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Wooden Boat Restoration and Repair Classes

Instructors:

Richard Fewtrell and Bruce Elfstrom.  Other shipwrights will come and do a session of so every so often.  (note from WBRF Admin: Please remember while Richard knows his stuff, Bruce is a outright armature hack, but has loads of enthusiasm to keep things moving and focused)

Class length:

Once a month for two days; 9 am - 6pm. 

Location:

TBA.   Please contact us for details.

Cost:

$100 a weekend .

What does my payment cover? :

Instruction, gratuity of instructor, shop expenses, materials, and use of larger tools.

What do I need to bring:

Paper and pencil, three ring binder, work cloths (cold and hot weather), boots, hand tools (list will be provided), lunch money, open attitude, good work ethic, mindset to learn a huge amount.

Boats under restoration:

We are currently working on a 17ft 1937 Clipper 17 one design built by Furnan's Yacht Company New Bedford, MA; this is  a design similar to the Herreshoff Buzzards Bay 14.  This boat is built like much larger boats only on a smaller scale and have all the common issues of a classic restoration, but is in fair shape and small enough to show fast progress to keep a class's interest.  Major work needed will be: surveying and assessing plan, cutting timber from base logs, wood choice (type, grain, etc), replanking, keel replacement, deck beam replacement, framing, floor timber construction, refastening (cut screw and copper riveting), resetting a deck, laying a deck (canvas or Dynel), spar making, painting and varnishing, bulkhead construction, bumkin and bowsprit construction, casting lead ballast keel, and more.

Update:  1/22/08 -- Click here for Class Log

It seems, for whatever reason, these classes are now attracting a lot of interest.  At this point there is only room for 2 more students.  (Please click here to be put on the waiting list).