Wooden boatbuilding is a cherished pastime and plays an important role in North Carolina’s history. Avid carpenters or families looking for a unique experience will find the boatbuilding classes offered at the North Carolina Maritime Museum’s Watercraft Center a great choice. A variety of classes for all skill levels, adults and kids age 8 and above are offered throughout the year.
One-Week Boatbuilding Class – June 21-29
Lofting – July 12-13
Boatbuilding Carpentry (Round-bottomed) –July 19-20
Build a Boat in a Day –July 26 & Aug. 16
Sail Making –Aug. 2-3
Boatbuilding Carpentry (Flat-bottomed) –Aug. 23-24
During the One-Week Boatbuilding Class students will build their own traditional flat-bottomed skiff or a small round-bottomed boat, either carvel or lapstrake planked, up to 15 feet in length, with an expert’s guidance. Boat plans must be approved before the class begins. The class price includes the cost of all materials. Class is scheduled Saturday, June 21 – Sunday June 29 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The fee is $1,750 ($1,700 FOM).
Lofting teaches the process of turning boat building plans into full-sized drawings for patterns from which a boat can be built. It is an essential skill for the boat-builder. Students will loft a boat following a sequence of steps to gain a working knowledge of the activity, procedures and terminology. The process can be applied to any future boat project Class is scheduled Saturday and Sunday, July 12-13, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The fee is $75 ($65 FOM).
Boatbuilding Carpentry (round-bottomed) is an approved pre requisite for those who want to take the weeklong boatbuilding class or who just simply want to learn skills essential for building round-bottomed boats. Students learn to derive shapes of frames and planks, plank both carvel and lapstrake hulls, and understand traditional construction techniques. The class scheduled Saturday and Sunday, July 19 and 20 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The fee is $135 ($110 FOM).
Teams work together during the six-hour Build a Boat in a Day class using a stitch-and-glue technique to assemble a prepared kit for a small flat-bottomed plywood boat suitable for rowing or paddling. The class is geared to children eight and over, and adults. Each team may have up to four members, with at least one adult member. The cost per team is $300 ($275 FOM). Each team goes home with a 7-foot 10-inch boat that is 32-inches wide and weighs about 40 pounds. The class is offered on Saturday, July 26 & Aug. 16, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sail Making will teach students about the layout, lofting and building of sails. Repairing and re-cutting sails is also covered, as is machine sewing and the handwork technique used by sailmakers. This class is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 2-3, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The fee is $125 ($100 FOM).
Boatbuilding Carpentry (flat-bottomed) is an approved pre requisite for those who want to take the weeklong boatbuilding class. The class scheduled Saturday and Sunday, August 23 and 24. Learn valuable skills and techniques through this hands-on workshop. Students will work as a team to construct a 12 - 14-foot version of a traditional “rack of the eye” flat-bottomed skiff. The class is held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The fee is $135 ($110 FOM).
Build a Boat in a Day is suitable for children as young as eight and their families. Boatbuilding Carpentry, Sail Making and Lofting are geared for people 16 years and above. All summer classes are offered at the N.C. Maritime Museum’s Watercraft Center at 315 Front Street, Beaufort.
The N.C. Maritime Museum, Dr. David Nateman, director, is located at 315 Front Street in Beaufort. It is part of the Division of State History Museums in the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, a state agency dedicated to the promotion and protection of North Carolina’s arts, history and culture. Museum hours are Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday 1-5 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, call (252) 728-7317 or go to www.ncmaritimemuseum.org.