Summer 2011 Boat Building Workshops
Building your own boat will have you smiling from stem to stern.
There are probably lots of reasons why you want to learn how to build a boat.
Maybe it's the treasured memory of your grandfather's wood skiff that awaited you each summer morning at the end of the family dock.
You may have daydreamed of quietly paddling a sea kayak along the shores of your favorite lake. Not just any kayak though; one that you built with your own two hands.
Perhaps now is the time to fulfill your lifelong desire to learn the timeless craft of boat building.
Or maybe it's simply a great way to share an amazing week with your best friend or a family member; the perfect way to add a boat to your collection of memories.
We offer a variety of boat styles so just find the one that fits your dreams and goals! All courses will be taught under the trained eye of noted (and very friendly) boat builder and teacher David Nichols. Work side by side on your boat with a friend or family member and get 50% off the tuition price for your boat building partner!
The pace of these workshops is brisk. And some of the days may be long. No doubt you'll be tired at the end of the week, but you'll also be beaming with pride and satisfaction as you and your classmates load up your own boats for the journey back home, back to that favorite lake.
Thank you and we look forward to seeing you in the workshop this summer!
August 1-6
Pygmy Wherry
The Wineglass Wherry (WGW) possesses the wineglass transom and smooth double-ended waterline of a classic rowing boat.When designing her, John drew inspiration from the "beach skiffs" that were common along the New England coast during the late 1800's.Used in the commercial fishery, folks launched through the surf and rowed out to the fishing grounds. Their narrow flat bottoms enabled them to be parked upright on the beach. Their "planked skegs" allowed them to be more easily built and avoided the added weight of heavy keels. Developed before the advent of power, they were superb pulling boats used year-round in coastal waters. Tuition: $570 Materials: $1359 + $113.15 shipping
More Information on the Design
August 8-19
Newfound Lawton
The Lawton Tender came about in response to a customer looking for a small yacht tender he could build with strips. The lines were taken directly from John Gardner’s Building Classic Small Craft and modified for cedar-strip construction. Originally designed by Charles Lawton, renowned for his fine tenders and superlative craftsmanship, the tenders had to “row and tow well, be moderately good seaboats, carry heavy loads, yet shine like a piece of fine furniture.” The Lawton Tender will complement the finest yacht or serve as classy little fishing boat.Tuition: $1140 Materials: $2225 + $325 shipping
More Information on the Design
or
Adirondack Guideboat
"No doubt Dwight Grant would have grabbed at epoxy and other modern materials to cut weight," says Kenneth Durant, author of The Adirondack Guideboat. Strip-building is an excellent way to easily build a light, strong and beautiful Guideboat. The guide-boat was a fast, light, oared boat pointed at both ends - a cross between a rowboat and a canoe. It was big enough for the guide and his customers but light enough for the guide to take on his own over the many 'carries' between lakes," wrote Kenneth and Helen Durant, authors of /The Adirondack Guide-Boat./ Our Guideboat design is derived from the Cole's Guideboat, 16'2" long with a 38" beam. Tuition: $1140 Materials: $2500 + $325 shipping
More Information on the Design
- Build and take home your own boat!
- All workshops will be taught by noted boat builder, teacher and author David Nichols!
- Bring a friend or family member to build a boat with you!
About the Instructor
 |
David Nichols has been building and designing boats for almost twenty years. A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, he is the author of three books, A Working Guide to Small Boat Sails, Lapstrake Canoes, and Building the Sea Eagles. He has also written on boatbuilding for magazines like WoodenBoat and Boatbuilder, as well as writing and producing boatbuilding videos. In addition to writing, David also has taught boatbuilding at WoodenBoat School, in Brooklin, Maine for five years and Great Lakes Boat Building School, in Cedarville, Michigan for two years. He has a wonderful ability to convey his knowledge and passion for boatbuilding to his students.
When he isn’t writing, teaching, or building boats you’ll find him on the water sailing or paddling the boats he’s designed.
Please contact Dave Lesh if you have questions about registration, location and tuition!
davidlesh@charter.net (317) 260-1263