Carpenter’s Boat Shop

The Carpenter’s Boat Shop offers lovely traditional wooden boats, classes, and apprenticeships in boatbuilding and woodworking — plus tea at ten every weekday morning. Most of all, it provides a quiet space out of the turbulence of life where you can breathe clear down to the center of your being.
During the summer the Boat Shop offers a variety of week-​long classes. The one I took guided us through the steps of building a Monhegan skiff, a small wooden rowing boat used by that island’s lobstermen to get from the beach to their fishing boats. The traditional design is still preferred by many of them for its light weight and toughness.
In the course of five days, our six neophyte boatbuilders (granted, one was a professional woodworker) and two instructors brought the skiff to about 90% of completion. The fully equipped shop provided us with materials, templates, and both hand and power tools; the instructors also taught us about different woods, knots, and the terminology of boats and woodcraft.
Some of us boarded for the week in the Boat Shop’s guest accommodations in a renovated farmhouse, enjoying private rooms and delicious family-​style meals at a very reasonable cost. The day includes plenty of «down time» for reflection, and each meal ends with a reading to provide some nourishment for the mind as well as the body. For apprentices, sharing in the tasks and practices of common housekeeping builds a supportive community that alums describe with great affection.
During daylight hours, visitors can tour the shops and display areas, and, of course, shop for traditional wooden rowboats, sailboats, and canoes — plus an original design of Adirondack chairs. The Boat Shop offers repair services for wooden small craft as well.
I came to the Boat Shop to re-​center and renew myself, to reconnect my head and hands. I found that and more, in just a week. I can only imagine the worth of a nine month apprenticeship. But if you haven’t got that much time, there’s always tea at 10:00 am. Or, of course, you can buy yourself a lovely boat.