yacht building courses

Yacht and Boat Building

Who is this course suitable for, whether you are in the early stages of your career, nearing the end and looking for a retirement project, on sabbatical leave or currently working within the maritime industry, this course will stretch and challenge you and most importantly, bring you closer to completing a yacht or boat build project..

About the Course

The dream of every man and woman with an interest in the sea is to ultimately build their own boat.

Trans-oceanic sailor Jimmy Cornell once wrote, “The planning stage of a cruise is often just as enjoyable as the voyage itself, letting one’s imagination loose on all kinds of possibilities. Yet translating dreams into reality means a lot of practical questions have to be answered.”

The Yacht and Boat Building course is constructed to guide those dreams to fruition and further educate you on the intricacies involved with building your own boat. Incorporating aspects of the decision-making, management and construction processes, you will be a step closer to achieving your dreams of building your own vessel.

“Whenever your preparations for the sea are poor; the sea worms its way in and finds the problems” – Francis Stokes. This course, with its easy to follow steps, will provide you with knowledge on various boat building materials, and highlight the various skills that are paramount to the successful construction of your boat.

This course is not intended to be the solitary element in the building of your boat, but rather best utilised as an overall guide as to what steps you need to take in order to pursue your ambition. We would recommend that this course would be most effective in conjunction with further knowledge and experience in building your own boat.

Course Structure

The course consists of 10 modules. All students are required to successfully complete and pass the module assignments. Diploma students will also be required to sit and pass a final examination.

1. Deciding On A Boat To Build

• Assessing your needs and inspirations
• Different classes of a self-build
• Basic Yacht Designs
• Basic Motor Boat designs
• Basic construction types
• The build facility
• Yacht designers

2. Managing The Build Process

• Where to Build
• Workshop/Yard requirements
• Budgeting and Costs
• Project Management
• Sourcing Parts
• Buy or Lease/machinery and tools
• BOM’s/detailed costs

3. Documentation/Training

• CE Certification
• Type Approval/Licensing
• Legal Requirements
• VAT/ Goods Service Tax etc
• Warranties/Manuals
• Learn to Sail
• Basic Safety at Sea

4. Constructing in Steel/Aluminium

• History/Background
• Construction Techniques
• Designers Plans
• Health & Safety
• Skills required
• Sub-contracting/ machinery & tools required
• Paints coatings/protective systems

5. Mechanical Systems

• Steering & rudders
• Water makers
• Pumping Systems
• Tools required & sub-contracting
• Documentation and conclusion

6. Basics of Yacht/Boat Building

• To loft or not?
• Basics of lofting
• Advanced lofting
• Considerations for motor boats
• Considerations for yachts/sailboats
• Common boat/shipbuilding terms

7. Constructing a Wooden Boat

• Construction techniques
• Designers plans
• Building moulds, jigs & strong-backs
• Wooden kit boats
• Health & safety
• Different types of wood/timber used in boat building

8. Building in GRP

• The evolution of GRP yacht building
• Materials used
• Design drawings & weights
• Kit builds & mouldings
• Building plugs & moulds
• Skills, sub contractors & tools
• Building the Hull & Deck
• Sub mouldings and bulkheads
• Health & Safety with GRP work

9. Fitting Out

• Internal Layouts
• Electrical Systems
• Water & Sanitation Systems
• Safety Equipment & Navigation Systems
•  Anchoring, mooring & Deck fittings
• Painting your yacht
• Health & Safety, tools & equipment
• Skills required & sub-contracting

10. Finishing The Vessel

• Boat relocation
• Ways of lifting & launching a vessel
• The actual launch
• Stepping the mast
• Types of berth/moorings
• Modifications

Career Pathway

Career path: Many tend to come via apprenticeships in boat yards and boat builders, but this is not the only route. Some individuals undertake specific training and start on their own as contractors.

Salary: From an entry level salary at minimum wage rising to around £30,000 per annum.

Duties: All aspects of building and maintaining yachts and small craft including structure, machinery, and electrics.

