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The Hudson Legacy SchooL

                                of Traditional Boat Building                                                                             

                                                         “a school and center for the restoration and replication

                                of small boats that have historical significance in New York and the Hudson Valley”

Shore-side activities    allow us to focus on the most important segment of our mission; to have a positive impact on the lives of young people.  As we reconnect communities to the Hudson River and its rich legacy, we reach individual children with our participatory projects.

Program Progression      Adults visiting the Beacon On-Shore Museum or the Traveling Barge Museum will find displays and collections designed to bring the Hudson River’s Legacy into their own lives. With children we seek something more. The Museum displays are only the first step.  For those that are interested we provide a continuing experience woven around the theme of personal responsibility, of taking responsibility for improving the quality of one’s life.  Boat building is the focal point with courses offered at all levels, progressing to hands on courses in the areas critical to the use of boats and the understanding and enjoyment of the Hudson River Legacy. Our boating courses are designed to take youth that are interested and qualified, from understanding the basics of safe boat use, all the way to the level of competitive rowing and sailboat racing. Individual responsibility, a balanced use of the environment and agencies and groups that embody these themes will be emphasized and introduced. 

Fundamentals of Boatbuilding    

The theory and practice of classical boatbuilding.  

Fundamentals of Boatbuilding is the core curriculum of our boatbuilding courses. This series deals generally with the whole craft of boatbuilding, specifically with wooden boats, and most specifically with plank-on-frame small craft. We will build both rudimentary and difficult boats in these classes—round-bilged, carvel and lapstrake planked types— if you can build one of these, you can understand and build almost any boat . Ideally, each class will start one boat, work at planking another, and finish a third. When it doesn't work out so neatly, or students are interested in some other type of boat, we will use various planking jigs and demonstration projects. The emphasis is always more on learning than on meeting a deadline. Each session combines daily discussion periods with an abundance of practical work.

Usually you'll start out talking about boat plans and design, and how to develop a project plan and budget. A brief explanation of lofting will follow, and everyone will get a chance to give it a try on the lofting table. From there, it will be a continuous stream of boatbuilding lessons, both at the blackboard and on the workbench: how a body plan comes together; the meaning of a fair line; various types of small-boat construction; the right tools for the job at hand, and how to use them; different methods for planking a boat; discussions on fastenings, glues, woods, etc.; the tricks of steam-bending; techniques of lamination; and much more.

Molds and patterns are explained and developed, and stems and transoms assembled. Planking, fastening, caulking, fairing, fitting seats and risers, knees and breasthooks—each operation is carefully explained and supervised.  

The Boatbuilding program offers information in two areas: the Small Boats Courses and the Cruising Boats Courses. Each one provides instruction in techniques specific to a particular sector of boatbuilding, while both course areas emphasize an understanding of the structure of a boat.   Boatbuilding students receive homework in the form of reading assignments and a graded, individual woodworking project that includes a variety of joinery exercises. The Small Boats Course focuses on traditional boatbuilding, both lapstrake and carvel plank-on-frame construction.  The Cruising Boat Course focuses on wooden boat restoration and maintenance and explains modern wood composite construction technologies such as cold molding and vacuum bagging (but we only build wooden boats).  As opportunities for restoration occur, courses with hands on experience will be offered.

You'll find yourself working on your own and alongside others, on real boats or just for practice. If your class happens to finish a boat, you'll launch it, and that is some fun! You'll finish this course with a better understanding in your mind—and in your hands—of the boatbuilding process.

Fundamentals of Boatbuilding is open to everyone, although woodworking skills and familiarity with the language of boatbuilding really help students to get the most out of it. The program will build and restore boats for the sailing school, commercial fishing school,  museum display and traditional boat owners.

                                                        John Cronin & Henry Gourdine

                                                                           building a "shad boat"

Sample Course Offerings

Building the Dory Skiff          

A flat-bottomed small boat suited for oars, sail, or an outboard;

an all-around introduction to the art of boatbuilding.  

She is 13' long with round, lapstrake sides and a flat bottom. The skiff will also accept a small outboard and possesses a simple and efficient sailing rig. The hull, using traditional building materials and methods,  will remain watertight even after long periods out of the water.

The course begins with a discussion of plans and lofting, and then proceeds directly to setting up the building jig, and the actual construction of the boat. Our Boat Building master will teach the old methods, as well as computer generated drafting to design, lay-out and adjust plans and print patterns. This is the sailing model and the construction of spars, centerboard, rudder, and tiller and design and installation of rigging will be covered as well. The skiff, while being the centerpiece, is a small part of the course. The most important project taking place will be the building of students' confidence in themselves as boatbuilders and managers of their own lives. Each day will include discussions and demonstrations of safe hand tool use, sharpening, and proper tool maintenance.

Wood varieties and properties will be studied, and the class will take an in-depth look at fastenings, glues, and protective coatings.

Woodworking experience would prove beneficial in this course.

Prior boatbuilding experience is not necessary.

Small Boats Courses

Adopting the viewpoint that we live in an Adult World where young people don’t have enough constructive activities to occupy their time and drift to the streets by default; we seek to provide activities of interest and lasting challenge to help them define and understand their interests and futures. Entering the workshop will be a step back in time. The turn of the century ambiance will be warm, interesting and generate curiosity and questions about the artifacts on display and the old ways depicted. Individual responsibility is emphasized. 

The natural environment and the need for its conservation, will be the cornerstone as we talk about the river’s past and present and teach the use of old tools along side the use of the most modern in our boat building program.

Commercial fishermen today use the same lore and technology developed by keen observation and trial and error, used for hundreds of years. The old ways and values learned hundreds of years ago as the Hudson River valley was first settled are still important today.

Readings of selected environmental and character building writings as well as exposure to the museums and rich resources of the Hudson River valley will be included in our presentations.

Visits and lectures from Navy, Coastguard and Merchant Marine personnel along with other inspirational figures will be scheduled to talk about opportunities in today’s world.

The classes are introductory and will bring along each child at his/her individual best pace. As we find out what the children are interested in, we will provide information to further their individual interests and will provide more advanced presentations. Boatbuilding Is the core activity.  The other shore-side Activities follow naturally from it.

The only competitive activities will be rowing and participation in sailboat racing; all the way to the nationals if there is interest and enough dedication, ability and competitive wins. 

The Museum Barge’s classrooms, presentations and exhibits will be an integral part of the program. From our shore-side location at Beacon, we are ideally located.  With the Beacon train station a short walk away, children from nearby communities can take advantage of our programs. 

Beacon has a population of 13,808 with approximately 1800 children between the ages of 9-15.  Dutchess County’s population is 287,752 with 25% of the population under 18 years of age. Seven percent of the population lives at or below the poverty level with 11% of the children under age 18 living at or below the poverty level. 

The only boatbuilding courses offered within 25 miles are those from Building Bridges – Building Boats in Cold Spring (they are moving to Beacon to combine their operation with ours). 

Our boat building and sailing master crossed the Atlantic from Rhode Island to England in a 22’ Sailboat at the age of 18, (and has crossed in small boats 3 more times) captained a 100 ton West Country Ketch out of England, sailing the west coast of Africa and has owned and operated successful sailboat repair facilities and sailing schools for many years. He has also designed and built wooden boats and brings a wealth of information and experience to our boatbuilding program.

Barge Museum presentations in the lower grades at Public Schools, will expose area children to our programs.

Emphasis will be on a subsidized program (we will offer scholarships based on need) to reach the children who could not otherwise take part.