​KINGSTON, N.Y. – The Hudson River Maritime Museum Wooden Boat School will offer an immersive afterschool boatbuilding experience for youth beginning in February. The YouthBoat series is an afterschool program through which students ages 10-18 work alongside shipwrights to follow building plans, use tools and materials, and put STEM skills to work as they build a boat in the school’s wood shop under the guidance of skilled shipwrights and craftspeople. 

YouthBoat is designed to empower youth from diverse backgrounds, build character, and foster teamwork through the traditional craft of wooden boatbuilding and on-the-water activities. Staff have partnered with Kingston High School to offer high school course credit for the series. 

Classes will be taught by lead instructor and master boatwright Wayne Ford who is a master woodworker with extensive timber framing experience. The sessions will be held every Tuesday and Thursday, February 15–May 19, from 3:30PM–5:30PM. YouthBoat takes place at the HRMM Wooden Boat School located at 50 Rondout Landing in Kington, NY.

Students will begin the course by building skills as they cut and shape wood into a kayak paddle which is finished with varnish. They next collaborate to construct a fully functional wooden skiff boat. The process begins with interpreting a boat from 2-dimensional plans, formation of molds, and laying out the keel. Skiff constructions may involve plywood or white cedar lumber for planking, and plank laps are either epoxied or riveted to adhere to the frame. At the completion of the class the skiff boat is ready for launch and students will have an opportunity to take their boat out on the water and learn team rowing and maintenance on the school’s 24-foot white hull. 

Find more information online at www.hrmm.org/youth-classes or call 845-338-0071. People who have questions are encouraged to contact Becky Sellinger, Wooden Boat School Manager & Instructor, at [email protected].   

About the HRMM Wooden Boat School
The Wooden Boat School was founded by the Hudson River Maritime Museum in 2015 to preserve the maritime craft traditions of the Hudson Valley and to teach a hands-on interpretation of the living history of the Hudson River. The school offers diverse curriculum and opportunities which inspire skills in woodworking, boat building, and maritime craft. Also available are restoration services for wooden boats. Learn more at www.hrmm.org/boat-school.

Winner Jim Donick stopped by the HRMM Wooden Boat School last week to pick up his prize from our fundraiser raffle: the 10’ flat-bottom sailing skiff that was built by the school’s 2018/2019 YouthBoat class. The vessel was constructed by students during one of our immersive YouthBoat courses that connects participants with shipwrights and craftspeople as they put STEM skills to work throughout the boatbuilding process. We hope this unique boat is the start of lots of great memories! 

Did you know registration is open for YouthBoat? This popular course empowers youth, builds character, and fosters teamwork through the traditional craft of wooden boatbuilding and on-the-water activities. Learn more at www.hrmm.org/youth-classes. 

KINGSTON, N.Y. – Hudson River Maritime Museum will offer a captain’s license course at the Wooden Boat School beginning in March 2022. The course is for six-pack through 100 ton master and is ideal for those who are uncertified or for people seeking to refresh their skills in navigation, chart plotting, rules of the road, and safety and regulations. It is the highest level license and is required for operators of both inspected and uninspected vessels. The credential can serve as proof of experience and may reduce insurance costs.

The course is offered through True North Maritime Academy and will be facilitated by Captain Ken Roberts. The cost is $1,180 and registration deadline is Tuesday, March 1, 2022. Sessions take place March 18-April 3, 2022 in-person at the HRMM Wooden Boat School located at 50 Rondout Landing in Kingston. Sessions will provide training and testing requirements to apply for a US Coast Guard License. True North Maritime Academy facilitates boating certifications for all levels of experience, from the recreational beginner to the commercial captain. 

Captain Ken Roberts is a USCG Licensed Captain (100 ton) and has been a USCG-certified instructor since 2014. He has instructed over 400 students. Captain Roberts has extensive experience with large and small vessels and served as a delivery captain for vessels from 30' to 130'.

Find more information online at www.hrmm.org/maritime-training or call 845-338-0071. People who have questions are encouraged to contact Becky Sellinger, Wooden Boat School Manager & Instructor, at [email protected].  

