PORT TOWNSEND — Students at the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding graduate with skills that are beyond the obvious, the school’s director said in a presentation to the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce on Monday.
Executive Director Betsy Davis, who took over leadership of the school in October, told about 30 people how learning how to build a boat also teaches skills that can be applied in many facets of life.
“I learned a lot about how to problem solve in the physical world,” Davis said of her own schooling.
“I met people who were brilliant in fitting three-dimensional objects who may not have functioned well in a traditional academic environment, and I learned an ethic around craftsmanship and how to do things right.”
Davis previously worked in the software industry agency, which she said was a different world.
“When I worked at Microsoft and it came time to ship the software, there might be a bug and we’d say that we were going to fix it in the next version,” she said.
“With a boat, you spend all that time milling the wood, and if you screw that up, you need to start all over again.
“When building a boat, you need to do things correctly and cost effectively, which is an important skill that could be lost in our society.”
The school, now in its 33rd year, attracts students from as far away as Australia, Austria, South Korea and Tanzania.
Its mission is to teach and preserve traditional and contemporary wooden boat-building skills while developing the individual as a craftsman.
Students build boats ranging from 9 feet to 40 feet from scratch.
Upon completing the one-year program, they are awarded an associate degree in occupational studies.
Davis said that enrollment has nearly doubled recently, from 35 students two years ago to over 60 currently enrolled.
This follows a recognition of the value of the maritime trades.
“The boat school is the same thing for the marine trades in Port Townsend as Stanford is for Silicon Valley,” Davis said, quoting a former student.
Those on the state level are aware of the economic impact.
“The state is looking at the economic benefit that maritime fitness brings,” she said.
“Things like our school and the maritime initiative in the schools make Port Townsend and Jefferson County very relevant to the state. It’s a viable part of the state’s economy.”
Davis said that the maritime industry “is where the jobs are,” with the need for maintenance, construction and repair providing substantial opportunity.
Additionally, the average maritime industry yearly salary of $70,000 is above the state median of $51,000.
“It’s this really compelling sector that sometime gets overlooked,” she said.
“You guys out here are doing a good job in building visibility and supporting this.”
The school is located at 42 North Water St, in Lower Hadlock.
The school plans a Boat Fest and Sail In from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 30, which features tours, boat rides and live music.
Additionally, the school hosts an open house at 3:30 p.m. on the first Friday of every month.
For more information, phone 360-385-4948.
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