DIPLOMA IN YACHT AND BOAT BUILDING

On passing the Diploma, you will receive the above icon. Please use it on your business cards, LinkedIn profile and website(s)!

You can also use these letters after your name: MTA Dip YABB

While the nature of distance learning is independent study, we recognise the importance of support. Students can contact us at any time during their course for assistance and our team of industry experts are always on hand for advice.

We have over 50 industry experts writing, developing and advising on our course material. We truly believe that allowing students to tap into their expertise and knowledge is of the utmost importance to fulfil your dream career.

If you would prefer to complete this as a classroom-based course, please contact us.

How long do the courses take to complete? What's the difference between a Diploma and a Certificate? Read through our Frequently Asked Questions below to find out the answer.

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Start your Boat building future today.

With nwswb, a career in boat building is at your fingertips..

Do you want a hands-on career where you can solve problems in the real world? The Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding can get you into the workforce quickly.

Download Hull Raiser magazine for free and learn where hands-on education can take you.

Boat building program.

The Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding’s AOS Boat Building program offers:

• A compact twelve month intense training program to get you into the workforce quickly.
• Hands-on training following industry standards and techniques.
• Effective and efficient boat building and woodworking techniques through a combination of hand and power tools.
• A wide range of projects that create an environment for students to learn aside the instructor through 8′ to 30′ boat projects, both carvel and lapstrake, power, sail, and row.
• The opportunity to start from your own foundation – no prerequisites other than a high school diploma or GED. The program accommodates all skill levels and backgrounds.

What do graduates have to say?

Working in the trades always appealed to Ginny. With stints in welding, commercial fishing, and boat maintenance, she still longed to become a woodworker. “Happiness comes from solving problems,” says Ginny, and boat building is problem solving. Ginny is now working at the Port Townsend Shipwright’s Coop helping to restore the historic WESTERN FLYER.

The amount of confidence I built was transformational.

The Perfect Location

The Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding is located in the heart of more than 100 maritime businesses on Port Townsend Bay and surrounded by the stunning natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest. Students have access to the Port Townsend working waterfront providing networking with talented and experienced marine craftspeople.

Our graudates

Justin Victotoria

Class of 2017 - Skoolie Homes

After graduation, Justin began working as a boatbuilder at First Light Boatworks, a yard established in the 1930s to build, restore, and service wooden boats. “Being around super talented beings every day is the most rewarding feeling I’ve ever had,” says Justin. “I could never have experienced this without the support and knowledge the staff at NWSWB passed on to us.” From his first boat building job, Justin spent a year working at Wooden Boatworks in Greenport, NY. Now he’s expanding his skills at Skoolie, a leader in bus home conversions  in Hendersonville, North Carolina.

Zachary Haroth

Class of 2018 - Cheseapeake Bay Maritime Museum

Zachary credits his father with teaching him an early appreciation for surfing, boats, and building things – from tree forts to skateboards. After college, Zachary spent two years in Montana Conservation Corps in some of the wildest places int he lower 48. “Boat School taught me patience, helped me build my technical wood working skills, and brought my confidence to an all-time high,” says Zachary. It also alerted him to a job opening for a Shipwright Apprentice at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, where he as worked since 2017.

Julia Hechanova

Class of 2016 - Dolphin Club Boat Shop

Julia practically grew up at the Dolphin Swimming and Rowing Club in San Francisco, where her parents introduced her to traditional wooden boats like BAGGIANI, a 1948 Whitehall that became the model for a Whitehall the club commissioned from the school. After graduation, Julia returned to California to work as a boat builder in the Dolphin Club Boat Shop, helping restore and maintain the historic boats in the livery.

WANT MORE? TELL US WHAT YOU WANT TO KNOW:

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Frequently asked questions

How long is the program .

The Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding’s Wooden Boat Building program is 12-months long. The program starts once a year in October. School days are from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Students are awarded an Associates of Occupational Studies (AOS) degree upon program completion.

Can I get financial aid?

The Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding’s Wooden Boat Building programs are approved for Federal Student Aid including Direct Student Loans and Pell Grants and for Veterans GI Bill® Education Benefits for those that qualify.