About the HRMM Wooden Boat School
The Wooden Boat School was founded by the Hudson River Maritime Museum in 2015 to preserve the maritime craft traditions of the Hudson Valley and to teach a hands-on interpretation of the living history of the Hudson River. The school offers diverse curriculum and opportunities which inspire skills in woodworking, boat building, and maritime craft. Also available are restoration services for wooden boats. Learn more at www.hrmm.org/boat-school. 

KINGSTON, N.Y. – The Wooden Boat School at Hudson River Maritime Museum will offer a number of boat building classes throughout 2022. Students will work with skilled instructors to create their own stand up paddleboard, double paddle canoe, or skin-on-frame kayak. These weekend courses offer a variety of construction experiences and are great for individuals or small groups. Limited class sizes enable students to learn at their own pace as they work closely with instructors. The school also offers introductory woodworking projects, youth classes, wooden boat restorations, maritime licensing and more. 

Instructor Chaz Corallo will teach a Build Your Own Stand Up Paddleboard class during the first two weekends of April. Corallo will guide students as they construct a wooden stand up paddleboard with a frame kit, build up the rails from bead and cove strips, add a deck, install hardware, and shape the board to their liking. Students will explore basic board design concepts, the application of steam to manipulate wood into shapes, adhesive applications, elements of edge tool work, glassing and application of epoxy, and use of traditional hand tools. By the end of the class each board will be ready for fiberglassing and finishing. 

The public is also able to register for a Build Your Own Skin-on-Frame Solo/Tandem Canoe course with instructor Rich Cerruto. This course takes place June 17-19 and 25-26, 2022. The vessel will be begin with a wooden frame and is stretched with a polyester "skin." Each student will leave with a completed canoe ready for the water. These 28 pound canoes are strong and can hold up to 320 pounds. Easily car-topped, they are perfect for casual paddlers and beginning boatbuilders alike. The finished canoe weighs about 32 pounds and can carry 320 pounds. Rig it as a solo, a tandem with a carrying yoke, or as a solo/tandem.

Also available is the opportunity to register for a Build Your Own Skin-on-Frame F1 Kayak happening March 12-17, 2022 with instructor John Richer. Students will build their project over the course of 6 days in the boat school shop. Students will start with assembly of the deck beams then steam bend the ribs in place. The frames and ribs will be lashed and the boat skinned with nylon cloth. Once the skin is coated the kayak will be completed with all the necessary rigging and accessories. This model is 14 feet long and 23 inches wide. Fully rigged it weighs only 29 pounds. Each student will leave with a completed kayak ready for the water.

The school is also offering a captain’s license (six-pack through 100 ton master) through True North Maritime Academy. The course takes place March 18-April 3, 2021 will provide training and testing requirements to apply for a US Coast Guard License. 

Find more information online at www.hrmm.org/boat-school or call 845-338-0071. People who have questions are encouraged to contact Becky Sellinger, Wooden Boat School Manager & Instructor, at [email protected].  

About the HRMM Wooden Boat School
The Wooden Boat School was founded by the Hudson River Maritime Museum in 2015 to preserve the maritime craft traditions of the Hudson Valley and to teach a hands-on interpretation of the living history of the Hudson River. The school offers diverse curriculum and opportunities which inspire skills in woodworking, boat building, and maritime craft. Also available are restoration services for wooden boats. Learn more at www.hrmm.org/boat-school. 

​KINGSTON, N.Y. – Hudson River Maritime Museum is collecting winter accessories as part of the museum’s annual Mitten Tree drive. For over a decade, the museum has collected new or gently used winter wear. The items are hung on a 10’ wooden tree structure built at the museum’s Wooden Boat School. When the tree is full, donations are brought to local adult and children’s services organizations. 

Donations sought include gloves, mittens, hats, scarves, socks, hand warmers, and umbrellas. Items can be for all ages and can be brought to the museum store which is located at 50 Rondout Landing in Kingston. The store is open Thursday-Sunday, 11:00am-5:00pm and a designated box will be available on the front porch to accept donations when the store is closed.