sailing with all those who stepaboard.

MARK WILKINS has been a profes-sional ship model maker for over 25 years.He and his wife Karen live on Cape Codwhere they have a model studio thatfocuses on ship and aircraft models.Mark’s models are represented by theAmerican Marine Model gallery inGloucester, Massachusetts. Over his shipmodeling career, Mark has built a rangeof vessels, utilizing various scales, but spe-cializes now in the area of 18th-, 19th-, andearly 20th-century New England smallcraft, classic yachts, or clipper ships. Hebuilt two models of the clipper SNOWSQUALL, and more recently, a model ofthe WYOMING for the Maine MaritimeMuseum’s permanent collection.Although most of his models belong toprivate collections, several have beenexhibited or belong to permanent collec-tions at the Museum of Fine Arts inBoston; Mystic Seaport Museum; TheMariners’ Museum in Newport News,Virginia; Ships of the Sea Museum inSavannah, Georgia; and the ChesapeakeBat Maritime Museum.

DOUGLAS E. WILSON has been apracticing metalsmith since 1973. Hehas commissioned work in forged steelfrom his shop on Little Deer Isle, Maine,since his move there in 1981. Doug’swork is included in numerous nationalexhibitions and publications includingThe Contemporary Blacksmith, FireplaceAccessories, Anvil’s Ring, and MetalsmithMagazine. He has demonstrated his craftat many national blacksmithing confer-ences and has taught over 100 work-shops about design and forge practice forblacksmithing organizations, school, col-leges, and universities throughout theUnited States.


FACULTY

“Paul Trowbridge was very good at explainingtechniques. He’s so patient and supportive to each

student, from beginner to experienced. We had fun as agroup, encouraging each other and learning from one

another. A very enjoyable course!” J.W., BRAINTREE, MASSACHUSETTS

ADMINISTRATION

The folks who administer WoodenBoat School believe thateach student’s experience is of the utmost importance. Fromyour very first communication with the School office to thecompletion of your course(s), they will work hard at meetingyour needs and expectations.

RICH HILSINGER first arrived at WoodenBoat School as a studentback in 1983, and he’s been in Brooklin ever since. Rich managed theSchool shop for seven years, working under former directors PeterAnderheggen and Ben Ellison. He also taught courses in kayak andpram construction, experiences that he cherishes to this day. Wood-working became a part of his life after attending college in Pennsylva-nia, and he’s dabbled in everything from house carpentry to restaurantand bar renovation, barn restoration, and cabinetry. The “boat bug”bit while Rich wintered in the Caribbean in the 1970s, and, obviously,he’s still hooked! After sailing for two years with the four-masted barkSEA CLOUD as ship’s carpenter, he assisted on yacht deliveries; didboat repair; worked at two of Maine’s premier boatyards, North EndShipyard in Rockland and Brooklin Boat Yard; and purchased his ownCrocker pocket cruiser, MARTHA. Rich stepped into the position of

School Director in 1990 and has enjoyed bringing insight, energy, andfull-time dedication to WoodenBoat School. When he is not involved withwork at the School, he enjoys hanging out with family and friends, gar-dening, sailing, skiing, hosting a weekly music program on WERU-FMCommunity Radio, and cheering for the Philadelphia Phillies.

KIM PATTEN continues as Business Manager for the 14th year. Priorto joining WoodenBoat School, Kim spent five years as part of theWoodenBoat Store “team.” Originally from New York, she has spentevery summer of her life in Maine, before making the move perma-nently after college. While summering in Maine, she spent her dayssailing on Penobscot Bay. Kim and her husband Marvin keep busyworking on their home and raising their daughter Riley. She enjoys theoutdoors, sailing, skiing, and spending time with family and friends.

A longtime interest in woodworking led MIKE MOROS to open hisown successful cabinet shop not far from where he grew up in PineBrook, New Jersey. Over time, he found himself attracted to woodenboats and this eventually brought Mike to WoodenBoat School as astudent in 2001. After a few courses in successive years and joining in onAlumni Work Weeks, the boat bug bit hard and Mike signed on as theschool’s Assistant Shop Manager in 2006. In ’08 Mike took over thereins as Shop Manager. During the off-season Mike has worked on thecarpentry crew at Brooklin Boat Yard. In 2009 Mike opened his ownbusiness, Michael Moros Woodworking, providing wooden boat work,custom woodworking and general contracting. When not working,Mike enjoys being outdoors, especially boating and fishing. He recentlycompleted a handsome Glen-L Marine 16' center console skiff for him-self and is now restoring a 1952 Chris Craft.

