WoodenBoat School 2026 Course Catalogue: Hands-On Boatbuilding, Systems, Seamanship

WoodenBoat School's 2026 catalogue presents an expanded menu of instructor-led, workshop-based training for builders, refitters, and DIY sailors aiming to move beyond how-to articles to real-world competence. The emphasis is practical: short, focused labs teach fundamentals and techniques, while multi-week builds provide immersive, project-based experience that leads to tangible skills in wooden-boat construction, joinery, systems work, and commissioning.

Short courses cover the fundamentals of boatbuilding, fitting out small boats, and both strip-plank and lapstrake projects. Those sessions are designed to get students into the shop quickly, practicing lofting, beveling, plank fairing, and basic joinery under the eye of an instructor. For owners who want to renew a boat’s skin or build a dinghy, the short-format approach lets you nail down essential motions—cutting and scarfing, bonding with epoxy, and getting those seams fair—without a months-long commitment.

Specialized topics focus on common systems and traditional skills that often stump DIYers. A “making friends with your marine diesel” class targets engine commissioning, routine maintenance, and troubleshooting so owners can reduce yard time and service bills. Fitting-out courses address systems integration and commissioning—electrical layouts, through-hull hardware, bilge and plumbing basics—helping students move from a bare hull to a safely commisioned boat. Traditional seamanship offerings reinforce handling and care techniques that keep wooden boats afloat and happy through the seasons.

For those wanting deeper engagement, multi-week build courses supply a structured path to construct or refit major components from stem to stern. These builds pair the pace of a community workshop with the discipline of an instructor-led curriculum, so participants both learn and contribute to finished work. That immersive model is where joinery, steam-bending, fairing, varnishing, and systems commissioning come together in ways articles and videos rarely replicate.

The practical value is straightforward: real tools, live feedback, and extended time at the bench accelerate skill transfer and reduce costly trial-and-error on your own boat. Community relevance is equally clear—these courses create local cohorts of builders and mechanics who swap tips at the yard, help after launches, and keep traditional skills alive.

Expect to walk away from a course with hands-on experience, a checklist of commissioning steps you can use on your own boat, and connections to instructors and fellow builders. For DIY sailors planning upgrades, repairs, or a new build in 2026, the WoodenBoat School catalogue outlines a clear, workshop-first route to competence.