Wooden Boat School Programs & Workshops
Quality education and craftsmanship are the focus
The Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding is committed to providing men and women of all ages a quality education in traditional wooden boatbuilding and fine woodworking. We strive to impart sound, practical knowledge in traditional maritime skills, using wooden boats as the training medium. We hope to imbue students with the pride and satisfaction that comes from skillful work joyfully executed. Click here for the School Catalog and Enrollment Forms.
Full-time degree programs & related courses are offered
Full time programs at the boat school include 9-month diploma programs and 12-month degree programs for an Associate of Occupational Studies degree (AOS).
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Our full-time degree programs are:
~ Traditional Small Wooden Boats
~ Traditional Large Wooden Boats
~ Contemporary Wood Composite Boats
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Non-credit Workshops & Courses
Our noncredit workshops and courses include evening workshops varying in length from one day to several weeks or months. Students must pay additional fees to attend these courses. The classes are led by local experts in related maritime trades and are prioritized to meet the interests and needs of students at the Boat School. The workshops are not required, but they are designed to enhance the full-time wooden boat building programs. Topics include diesel engines, welding, carving, lofting and marine electrical certification.
In the summers we offer an extensive collection of workshops designed to engage the public, but students at the School are still welcome to attend if scheduling permits.
Note:
During the 2012-2013 school year we were able to offer Maritime History as an evening for-credit general education course that 12-month students could attend to satisfy the general education requirements for their associates degree. We thank Bob Miller, boat school alum, for volunteering to teach this course. Transfer credits from other colleges can also be applied to the general education requirement, as well as classes at our local Peninsula College.
Graduates’ Employment Data (PDF)
Graduates of the Boat School have been highly successful in their employment activities. In fact, even through some of our students are exploring boat building exclusively as a hobby, our graduates’ employment statistics are high and on average over a six year period as follows:
~ Traditional Small Craft Construction – 75%
~ Traditional Large Craft Construction – 87%
~ Contemporary Wooden Boatbuilding – 90%
Note: Small Craft Construction employment statistics are lower than the other two boat building programs probably because more of our student hobbyists enroll in that program. We have found that graduates of Small Craft who wish to pursue careers related to boat building have been successful doing so.
Policies and procedures
In addition to Frequently Asked Questions the Policies and Procedures section includes specific details for admission, cancellations, refunds, training standards and more.
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The Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding
is accredited by the ACCSC
The Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC). The ACCSC is listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a nationally recognized accrediting agency. The School is also licensed under the Private Vocational Schools Act, Chapter 28C.10RCW of Washington State. Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit institution.
Any donations made to the School are tax-deductible to the extent provided by law.
The Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding is located on the Olympic Peninsula in Port Hadlock, Washington. Focusing on traditional small and large, as well as contemporary wooden boats, the Boatbuilding School is nationally accredited and internationally recognized as a fine vocational institution. The Boat School honors the boat building traditions of the Pacific Northwest and Puget Sound with boat shops located due south across the bay from Port Townsend, Washington. Programs, courses and workshops are offered throughout the year and include traditional wooden boat subjects such as lofting, oar making, painting and varnishing, boat building, carvel and lapstrake planking, small, large and contemporary wood composite boat construction. Craftsmanship and woodworking are of the highest caliber within the marine vocational trades. Associates Degree one-year programs culminate each September in presentations at the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival.