Do I need prerequisites ?

Enrollment in the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding’s Wooden Boat Building program does not require prior experience or prerequisites. Students must have a high school diploma or GED equivalency prior to the first day of class.

What does a Boat Building career path look like?

Careers are varied and may include positions as a shipwright, boat builder, marine carpenter, furniture maker, boat building educator, home constructor, finish carpenter, and composite spar builder.

Boat Building Schools

Boat building schools will teach you all you need to know about building boats with a variety of mediums.

This trade is unlike others in that there is true artistry in building a boat. Several of these schools focus on wooden boat building techniques using handcrafted processes. Some schools do offer fiberglass and composite material training as well if that is what you are looking for.

These schools offer a variety of programs from beginners to more advanced builders looking to improve their skills.

Depending on the program, you may take courses that include:

• Blacksmithing
• Woodworking
• Canvas handling

These programs can help you build a career, or be just for fun.

Boat Building Classes Are Offered At These Schools

There are not a lot of schools that offer a boatbuilding program, so moving may be required if this is something you are really interested in.

Be sure to do your research on any school you are considering attending. We are providing this list for your convenience, but have not done any research on their programs or student satisfaction.

The Wooden Boat School

Programs Offered

School Details

Over 95 courses for those looking to get into boat building. Courses include fundamentals of boatbuilding, kayak building, small marine diesel, and so much more. All skill levels are available for beginner – to experienced boat builder professionals, and hobbyists. Most courses are just a few weeks in length.

The Landing School

Choose a one or two year program and learn about yacht design, wooden boat building, marine systems, or composite boat building. There is also the option to earn an Associate of Applied Science degree in marine industry technology.

Great Lakes Boat Building School

In just one year you can earn a certificate in Comprehensive Career Boat Building (CCBB) or Marine Service Technology (MST). The school offers a hands-on approach and small classes to help you achieve a career in the marine industry.

IYRS School of Technology & Trades - Estimated Cost: $20,000

IYRS School of Technology & Trades is a non-profit, post-secondary trade school in Newport, Rhode Island and is the premier marine trades and modern manufacturing school in the United States. IYRS offers four nationally accredited programs at our campus on Newport Harbor.

Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding

The Boat School, founded in 1981, is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Colleges and Schools (ACCSC). It offers classes to over 1,600 students from all over the world. The school teaches wooden boatbuilding and marine systems skills. Their programs cover marine systems and boatbuilding which range from 9-12 months. There is also a 5-day intensive certificate for marine systems.

There is not a lot of data around the craft of boat building in regards to jobs.

The boat building industry is large, with an estimated 182,000 people working in the industry. The largest number of jobs are typically in a factory and include positions as a welder, assembler, fabricator, or first line supervisor.

Companies like Van Dam Boats, Cottrell Boatbuilding, and Chris Craft are leaders in the handcrafted boat industry. These are less factory based boat builders that rely on true craftsmanship to build their boats.

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Boat Building Courses

There’s a long tradition of craftsmanship in custom boat building in North Carolina. But, you don’t have to look further than Front Street in Beaufort to see where that tradition continues.

A jewel at the center of Beaufort’s maritime culture, the Harvey W. Smith Watercraft Center serves as an important economic force at the North Carolina Maritime Museum by showcasing the art and skill of traditional boat building. The museum’s Watercraft Center sits on Taylor’s Creek, across from the Museum. There’s no better place to learn boat building than on the water.

The Harvey W. Watercraft Center carries on the rich boat building heritage of the North Carolina coast through wooden boat building courses. These courses bring together participants of all ages from different parts of the country with “a common thread of creativity.”

THE 2024 SCHEDULE HAS NOT YET BEEN FINALIZED. HERE IS A SAMPLE OF SOME OF THE COURSES WE TYPICALLY OFFER:

Introduction to wooden boat building course.

