Mastering the craft

This past fall's boat shows had plenty of new design innovations to capture the imagination of recreational boaters. Have you ever wondered where the designers of these boats learned their trade?

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Satisfying the marine industry's thirst for creative designs is the job of a number of schools throughout the U.S. specializing in boatbuilding and design. They range from small hands-on training schools to large institutions with classes in computer design techniques and 3D modeling.

Creating Designers

Today there are several routes to becoming a top-notch recreational boat designer. There are accredited home study programs and those that provide a full-time campus experience.

A leader in home study courses is the Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology, producing skilled yacht designers, many who have become leaders in the industry. Such notables as Rod Johnston, founder of J/Boats; David Martin, designer for Ocean Yachts; and Charlie Morgan, president of Morgan Yachts are just a few distinguished alumni.

"Our alumni are our thread to the past--not only to our history but to our industry as well," said Westlawn Director Dave Gerr, a graduate and practicing yacht designer as well.

"Westlawn has trained more practicing small craft designers than most of other institutions in the world combined," said Gerr. "Even more remarkable is that Westlawn has always done this by distance learning. "Home study courses allow the student to proceed at his own pace. This is ideal for the person who might have to work while studying, whereas the resident student must make a full-time commitment to his studies."

Westlawn is a not-for-profit educational affiliate of the American Boat and Yacht Council, whose primary function is to assure a continual source of highly skilled designers to the marine industry. Westlawn is nationally accredited by the Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council. Graduates and dignitaries from around the world will be celebrating its 75th Anniversary in February.

Meanwhile, the Landing School of Boatbuilding and Design in Arundel, ME, is an institution dedicated to providing the highest quality "on campus" vocational education in boatbuilding. It became the first school of its type to be accredited by an agency that is listed by the United States Department of Education.

Early on, a design program was added to the curriculum of the Boatbuilding School to fill a need in the marine industry for a source of new designers trained specifically in the techniques and aesthetics of yacht and commercial boat design. Later a marine systems technician program was added to train students seeking employment in the marine industry. "The Landing School has the best technical training program in the world," said Westlawn Director Dave Gerr.

The Landing School's one-year boat-building program offers two courses: the Small Boats Course and the Cruising Boat Course. The Small Boats Course focuses on traditional boatbuilding, both lapstrake and carvel plank-on-frame construction, using modern materials and techniques. The Cruising Boat Course focuses on the modern composite construction technologies such as cold molding and vacuum bagging.

"Yacht or small craft designers specialize in vessels under 200 feet in length," said Dave Gerr. On the other hand, there are many outstanding schools like the Webb Institute and the University of Michigan's Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering that concentrate on large ship design and award bachelor's degrees. Their students go on to companies that specialize in major ship construction like General Dynamics and Newport News rather than recreational boat construction.

Designing a boat doesn't end with a final drawing. Turning the boat designer's ideas into a work of art is the job of select craftsmen who create the hulls, cabinets, furniture and interiors on large yachts.

Like their designer counterparts, woodworkers hone their skills through programs like that of the Seattle Central Community College Wood Construction class. The college's five-quarter cabinetmaking and fine wood-working program prepare students for employment in cabinetmaking, furniture construction for luxury yachts.

Working With Wood

Filling a small segment of the recreational boatbuilding community are companies that design and build wooden boats. There are a number of small schools that offer students an intimate experience in all aspects of wooden boat design, layout and construction techniques. One such school is The Arques School in Sausalito, CA, with a core apprenticeship program for only six students at a time. This yearlong program teaches students the important essentials of design, timber harvesting, bronze casting, lofting (the process of drawing out a designer's lines to the full size layout on the floor) and all aspects of wooden boatbuilding.

In addition to their core program, Arques offers an ongoing class in small boatbuilding every Saturday designed for San Francisco Bay area residents to whet their appetite for a boatbuilding career. This is a beginning level class intended to introduce students to the use of hand tools, boat design and various construction methods.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Paul Cuffee School is a public maritime charter school for Providence, RI. Although the school accepts children from kindergarten through grade 12, boatbuilding doesn't start until its students reach middle school. Its mission is to provide students with the knowledge to begin a technical career in the boating industry. Funding is provided by Rhode Island Department of Education.

Many schools provide their graduates assistance in searching for employment in the recreational boating industry, whether hanging out one's shingle or working for an established manufacturer. Many designers join boatbuilding companies as members of a design and drafting department. Either way, there is great satisfaction to designing or building that unique craft.

COPYRIGHT 2005 Boat Owners Assn.
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group