Educational Objectives

The Small Boats Course teaches modern and traditional boat construction techniques through the building of small craft. The curriculum prepares students to assume a professional position in building, repairing or restoring traditional or modern vessels of any size.

See pictures of Small Boats Course students and shop space.

Course Description

The Small Boats Course is taught through formal lectures, field trips and hands-on projects. Students are divided into teams to build several small boats under the supervision of an instructor. These teams are responsible for all aspects of construction from lofting to sea trials.

The first construction project in the course is a 13′ or 15′ epoxy-glued lapstrake peapod. Students loft, or draw, these craft at their full size in order to develop the shapes and angles needed to build the stem, keel and molds. While boat models vary from year to year, the building materials typically include northern white pine, white cedar, white oak, mahogany, Sitka spruce, ash and marine plywood complemented with bronze fasteners and hardware. Construction on these challenging first boats begins in September, and the boats are launched before the mid-winter holidays.

In January the students are divided into teams of three to four students, and each team begins work a 16′ Haven 12 ½ sloop. The student-builders apply their earlier lofting experience to more complex craft. Lofting on these slightly larger boats may include fairing of diagonals as well as waterlines and buttocks. The sailboats are built using carvel planking on steam-bent white oak ribs, with mahogany seats and trim, teak floorboards, Sitka spruce spars and marine plywood decks and bulkheads. Students also fit out the boat with hardware and rigging.

Construction Projects

Instructors of The Landing School’s Boatbuilding Program select the designs for the project boats based on the depth of information and skill that students can gain from their construction. Some of the designs built by students in the past include:

Alden Biddeford Pool 18′

Alden 0 Boat 18′ (carvel and cold-molded)

Culler Concordia Sloop

17′Culler Buzzards Bay Sloop

19′Garden Eel Canoe Yawl 19′ (glued strip)

Haven Class 12 ½′ (Joel White’s shoal-draft version of the Herreshoff 12 ½′)

Hylan Beach Pea 13′ and 15′