In this two-day hands-on course, students will explore the art of boat building from start to finish. They begin with the design and lofting of boats, and move on to the setup, steam bending and different methods of creating the back bone of small boats. In addition, they will learn how to make planking systems, both carvel and lap strake and all the appropriate fastening systems. By the end of the course, students will have the knowledge and skill to choose a design and style of boat to build on their own and the confidence to take on the job. Course size is limited, and advance registration is required.

Build a Boat-in-a-Day

Each participating team assembles a prepared kit for a small flat-bottomed plywood boat suitable for paddling. The boat is 12 ft. long, 32’ wide, and weighs about 40 pounds. By the end of the class each boat will be completed to a watertight condition. Detail finishing and painting is the responsibility of team members and may not be undertaken in the Watercraft Center. Teams are limited to a maximum of 4 persons, at least one of whom must be an adult. (6 hours). Course size limited. Advance registration required.

Lift Half-Model Making Course

Students learn how to read a set of plans and use the basic woodworking tools most commonly found in a boatbuilder’s tool kit to shape a lift half-model of a North Carolina Shad Boat. The models are built following a step-by-step procedure and are then taken home to apply a finish.

Lofting a boat

Students will learn how to “loft” or the process of taking information from a boat plan and drawing it out in full scale in preparation for creating templates to build a boat. This is one of the first steps in many boatbuilding projects. For the purposes of this class, the student will draw a six-foot boat.

Build Your Own Stand-Up Paddle Board Course

Participants build their own stand-up paddle board custom-fit to their size from cedar and plywood. Builders will be responsible for varnishing or painting their new boards at home after finishing the course. (24 hours).

Learn how to read a set of plans and use the basic woodworking tools most commonly found in a boatbuilder’s tool kit to shape a lift half-model of a North Carolina Shad Boat. The models are completed in a step-by-step procedure and are then taken home to apply a finish. (12 hours).

Build a Boat in a Day

Each participating team assembles a prepared kit for a small flat-bottomed plywood boat suitable for paddling. The boat is 12’ long, 32” wide, and weighs about 40 lbs. Each boat will be completed to a watertight condition and ready to take home for paint or varnish. Teams are limited to a maximum of 4 persons, at least one of whom must be an adult. (6 hours). Minimum age is 8 years old.

Multi-Day Boat Building Course

Each participant in this class will use the stitch and glue method to build a boat, preselected in consultation with the instructor from a range of styles. Suitable types include performance kayaks 11–14 feet long, 17-foot sea/ touring kayaks, 12 to 14-foot canoes, or a 12-foot pram or rowboat. Participants will complete their boats to the point when they are ready to take home to be painted and/or varnished. (60-72 hours).

Paddle/Oar Making Course

Participants can choose to make a canoe paddle, stand-up paddleboard paddle, kayak paddle, or pair of oars in this two-day class. Each participant will take home a paddle or pair of oars ready for paint or varnish. (12 hours).

Important Registration Information - 2024 Registration

2024 Courses

From designing a flat bottom skiff, to building a scale model of one, we have a course for you. Never sailed before? We’ve got you covered. Maybe you’ve been sailing your whole life, but you never had a chance to do it on a gaff-rigged sloop? With over 95 courses, there is something for everyone here at WoodenBoat School!

Find Your Course

Skill level, activity level.

Wooden Boatbuilding in the Bronx

An Introduction to Traditional Methods and Techniques

Build Your Own Northeaster Dory

The elegance of a traditional workboat in stitch-and-glue construction.

Building the Chub River Dory

A modern take on a Grand Canyon Classic.

Concepts of Stitch-and-Glue Design

Using models to learn modern plywood boatbuilding techniques suitable for small and large boats.

Surveying of Wooden Boats

Developing a trained eye for boats.

Seamanship the Apprenticeshop Way

Traditional sailing in a large open boat

Principles and practices; tools and traditional techniques.

Painting the Coast

Concepts, technique, inspiration for beginners on up.

Core Skills: Planking

Learn the entire planking process for Carvel and Lapstrake hulls.

Youth Woodworking

A fun week of woodworking for kids only!

Build Your Own Points East Pram

Building a fun family tender.

