The Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding in Port Hadlock, Washington, is a private, accredited non-profit vocational school that teaches and preserves the skills of fine wooden boatbuilding and other traditional maritime crafts. The school was founded in 1981 and offers a range of programs, including a nine-month full-time program, a one-year long program for veterans, and shorter classes and workshops. The focus of the school is on hands-on learning, and students work on building both commissioned and speculative boats to US Coast Guard standards, gaining the skills they need to work in the marine trades.
One of the types of boats that students at the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding build are Grandy skiffs. These boats, which range in length from 9 to 14.5 feet, are built to lines and documentation taken by former instructor Tim Lee, from an original boat owned by The Center For Wooden Boats in Seattle, Washington. The boats are popular among students, and the school typically builds one to two Grandy skiffs each year.
The Grandy Boat Company, which operated on Lake Union in Seattle from the early 1920s to 1967, made many hundreds of boats both large and small. The company’s legacy is preserved through the work of the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding and other organizations dedicated to traditional wooden boatbuilding. The school also sells the boats it builds to help support its operations.
Overall, the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding is a unique institution that is dedicated to preserving traditional maritime crafts and teaching the skills needed for a career in the marine trades. Its focus on hands-on learning and the building of real boats makes it a valuable resource for those interested in the art and science of wooden boatbuilding.
Posted by Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding on 2014-04-30 13:10:33