Building & Sailing Boats, July 31 - August 3, 2023

Course: Building & Sailing Boats
Dates: July 31 – August 3, 2023, 9AM–3PM
Class Size: 8
Instructor: TBD
Registration Deadline: July 21, 2023

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.

This class takes place in the shop at the HRMM Wooden Boat School located at 86 Rondout Landing in Kingston's historic Rondout district.

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. A class calendar and details can be found at www.hrmm.org/boat-school.

Registration
General Public: $420
Members at Individual Level: $380
Members at Household Level & Above: $360

**Members must log into the museum website during registration to apply their discount. Please note membership must be current as of the date of the class. Call the museum at 845-338-0071 for questions about membership. 

Cancellation Policy: Full refunds will be offered for cancellations that occur 30 days or more before a program's registration deadline (if no deadline, the first day of the program). Cancellations between 30 and 7 days will be offered a 50% refund or credit toward another class. Cancellations after the registration deadline or within 7 days of the first day of class (whichever comes first) will not be refunded.