Learn to Sail

Introduce your family to the sport of sailing.

Learn to Kayak

A fun week introducing the basics of Sea Kayaking.

Taking Lines Off Small Craft

Learn the basic skills and techniques to capture the lines off old boats

Coastal Maine: Plein-Air Watercolor

The joy of painting outside in a marine environment.

Core Skills : Setting up the Building Jig

Creating the components and properly setting up to build a traditional small boat.

Sailing the Friendship Sloop

Lessons aboard the traditional American sailing craft BELFORD GRAY.

Building the 18’ Calendar Islands Yawl

Help build this sail & oar boat for the WoodenBoat School fleet.

Building a Ship in a Bottle

Revealing the secrets of how to get big ships into small bottles.

Building the 18’ Calendar Islands Yawl, Week One

Elements of Boat Design

Learn the principles and process—then practice on your own design.

Building the 18’ Calendar Islands Yawl, Week Two

Small Boat Repair

Figuring out what’s wrong and how to fix it right.

Marine Photography

Techniques and tips for getting that perfect digital shot on and around the water.

Computer Design

Understanding capabilities and advantages of the computer in your own boat design work.

Traditional Oarmaking

Create beautiful, balanced oars that turn minimum effort into maximum power.

Build Your Own Annapolis Wherry

Experience the ultimate in a recreational, open-water pulling boat.

Building the Caravelle Skiff in the Bronx

A light, fast seaworthy rowboat anyone can build.

Oar Making in the Bronx

Learn the art of hand-crafting wooden oars at this one-of-a-kind non-profit

Build Your Own Sassafras Canoe

LapStitch™ construction of a 12′ or 16′ lovely, featherlight double-paddle canoe.

Build Your Own Jimmy Skiff II

A simple, versatile craft for rowing, motoring or sailing

Build Your Own Stitch-And-Glue Kayak

Versatile, durable, easy-to-build designs for both the recreational and serious kayaker.

Fundamentals of Boatbuilding

The theory and practice of classical boatbuilding.

Making Friends with Your Marine Diesel

An introduction to evaluating small marine diesels.

Introduction to Boatbuilding: Skiffs & Dories

A one-week primer on building small boats.

The Art of Marquetry

Crafting pictures and designs in wood.

Blacksmithing for Boatbuilders

An introduction to traditionally forged ironwork for marine projects.

The Art of Shaker Box Making

A rewarding woodworking project steeped in tradition.

Fine Strip-Plank Boat Construction

A guide to building small boats with wood strips and epoxy.

Introduction to Woodworking: Tools & Techniques

Tools, Materials, Skills, and Satisfactions.

Coastwise Navigation

Knowing where you are on the water.

Fitting Out the Calendar Islands 20

Completing a custom boat for the WoodenBoat School Fleet

Elements of Coastal Kayaking II

Take the next steps to improve and expand your skills

Elements of Coastal Kayaking I

Expert guidance for enjoying paddling in all types of water.

Elements of Sailing I

Learn to sail courses that emphasize seamanship, instill confidence, and are fun.

Core Skills: Lofting

Making sense of all those lines and numbers.

Woodcarving

Introductory techniques for first-time carvers.

Building the Hybrid Kayak

The perfect blend of stitch & glue plywood construction with a beautiful strip-planked deck.

Advanced Fundamentals of Boatbuilding

The next steps in classical boatbuilding.

Build your Own Stitch & Glue Radio-Controlled Sailboat

Build and sail the INDEPENDENCE model.

Open Boat: Skills

Designed to help build confidence and experience handling and cruising small sail & oar craft.

Surveying and Restoring the Herreshoff 12 ½ Sailboat

Finding and fixing issues in vintage wooden boats

Open Boat: Cruising

The skills for adventuring.

Build Your Own Eastport Pram/Passagemaker Dinghy

Choose either the 7’9” Eastport Pram or the 11’7” Passagemaker Dinghy.

