NWSWB Contemporary Boatbuilding program expands

Sentinel-24

Stephens/Waring Yacht Design – Sentinel-24, a high performance cold molded day sailor on the water.

Port Hadlock, WA, August 15, 2014

The Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding (NWSWB) in Port Hadlock is excited to announce a new collaboration with the Northwest Maritime Center in Port Townsend. Due to significant growth in the Contemporary Wood Composites Boatbuilding program at the School, the Northwest Maritime Center will host approximately 18 of the School’s full-time vocational students in their Port Townsend boat shop for winter and spring quarters. This partnership will span from January through June 2015.

“We are thrilled about this collaboration with the Northwest Maritime Center. They have made it possible for the School to expand immediately to meet increased enrollments in the Contemporary program. This will give us time to thoughtfully consider how we should more forward,” said Interim Director David Blessing.

The Contemporary Wood Composites Boatbuilding program was started in 2005 as an addition to the well-known Traditional Boatbuilding programs. Students learn modern techniques, including strip-planking, plywood construction methods, cold-molding and epoxy applications.

A recent contemporary boat from the NWSWB is the Stephens/Waring Yacht Design – Sentinel-24, a high performance cold molded day sailor. The boat was built under the leadership of Chief Instructor Sean Koomen. “It’s an ideal boat to build with our students. They gain experience in a variety of different skills and techniques, including laminations, vacuum-bagging, fiberglass in different weights and foam construction,” said Koomen. The boat has teak decks laminated over plywood sub-decks, all set off by a bright mahogany coaming. She was launched at the 2013 Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival and is currently for sale.

The school is accredited through the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) and is approved for Federal Student Aid and Veteran’s Educational Benefits. Students earn an Associate of Occupational Studies (AOS) degree in one year through an intensive schedule of instruction from 8am to 5pm, Monday through Friday.

Jake Beattie, Northwest Maritime Center Executive Director shared, “The Maritime Center was built to be a resource for this community- and this leverages all of this investment for the greater good. It helps the Boat School accommodate more demand and eighteen more students will be prepared for their next job. This is a partnership we can all be proud of.”

For questions call 360-385-4948 or write to info@nwswb.edu.

Click here to read related Port Townsend Leader article