Building and Sailing

Young people ages 10-17 will be introduced to woodworking, boatbuilding and sailing in this 4-day course encompassing a range of STEM focused skills and activities. Cooperation, teamwork, self-confidence, and independence will be gained as students learn to build and sail boats.  

Students will begin the course in the Boat School's fully-outfitted professional woodshop each morning learning basic woodworking skills such as measuring, sawing, planing, and sanding. They will learn about the parts of a sailboat and practice their woodworking skills while working on two in-process Optimist Pram sailboats that will be added to the HRMM sailing fleet. Then, after a short break, students will join US Sailing Certified instructors to learn the basics of sailing, functions of various parts of a sailboat, maneuvering the vessel through all points of sail, tacking, and gybing safely, and capsize practice. Students will practice skipper and crew skills and will sail independently when they are ready to do so. On the fourth day, the entire group will launch a newly completed Optimist Pram with pride, knowing they have helped build this safe, beautiful, functional vessel which will be enjoyed by dozens of young people in future classes. This hands-on experiential STEM learning opportunity provides real life science lessons about buoyancy, weather, physics, geometry, weather, and leverage. 

Classes are held, rain or shine, each day they are scheduled. We sail in light rain, but if thunderstorms threaten, we stay ashore and learn sailing skills through "chalk talks," land-based games, hands-on activities,  etc.