Boat School Class of 2013 Students Launch First Boats

Students in the boatbuilding programs at the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding recently launched the three wooden flat-bottomed skiffs they learned to build during first semester course at the School.

The 32nd year of classes began at the waterfront School on October 2nd, 2012. Students learned to sharpen and use their hand and power tools, were taught basic drafting and lofting, and completed a range of skill- building projects from wooden hand planes to dovetailed tool chests and half-models before beginning the boats immediately after Thanksgiving.

The School's mission is to teach and preserve the skills associated with fine wooden boatbuilding and other traditional maritime arts with emphasis on the development of the individual as a craftsperson.

35 adult students are in this year's boatbuilding programs, and hail from all across the United States, Canada and Japan.

The Nordlund skiff, 11 feet long and built by students under the direction of instructor Ben Kahn was the first boat completed and was launched xx December, 2012.

Port Hadlock WA - NWSWBB - Basic Boatbuilding - Nordlund Skiff Launch - with builders caption: The Nordlund Skiff with the students who built it. photo credit: Zach Simonson-Bond

Port Hadlock WA - NWSWBB - Basic Boatbuilding - Nordlund Skiff Launch - Gina xxx at the oars caption: Student Gina xxx was the first to row the Nordlund Skiff. photo credit: Pete Leenhouts

The Nordlund Skiff was designed by long-time Marrowstone Island resident Dale Nordlund for his personal use in the late 1960's. The School has been building and selling the little flat-bottomed skiff since Dale donated the plans to the School several years ago. This boat is distinguished by the colorful use of the western red cedar planking with which it was constructed.

The Scandal, a 14-foot long rowing skiff , was built by students under the direction of Jeff Hammond, the School's senior instructor. It was launched on January 11th, 2013. Scandal was designed in 1924 by William Atkin to be a boat suitable for rowing as well while capable of being driven by a low powered outboard engine. The Scandal sports a stylized lion's head as a figurehead, carved by Masaki Tabohashi, a young Japanese student studying at the School.

Port Hadlock WA - NWSWBB - Basic Boatbuilding - Jeff Hammond section - Atkin SCANDAL - xxx xxx (L), Jeff Hammond caption: Senior Instructor Jeff Hammond (right) lends a hand to student Dan xxx while building the William-Atkin-designed Scandal Skiff photo credit: Pete Leenhouts

Port Hadlock WA - Boat School - Traditional Small Craft - Launch - Atkin Scandal - Chris Gilda rowing caption: Student Chris Gilda takes the Atkin Scandal out for a spin. photo credit: Pete Leenhouts

And, the Monk Flatiron Skiff was built by students under the direction of instructor Sean Koomen, and launched on January 11th, 2013.

Port Hadlock WA - Boat School - Traditional Small Craft - Launch - Monk Skiff, foreground caption: The Edwin Monk-designed Flatiron Skiff, foreground, in company with the William-Atkin-designed Scandal Skiff photo credit: Pete Leenhouts

Port Hadlock WA - Boat School - Traditional Small Craft - Launch - Monk Flatiron - Noah Fleagal caption: Student Noah Fleagal puts his back into rowing the Monk Flatiron Skiff photo credit: Pete Leenhouts

The Monk Flatiron, so named for its resemblance to the old-fashioned clothes iron, was designed by famed Seattle designed Edwin Monk in 1934. The School has built over a dozen of Monk's little skiff since its move to the Port Hadlock campus in 2004, and it has proven a very popular design.

These boats were all built by students in the Basic boatbuilding class between October and mid-December at the School, which is the first of four quarters of instruction leading to an Associates of Occupational Specialty degree (AOS) in one year of training.

The boats were built of western red cedar planking and cross-planked bottoms with sapele transoms and sawn frames.

Port Hadlock WA - NWSWBB - Basic - Nordlund Skiff - Kahn section - steaming out dents - Mark Stubor caption: Student Mark Stubor steams out dents while building the Nordlund Skiff photo credit: Pete Leenhouts

The boats were finished with several coats of what the School calls "boat sauce", which is a proprietary mixture of teak oil, varnish and pine tar. This catalyzes in sunshine, and provides a hard, durable surface which is both easy to clean and easy to renew over the years.

Port Hadlock WA - NWSWBB - Basic Boatbuilding - Nordlund Skiff Launch - bow view caption: Skiffs built at the School are easy to maintain. This is the Nordlund Skiff. photo credit: Zach Simonson-Bond

The three boats are for sale.

The students at the waterfront School, now in it's 32nd year of instruction, have moved on to second-quarter classes in Traditional Large Craft Construction, Traditional Small Craft Construction, and Contemporary Wood Composite Construction, and will graduate in mid-September, 2013.

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