Coastal Cruising Seamanship – HESPER

A week of cruising the coast of Maine aboard HESPER

Introduction to Building Model Boats

Building the Yankee Tender Skiff

Fundamentals of Boatbuilding: Focus on Backbone and Planking

Pond Yacht Restoration

Restore/complete your own pond yacht and get it ready for sailing or display.

Elements of Sailing II

Build Your Own Skerry Daysailer

A beautiful lapstrake double-ender for oar or sail.

Craft of Sail – MISTY

Learn and enjoy big-boat sailing with a master.

Introduction to Woodworking for Women

Understanding wood and woodworking techniques with an emphasis on hand tool usage.

Traditional Sailing & Seamanship Aboard PETREL

Coastal sailing adventures in a traditional Crotch Island Pinky.

Elements of Sailing I for Women

The Rope & Canvas Sailor

Practical marlinespike and hand-sewn canvas projects for small boats.

Build Your Own Echo Bay Dory Skiff

A 12′ lightweight rower that’s fast and easy to build.

Build Your Own Apprentice Tool Chest

Learn basic joinery through a useful, fun project.

Sailmaking & Rig Tuning for Pond Yachts

Learn how to build and tune a new set of sails for your remote controled sailboat

Wooden Boat Repair & Restoration Methods

Strategies and techniques for common wooden boat repairs.

Elements of Sailing II for Women

Marine Painting & Varnishing

The art and science of finishing prep work to final coat.

Building Half Models

The practice and pleasure of carving half-hull models.

Runabout Repair and Restoration

Making them beautiful again—keelson to varnish.

Core Skills: Sparmaking

Learn the steps to building both solid and hollow spars.

Carving Name Boards

Learn how to carve letters using only one tool.

Bronzecasting for Boatbuilders

The process of patternmaking and casting custom hardware.

Introduction to Woodworking

Stitch-and-Glue Construction

Learn introductory and advanced modern plywood boatbuilding techniques suitable for simple or heavy-duty boats.

Glued Plywood Lapstrake Construction

Building LOUISE, a traditional 14′ Pulling Boat, in plywood

Drawing Coastal Maine

An Introduction to Drawing: Exploring Coastal Landscapes in Plein Air

The Catboat

The pleasures of a distinct American sailing craft.

Introduction to Boatbuilding: Traditional Plywood Construction

Learning the basics while building a Shellback dinghy.

Coastal Cruising Seamanship

A week of cruising on the coast of Maine aboard ELSKOV.

Building the Naskeag 16

A fast plywood daysailer for the whole family

The Maine Coast in Watercolor

Capturing the Beauty of Coastal Landscapes in Plein Air

Building the Doryak River Dory

A fully decked, solo river boat.

Build Your Own Plank Constructed Pond Yacht

A Vintage Marblehead-class pond yacht designed for radio control.

Core Skills: Fitting Out Small Boats

Taking the mystery out of fitting parts to the inside of a small boat.

Craft of Sail for Women – NASKET

Building the 12′ Peapod Dory

Record and Replicate a unique little dory

Concepts of Boat Design

A hands-on primer in bringing your design ideas to life

Building the Ultimate McKenzie River Drift Boat

A fast-paced week building the iconic plywood river dory.

Building the Penobscot 13

Glued-lapstrake construction of a beautiful daysailer.

Sailing the Fleet

A chance to sail and row all our classic boats.

Essentials of Fine Woodworking

Building a dovetailed utility box with a focus on traditional hand skills.

Build Your Own Stitch-and-Glue Kayak

Marine & Seascape Photography

How to “see” in black and white.

Fundamentals of Boatbuilding: Focus on a Gartside Skiff

The Art of Woodcuts

An intriguing woodworking project for the beginning or intermediate woodworker.

Introduction to Canvaswork

Project design, tools of the trade, industrial machine stitching, materials, and lots more.

Concepts of Wood Composite Construction

Learn the fundamentals of blending wood, epoxy, and composites to enhance your boatbuilding skills

Build Your Own Tenderly Dinghy

A classic 10’ lapstrake daysailer.

Build Your Own Chester Yawl

THE 10 BEST Moscow Boat Rides & Cruises

Boat rides & cruises in moscow.