Born and raised in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, GREG BAUER came toboatbuilding as a third career later in life. Before the boatbuilding bugbit hard, he worked for six years as a design draftsman for a metal fab-rication shop and for ten years as an accounting manager of an autoparts manufacturer. A couple of sailing experiences on the Maine wind-jammer ROSEWAY led Greg to the world of wooden boats, and he soonenrolled at The Landing School in Kennebunkport, Maine. After grad-uating from their boatbuilding program, Greg joined the school’s staffas a graduate teaching assistant. He then spent three years as a joinerwith Bruckmann Yachts in Mississauga, Ontario. Greg moved to mid-coast Maine in the spring of 2002 and spent nine years with the boat-building crew at French & Webb in Belfast, Maine. In the spring of 2011he joined the staff at WoodenBoat School as Waterfront Manager. Inthe fall of 2011 he started his own business, NB Woodworking, spe-cializing in yacht joinery, custom cabinetry and fine woodworking.


WOODENBOAT SCHOOL STAFFOur staff members generally hail from all over the country and from many walks of life. Many of them are

seasoned veterans of the joys and travails of boats, boating, and boatbuilding, while others are warm, friendlyfaces doing their very best to make your stay with us a pleasant, comfortable one. From the School Director to

our energetic kitchen, waterfront, shop, and office staff, each member possesses a strong commitment to a first-class program and the creation of a positive, safe environment for students and visitors alike. Above all, they

enjoy sharing this “little piece of paradise” with all who stop by.


STUDENT QUALIFICATIONSThe main requirement for participation inWoodenBoat School courses is the desire to learn.Our students range from novices to seasonedprofessionals. Our classes are small, and thereis a lot of opportunity for one-on-one teaching,so that usually a wide range of students can enjoyand profit from the same class.

However, there are a few courses for whichwe expect a certain minimum skill level, andthat is stated in the individual course descrip-tions. Also, we encourage students, particularlynovices, to do a little prep work for their courses.We will send tool lists and reading lists alongwith your course confirmation. The more famil-iar you are with the subject and the tools, andthe more questions you have, the more you’llget out of the course. If you have any questionsabout the suitability of a course for you, pleasecall Rich Hilsinger.

Finally, it is a real help to the instructor toknow something about his/her students ahead oftime. Please enclose with your application adescription of your relevant experience andexpectations.

REGISTRATIONRegistration is complete upon receipt by Wood-enBoat School of an application form and thenecessary deposit(s), and our confirmation ofsame. If a course is already full, you will be puton a waiting list and immediately notified whenthere is an opening.

You may wish to call WoodenBoat first tomake sure that there is room in the course youwant. Call 207–359–4651 Monday through Friday,8:00 to 5:00; ask for Rich Hilsinger or Kim Pat-ten. If we have an opening, we can reserve it foryou while you get your application in. This is anespecially good idea in late spring and summer.Note: WoodenBoat School is GI Bill® approved.

TUITION, DEPOSITS, REFUNDS,WITHDRAWALS, andCANCELLATIONSWe ask you to deposit one-half of your totalcosts along with your application. The balancedue must be paid one month before classbegins. Your deposit, less a $100 fee per course,will be refunded in the event that you must can-cel and do so at least one month prior to thebeginning of the course. Deposits will berefunded in full to students who cancel threebusiness days after registering for a course.

If your notice of cancellation is receivedbetween 15 and 30 days prior to the course, yourtuition is not refundable, but can be creditedtoward future courses later in the season. If youmust cancel less than 15 days before the course,we cannot refund or credit your money.

In case of emergency or insufficient numberof registrations, WoodenBoat School reserves theright to cancel a course and return all depositmoney. Because of this policy, we strongly urge

you to buy refundable airline tickets or flightinsurance. WoodenBoat School will not be respon-sible for any loss on nonrefundable airline tickets.There is a 10% discount on tuition for all alumni.

HIGH SCHOOL/COLLEGESTUDENT DISCOUNTCurrent high school and college students are eli-gible for a discount of 50% off the listed coursetuition for classes in Brooklin.

SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMThe school has a one-third tuition scholarshipavailable for all courses in Brooklin. These areawarded to people who could not otherwiseafford to participate in our courses, with pref-erence given to people who are working in themarine trades and to students contemplating acareer in the marine industry. Scholarship recip-ients will be assigned periodic tasks in the shop,in the kitchen, and on the waterfront.

TRANSPORTATIONWoodenBoat School is approximately 250 milesfrom Boston by car, and 150 miles down east byboat. Airline service is available to Bangor, andWoodenBoat can provide transportation fromthere for an additional fee. Please notify us twoweeks in advance if you need to be picked up atthe airport. Details of this will be sent to youwith your course confirmation.

ACCOMMODATIONS AND COSTSStaying at the WoodenBoat accommodations isrecommended by us and by former students.Evening socializing and boating become, in effect,an extension of the courses, and add immea-surably to the School experience.

