Wooden Boat Repair & Restoration Methods

This is a two-week course ending Friday

The repairing and rebuilding of wooden boats is a journey that can provide great personal satisfaction. In the process, you’ll become familiar with your boat’s intricate construction details, and come to appreciate the careful craftsmanship that transformed the original raw timber into the boat you love. Conquering the complications of “bringing her back” can be more rewarding than building new, especially when the result is to return a classic to its calling—sailing, cruising, rowing, or fishing.

WoodenBoat School has been offering this course for many years, and we’ve tackled a number of interesting, sometimes challenging, boat projects including a 24’ steam launch, a 25’ Henry Scheel centerboard cruising sloop, and a 13’ catboat. This season we offer students the chance to join master shipwright Walt Ansel and boatbuilder Matt Morello for the repair of an original Herreshoff 12 ½ built in 1928 (hull #1087) and a Cape Cod catboat.

During these two weeks, Walt and Matt will give several talks and demonstrations covering boatbuilding tools, appropriate woods, fastening, caulking, and tool sharpening, Careful disassembly, another important repair and restoration skill, will be taught and practiced. For anyone who’s looking at their own repair projects, these two weeks will be enlightening. Come join us for a dynamic and busy session as we bring two wonderful classics back to life.