• Boat Rentals
• Scuba & Snorkeling
• Fishing Charters & Tours
• Stand-Up Paddleboarding
• Water Sports
• Surfing, Windsurfing & Kitesurfing
• Kayaking & Canoeing
• Waterskiing & Jetskiing
• River Rafting & Tubing
• Parasailing & Paragliding
• Dolphin & Whale Watching
• Speed Boats Tours
• Submarine Tours
• 5.0 of 5 bubbles
• 4.0 of 5 bubbles & up
• 3.0 of 5 bubbles & up
• 2.0 of 5 bubbles & up
• 3rd Transport Ring (TTK)
• District Central (TsAO)
• Garden Ring
• District Northern (SAO)
• Good for Big Groups
• Good for Couples
• Good for a Rainy Day
• Budget-friendly
• Good for Kids
• Hidden Gems
• Honeymoon spot
• Good for Adrenaline Seekers
• Adventurous
• Things to do ranked using Tripadvisor data including reviews, ratings, photos, and popularity.

1. Sup Academia

2. Flotilla Radisson Royal

3. Moscow River Boat Tours

4. Sup-Club

5. Akvanavt Diving Centre

6. Diving Center Crocus City Oceanarium

7. CheapRussia Tours

8. Kite School Kiteclass

9. SUP Center

10. Erwin. Reka

12. Easy Russia Tour Guide

13. Lovely Russia Tours

14. Capital River Boat Tours - Moscow Centre

15. Alfa Centr

16. Diving Club Divers

17. Sup Outdoor

18. MORE MOSCOW

20. Soho Sailing Style

21. Diving Center Crocodile

22. Mosparokhodstvo

23. Dive-Project

25. Kosinskiy Children Marine Club

26. Kayak Moscow

27. DIVECLUB CHE

28. FLOW Moscow

29. Moswake

30. Morskiye Volki

What travelers are saying.

• CheapRussia Tours
• Easy Russia Tour Guide
• Lovely Russia Tours
• MORE MOSCOW
• Insider Moscow Tours
• Flotilla Radisson Royal
• Moscow River Boat Tours
• Capital River Boat Tours - Moscow Centre
• Diving Center Crocus City Oceanarium

Short Courses

IIMS Practical Surveying Course

A new 4 day residential surveying course for yacht and small craft surveyors. IIMS recognises that for some with less or limited

Shape & Design Your Own Bellyboard

Are you in Lyme Regis and summer is not as hot as planned? Come join us to shape and paint your own

Basic Joinery – Make A Frame

15-19 april 2024.

Make basic joints including mitres, halvings, and mortise & tenons. An intensive course for novices as well as those with a little experience.

Make a Dovetail Box

22-26 april 2024.

Learn the setting out and cutting of handmade dovetails.

The Women’s Workshop: Introduction to Woodworking

29 april - 3 may 2024.

Try you hand at woodworking in an inclusive and relaxed environment, led by boat builder Amy Stringfellow.

Introduction to Boat Building

20-21 june 2024.

This introductory course looks at how boats are shaped and why, terminology, construction methods, materials, propulsion, and sails and rigs/rigging. This is a classroom-based course, but workshop walkabouts and strolls to the harbour and the gig shed mean legs are regulary stretched.

GRP Repairs

24-28 june 2024.

Start with the basics of working safely with polyester-based glass reinforced plastic (GRP) and understand the functions of components (e.g. resin, catalyst, pigments). Tackle practical hands-on activities from gel coat repairs and colour matching to larger hull repairs requiring temporary moulds and formers.

Traditional Wooden Boat Building

Learn and practise tool sharpening, scarfing, shaping and fitting planks, riveting and steaming. Set-up theory and lining off planks is also covered.

Modern Wooden Boat Building

1-5 july 2024.

Learn the skills for glued clinker, cold moulding, strip planking and stitch & glue boat building.

1-2 July 2024

Learn ropework techniques using three-strand, double and single braids. Learn whipping and make grommets, back, eye, and other useful splices.

