Young Mariners Initiative

We believe all kids should have access to fun and educational opportunities during the summer! The Center for Wooden Boats summer camps support youth as they develop the skills, abilities and attitudes necessary to enjoy sailing, working together, and having fun on the water. Programs target age-appropriate skill sets and are designed to build on each other so youth can come back summer after summer to play, learn and grow.

If you need assistance covering the cost of one of our camps, apply for a summer camp scholarship here!

More info coming later for Spring 2025

More information coming soon.

High School - Intro to Maritime

This program is free to all participants. This is geared towards families with high school students facing financial barriers or from traditionally underrepresented groups.

In this course students will have the opportunity to learn STEM, woodworking, knots, and get onto the water in many ways. Students will get to explore sailboats, rowboats, the pedal boat, and kayaks. Students will also get to meet many people in the maritime industry and talk about what careers might interest them.

More info for 2025 coming soon.

The Center for Wooden Boats partners with local schools and programs to introduce young people to maritime careers and experiences. Our internship experience strives to provide high school aged youth, especially from communities traditionally underrepresented in maritime, with the opportunity to work on the water and in the shop to learn carpentry basics as it relates to boatbuilding and restoration.

Learn More About Our Internship Partners:

• Teens in Public Service Summer Internship

• Gibson Ek High School

• Evergreen Goodwill Youth Maritime Program

• Port of Seattle Youth Internship Program

• Youth Maritime Career Launch Internship Program

Come learn how sailboats are designed, how they work, and about many opportunities within the maritime world. Students will build their own model boat and sail it on Lake Union Park’s model boat pond! Students will also get the opportunity to talk with maritime professionals and learn about PNW history.

Cost: Varies

Ages: Middle School & High School Students

Availability: Year-round, Tuesday - Friday between 9am-4pm

Chaperone Requirements: Chaperones should plan on being engaged participants in this field trip. Please prepare your chaperones in advance with a schedule & summary of the program.

• 1 chaperone for every 10 students

A Junior Instructor (JI) has the opportunity gain valuable job skills and marketable maritime skills while working on tasks essential for the operation of CWB. CWB JIs have the opportunity to work with our summer camp sailors, teaching them safety on the water, how to rig, and proper sailing techniques. Each JI will help the Instructor conduct day to day activities, such as setting marks, preparing the classroom, and driving the safety boat. These volunteer hours can be used as community service hours if needed for graduation. At 16 years old, the JI is able to become certified as a US Sailing Level One Instructor, beginning the pathway to become a paid Sailing Instructor!

Learn more about our Junior Instructor Program

The Boatwright in Residence Apprenticeship Program is focused on providing new wooden boatbuilders who have recently graduated from a wooden boatbuilding program the opportunity to hone their skills and network with the local industry in order to help jumpstart their careers.

In 2021, the Boatwright in Residence Apprenticeship Program focused on the restoration of Pamela, a 21’ sloop rigged Blanchard Jr Knockabout (BJK) built in 1936 by the Blanchard Boat Company on Lake Union. CWB owns seven of these historic vessels, which constitute the organization’s core learn-to-sail fleet. This restoration began in 2019 with funding support by King County’s 4Culture and featured apprentices from a local high school, Gibson EK. That initial work focused on replacing cedar planking, caulking, re-bedding of the keel, and deck repair. The remaining tasks included floor timber replacement, installment of new steam-bent white oak frames, and building a new mast for the rig. The Apprentice Boatwright led this part of the project with guidance from CWB’s boatwrights, providing a prime opportunity to apply skills recently learned from a boatbuilding school.

LOCATION

CWB features three separate fully-outfitted boatshops for the restoration and construction of wooden boats. Two of these shops are located at the main campus in South Lake Union, with a third in North Lake Union. In 2018 the organization opened the Wagner Education Center which houses the new 1,000 square foot Bill Garden Boatshop. This increase in workshop space has greatly improved the organization’s ability to provide robust educational opportunities.

LEADERSHIP

The apprentice will work under the guidance of Ducky Kimball. Ducky grew up in the Pacific Northwest and has spent the last 10 years restoring historic ships and building small skiffs. They have also been commercial salmon fishing in Alaska nearly every summer. They got their start at the Center when they were a teenager.

The 2024 application process is now open. Inquiries can be sent to hiring@cwb.org.