ANNUAL REPORT 2017 SCHOOL YEAR October 1, 2016 – September 30, 2017 Olivier Huin began his boatbuilding education at 13 in Brittany, France, when Staff & Board he and his brothers built a 12’ cold- molded skiff designed by their father, a naval architect. Since then Olivier has Board of Directors * managed boat yards on three continents, earned his 100-Ton Captain’s License, David Blessing, President; Nuclear Power Engineering Consultant and sailed more than 45,000 miles of John Barrett, Vice President; Dentist and Owner of Dentistry Northwest blue water, including five Atlantic Ocean Michael Delagarza, Treasurer; Business Manager at Champion Video crossings, one single-handedly. His next Productions venture is to sail his 51’ sloop Breskell Linda Newland, Secretary; Maritime Attorney and Former School through the Northwest Passage, “the District Administrator dream of a lifetime.” Lee Hoffman, Board Member; Retired Jeweler and Marine Retail Manager “Wooden boat building and blue water Aislinn Palmer, Board Member; Manager at Bayside Housing sailing are my passions. It is a pleasure to teach a new generation of dreamers and Kathleen Brooker, Board Member; Associate & Public Development doers.” and Policy Specialist at Artifacts Historic Preservation Sonja Mathews, Board Member; Brand Management Consultant Stephen Sklar, Board Member; Financial Advisor at Edward Jones Kevin Ritz recently joined the Boat School staff as the Lead Instructor for the school’s new Marine Systems Program. Instructional Staff* He has a great passion for teaching and a deep commitment to marine safety and Sean Koomen, Chief Instructor standards. Kevin owned and operated Bruce Blatchley, Instructor his own marine systems business for 15 Jody Boyle, Instructor years and taught Marine Systems courses Olivier Huin, Instructor nationally for the American Boat and Ben Kahn, Instructor Yacht Council for over a decade. Kevin Leigh O’Connor, Instructor has acted as an electrical investigator for Bob Miller, American Maritime Heritage Instructor multiple agencies involving in-water and Jeff Hammond, Senior Instructor on-board fatalities across the nation, and Ray Speck, Senior Instructor investigator for marine corrosion issues from coast to coast. Additional Staff* “I feel a strong affinity for the Boat School because of its long tradition of teaching Betsy Davis, Executive Director workmanship and taking the time to do things MB Armstrong, Career Services and Program Evaluation Specialist right.” Christina Cogan, Development and Communications Manager Charlie Duerr, Shop and Facility Manager Jon Ferguson, VetCorps Member Christina Cogan moved to the Olympic Rita Frangione, Veteran Resources and Vet Connect Peninsula with her fiancé Korey Ruben Richard Johanson, Manager, Admissions and Student Services who attended the Boat School in 2013. They loved the area so much they Linda Tolf, Administrative Assistant and Accounts Payable stayed, working in maritime related Kate Whalen, Business Manager jobs and enjoying the water aboard their Boat School built gaff cutter * as of September 30, 2017 Virginia. Although she earned a BS in Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Christina is equally at home in the boatbuilding community, contributing to the School’s digital platform, events, Mission communications, and fundraising. “Boat School is the beginning of some amazing journeys. It’s exciting to be part To teach and preserve of that.” traditional and contemporary wooden boatbuilding skills while developing the individual as a craftsman. Letter from the Letter from the Executive Director Chief Instructor I’m inspired every day by the combined Every year we ensure that students work efforts of so many in our community, on a wide range of new boat construction working together to create the Boat projects. And the boats are different every School’s unique educational environment year, ranging from a historic restoration to – a place where students learn traditional a massive motor sailer to a working skiff skills that are relevant to solving today’s designed by one of our instructors. The problems. The school draws a remarkable common denominator is the quality of group of people to its programs each year, construction and the quality of instruction. and it’s fun to watch them head back out When we survey students about their into their futures with new skills in hand. experience at the Boat School, the students A spirit of service is reflected in the value the techniques and problem solving generosity of instructors, sharing from their heads, hearts approaches they learn, but also the environment our instructors and hands, and the generosity of marine business owners create in the shops, where it’s safe to make mistakes and where and educators who volunteer time on the Program Advisory students can take the time to get it right on their way to greater Committee that reviews our curriculum. Board members and and greater mastery. We’re proud of that legacy and look other volunteers and funders are united in their efforts to help forward to