We have a number of rooms in both theFarmhouse (next to the Shop) and in the Stu-dent House on Naskeag Road. The rooms aredoubles, not fancy, but clean and airy. Bath-rooms are shared by several rooms, and studentsbring their own sheets, soap, and towels.Wealso have a number of local cottages that we useon a regular basis. Family members are welcomeas space permits, but pets are not. Guests maytake room and board with us depending on spaceavailability.

We also have campsites available on theWoodenBoat property. Again, these are quitebasic, with no electrical outlets or tent platforms,but in a pleasant location. Campers have theirown toilets and shower facilities. Pets are notallowed in the campground.

Our kitchen and dining hall are located inthe Student House (originally the Mountain AshInn). The cuisine is American with some gour-met treats. Ingredients are fresh, portions arehearty, and service is buffet style.

For students taking a single week course,room and board extends from Sunday dinnerthrough the following Saturday’s breakfast.For students in longer courses, room and board

runs from the Sunday on which the coursecommences until the Saturday morning fol-lowing the last day of the course. Weekendmeals are light and continental.

Maine can be on the chilly side during latespring and early fall. We recommend that youpack warm clothing and throw an extra blanketor sleeping bag in the car. Bring a bike if youhave one—it’s a great way to get aroundBrooklin.

Double Room: $297/week (per person)Single Room: $405/week (limited availability)Board: $221/weekCampsites: $108/week (limit 4 people)Mooring: $100/week

Note: If you reserve a room with us and decideto cancel this reservation, you must notify ustwo weeks prior to the start of the course toreceive a full refund. Lodging/meal pricesinclude 8% tax where applicable.

COURSE MATERIALS AND TOOLSAny materials that go home with a student willbe charged at our cost. In the several classeswhere every student works on his/her own proj-ect, we have noted the usual material costs inthe course description. Material prices include5.5% tax where applicable.

You will be sent a list of the hand tools you willneed for your course as specified by the instruc-tor, as well as suggested preparatory reading. Win-ners of boat raffles will be responsible for payingmaterial costs before leaving Brooklin.

ARRIVAL TIME AT WOODENBOATYour course begins with dinner at 6:00 p.m. onSunday, followed by a general meeting and anintroductory session with your instructor. TheSunday dinner is for all students, whether or notthey are taking board with the School. You mayarrive at the School anytime you wish on Sunday.You will find room assignments and other infor-mation posted in the entryway of the StudentHouse. The School Director will be at the StudentHouse at 5:00 p.m. to meet you. Most classesend on Friday evening. Students are asked todepart on Saturday morning. If your course endson Saturday, you have your room/campsite forSaturday night.

First day of registration is January 4, 2016 at 8 a.m. EST. Phone lines and faxes will be

very busy—we ask for your patience. When calling, please be ready with

info regarding course selection, accommodations, and a credit card for your deposit. We recommend

that you think of alternative weeks/courses in the event

your first choice is not available.

REGISTRATION | INFORMATION

WoodenBoat SchoolP.O. Box 78, 41 WoodenBoat Ln., Brooklin, Maine 04616 USA

For over 42 years WoodenBoat magazine has inspired its readers with boatbuildingprojects, tips and techniques, technologies, history, product and book reviews,design commentary, and more. The magazine’s editorial and business offices arelocated on the same grounds as WoodenBoat School, allowing an easy exchangebetween the magazine’s editors, the school’s students and instructors. In fact,many instructors take time from their busy schedules to write for the magazine,and occasionally a school project is featured in WoodenBoat as a how-to-buildarticle. A one year subscription (six issues) to WoodenBoat cost $32.00 in the U.S.

TO ORDER, CALL 1-800-877-5284or visit our website where you can subscribe online.

WWW.WOODENBOAT.COM

Open Monday-Friday 7:30am to 6:00pm, and Saturdays 9:00am to

5:00pm. We carry books, boatbuilding plans, half-hull model plans,

WoodenBoat caps, T-shirts, tools, and great gift-type items… should

you want to bring home something for your significant other who was

so nice about you playing with boats for a couple of weeks. AND, even

though we are in the wilds of Maine, you can stay connected, as we are

THE hot-spot, so bring your lap top with wireless access, and you can

email pictures home of your class. It's HOT all night long so you can

sit out on the Store porch after dinner, and surf to your heart’s content.

The WoodenBoatSTORE While you’re taking classeshere in Brooklin, stop in atThe WoodenBoat Store right across from the Shop. MYSTIC SEAPORT in Mystic, Connecticut

June 24-26, 2016Be sure to join us again in Mystic Seaport, Mystic, Connecticut for our 25th Annual WoodenBoat Show. Step aboard beautifulwooden boats large and small, watch demonstrations by expertcraftsmen, dream about your next boat. In the words of oneshow attendee: “The boats were so beautiful I almost walked off

the end of the dock!”

IT’S GOING TO BE OUR BEST BOAT SHOW YET!

Presented and produced by WoodenBoat Magazine and hosted by Mystic Seapor

2016 woodenboat school catalog

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