Wooden Boatbuilding: Small Boats Option
Program Benefits
The Small Boat option within the Wooden Boat Building Program instructs students in the construction of both traditional and modern boats using wood as the principal material. The curriculum prepares students to work with traditional or modern vessels. A graduate can assume a career as a boat builder, boat repairer, boat restoration professional, joiner or finishworker.
Classroom and Shop Experience
Students who select the Small Boat option are taught construction methods through formal lectures, field trips and hands-on projects, mainly. Students are divided into teams to build several small boat under the supervision of an instructor. These teams are responsible for all aspects of construction from lofting to sea trials.
There are two boat construction projects during the year. One construction project is a small (12'-16') epoxy-glued lapstrake boat. Students loft, or draw, these craft at their full size in order to develop the shapes and angles needed to build the stem, keel and molds. Each team of builders constructs a mold, planks a boat, builds and installs all parts - rudder, keel, tiller, breasthooks, spars etc. Students also fit out the boat with hardware and rigging and paint and/or varnish the interior and exterior.
The second construction project teaches an alternative building method, carvel construction. The boats are built using carvel planking on steam-bent frames.
While boat models vary from year to year, the building materials typically include white pine, western red cedar, white oak, mahogany, spruce, ash and marine plywood complimented with bronze fasteners and hardware.
Hands-on Projects
Instructors of The Landing School's Wooden Boat Vuilding Program select the designs for the project boats based on the depth of information and skill that students can gain from their construction. Some of the designs built by students in the past include:
- Haven Class 12 1/2'
- Beach Pea
- Catspaw Dinghy
- Downeast Peapod