bringing the same approach and commitment to the the Boat School serve the community by providing a quality Marine Systems Program we’re rolling out in 2018. We’re also education and job readiness, preserving the skills and values of proud of our reputation in the global wooden boat building craftsmanship for a global community, and bringing vitality to community, marked by an invitation to send four school-built our local community. Read on for examples of our recent work boats and speakers to the 2019 Australian Boat Festival. together. Betsy Davis Sean Koomen Letter from the Board President The Boat School has a mission: to teach and preserve traditional and contemporary wooden boatbuilding skills while developing the individual as a craftsman. You can see the results in the shops and on the water, where boats built by our first class in 1981 are still in operation and where the Nordic Folkboat substantially completed in 2017 placed first in its class in the 2018 Port Townsend Regatta. While our curriculum is time tested, it is not static. We rely on our Program Advisory Committee to help keep us informed of changing requirements in the maritime trades. They have been strong champions for adding a Marine Systems Program to our curriculum – as long as we maintained our focus on craftsmanship. That was never in doubt, especially when Kevin Ritz joined our staff as Lead Instructor for Marine Systems. Spend 10 minutes with Kevin and you’ll understand that there can be just as much excellence and integrity in a well-designed system as in a beautifully built wooden boat. It has been exciting to see the Marine Systems Program take shape in 2017 – and the rigor that has gone into curriculum and classroom development. The new mezzanine classroom in the Hammond Shop will support hands-on learning with mock-ups of engines and electrical systems. I hope you’ll stop by for a First Friday Tour of the Boat School to see how the campus is evolving while staying deeply rooted in our mission, values of fine craftsmanship, and support of the exciting new initiatives to meet the needs of our students. David Blessing Providing Quality Education and Job preparedness In an increasingly digital world, we provide experiential education to teach time-honored skills to new generations of craftspeople, preparing them for real-world employment and the satisfaction of creating high-quality, functional products with their hands. NWSWB tracks graduation and employment rates annually in accordance with guidelines established by our accreditor, the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC). Detailed information about program employment rates are available on the School’s website. The following is a partial list of employers that have hired recent Boat School alums. CLASS OF 2017 CLASS OF 2016 Fast Facts-Class ‘17 Shipwrights Co-op; Port Townsend, WA Northwest Maritime Center; Port Townsend, WA Snow Boatbuilding; Seattle, WA Gig Harbor Boat Shop; Gig Harbor, WA • 40 enrolled First Light Boatworks; Chatham, MA Schooner Creek Boatworks; Portland, OR • 11 Veterans Turnpoint Design; Port Townsend, WA Thompson Boatyard; Port Townsend, WA • Ages: 18-61 Jensen Motor Boat; Seattle, WA Rocking the Boat; Brooklyn, NY • From 16 different states and 2 Quality Cabinet Co; Hernando, MS Salmon Ridge Woodworks; Ilwaco, WA countries Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding, WA Van Dam Custom Boats; Boyne City, MI • 16 Traditional Large Craft Spindrift Rowing; Port Townsend, WA Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding, WA • 9 Contemporary Brent Davis Construction; Port Townsend, WA San Francisco Dolphin Club; San Francisco, CA • 15 Traditional Small Craft Wilderness Inquiry; Minneapolis, MN Cape George Boatworks; Port Townsend, WA • 32 graduated with Associate of Shipwrights Co-op; Port Townsend, WA Occupational Studies Degrees James Betts Enterprises; Anacortes, WA • 4 graduated with Diplomas Michael Scott Christine Kimball Josh Vest Justin Victoria Lachlan Carlson Tucker Piontek Class of 2017 Class of 2017 Class of 2017 Class of 2017 Class of 2017 Class of 2017 Snow Boatbuilding Jensen Motor Boat Quality Cabinet Co. First Light Boatworks Port Townsend Turnpoint Design Seattle, WA Seattle, WA Hernando, MS Chatham, MA Shipwrights Coop Port Townsend, WA Port Townsend, WA “Boat School gave me the WHERE DID THE CLASS OF ‘17 COME FROM? skills, approach, and practical knowledge in one year that Alaska 2 New Jersey 1 many aspiring craftspeople California 4 New York 1 take decades to gain. I left Florida 1 Nevada 2 Boat School with great Illinois 1 Oregon 2 confidence in my abilities Massachusetts 1 Virginia 2 to build, solve problems, Michigan 1 Washington 16 and produce at a quality that carries on a tradition of Minnesota 2 Wisconsin 1 woodworking.” Montana 1 Switzerland 2 Tucker Piontek, Class of 2017 Preserving and Developing Craftsmanship The School is a living repository of knowledge that preserves time-honored boatbuilding skills through active practice. Students learn how to build a boat from scratch and then launch it.