Real-world projects, like the Poulsbo Boat (video above) are carefully selected by instructors to serve as strong teaching platforms: after its construction by the Traditional Boatbuilding students, the Marine Systems students then completed the project by designing and installing the diesel engine, steering and controls, and the electrical system. From planking to electrical systems, the Poulsbo represents a symbiosis of hands-on education that’s keeping traditions alive while meeting the needs of the trades.
“What makes the Boat School special is the total immersion in boatbuilding,” explains Traditional Boatbuilding Instructor Leland Gibson. “We’re not building kit boats. We’re not building simple boats. We spend 2,000 hours teaching students how to build complex boats with no compromises as to quality or craftsmanship.”
About the Boat School
The Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding is located in Port Hadlock, Washington. The Boat School is an educational institution accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Colleges and Schools (ACCSC), and attracts students from the United States and around the world including such countries as Japan, Australia, England, South Korea, Austria, Canada, Taiwan, Ireland, Mexico, Scotland, France and Tanzania. Our mission is to teach and preserve boatbuilding and marine systems skills while developing the individual as a craftsperson.
Meet Seth Ealy | Wooden Boatbuilding Graduate
Seth was looking for a new career that was artistic and creative where he could work with his hands. Three months into his boatbuilding program he realized there was a science and an art to boatbuilding. “It was really rewarding and a great educational experience,” says Seth who was part of a team building a replica of a 1948 Whitehall from start to finish. The day of graduation, he got a call to join the team at Cape George Boatworks.