Wooden Boat Restoration

8-12 july 2024.

Practical activities include tool sharpening, timber preparation, scarfing, gluing, removal and refitting of planks, riveting and steam bending.

Joinery – Make A Frame

15-19 july 2024.

Modern Sail Making

Design and cut shapes, machine and hand sew, and maintain sails for anything from a small dinghy to a round-the-world yacht. It may be possible to make sails for yourself, please contact us for details – there will be an extra charge for materials used.

Beginner’s Woodwork

23-25 july 2024.

Get into woodwork or expand your skills with this three day course that takes you through the construction of a wooden trug with a steam bent oak handle. You will discover the pleasure of working wood with hand tools and learn an array of techniques from sharpening and using hand tools to steam bending and copper riveting.

Paddle Making

25-26 july 2024.

A two-day course allowing you to learn some new skills and hand make your own paddle using UK grown ash. Begin by choosing the blade shape which best suits your needs, before settling on a suitable length for your paddle. Next, using a variety of modern and traditional techniques you will shape and then finish the paddle ready for oiling or to take away for varnishing. Tools and materials are provided.

Spaces available on Our Flagship Boat Building course

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Last call for the ultimate Pinehurst trip

Is golf catching on in Russia? Jack Nicklaus’s designers have certainly been busy there

Golf is played in more than 200 countries and territories around the world, but until fairly recently, Russia wasn’t one of them.

Its introduction to the game came just 30 years ago with the opening of the country’s first course, Moscow City Golf Club, a nine-hole layout on the fringes of the capital.

At the time, Russia was still part of the Soviet Union. But while the Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, gave his blessing to the project, the real driving force was the Swedish golf star, Sven “Tumba” Johansson, who announced his plans to build the course while floating on a boat down the Moscow River, whacking golf balls into the water under the bemused watch of party apparatchiks.

As if that weren’t entertainment enough, there was the club’s groundbreaking ceremony, in late 1987, where the motley assortment of celebrities in attendance (Mike Tyson, Sean Connery and Pele, among them) solidified golf’s status in the country as a little more than a curiosity.

That was then, this is now.

In the world’s ninth most populous country there are more than a dozen 18-hole courses, a handful of nine-hole layouts and myriad projects in the works.

The most recent to be completed is Raevo Golf and Country Club, outside Moscow, a Jack Nicklaus Signature design that opened earlier this month.

Nicklaus Signature courses are relative rarities that come at a cost and carry prestige, but Raevo is not the first in the Moscow area. It’s the third, giving the city and its surrounds a greater concentration of Nicklaus Signature courses than any major capital in the world.

This depth charge of Russian golf course development has been propelled in large part by economic shifts that have generated great reservoirs of private wealth. But the boom has also happened in the face of an inconvenient fact: Russia is not an easy place to grow the game.

Aside from having next to nothing in the way of golf tradition, the country enjoys little in the way of a golf season. Winters are long. Summers are short. Turf can have a tough time taking root. If you’re itching to play on a Moscow getaway, you should aim between mid-May and mid-October.

Throw in rocky, clay-based soil — far from the friendliest for course construction — and you understand why Russian sporting culture features more slap-shots on ice than chip shots around the green.

Yet golf progresses.

Over the past decade-plus, Dirk Bouts, a design associate with Nicklaus Design, has made about 80 trips to Russia, spending long stretches on the ground consulting on course renovations and overseeing new construction. During Bouts’s early visits, the majority of golfers he crossed paths with were expats. In more recent years, that demographic breakdown has turned on its head.

“The first time I went, golf’s presence was pretty much non-existent,” Bouts says. “But you see it taking root. It’s becoming more democratic. You have people making a decent visit. Now, it seems like every time I go back, there are more Russians out on the course.”

Just as picking up the game involves a learning curve, so does building courses in a fledgling golf market. The first Nicklaus Signature course in Russia was Tseleevo Golf and Polo Club, which opened in 2008 outside Moscow after a drawn-out five years of construction — a process prolonged by inexperienced Russian contractors working challenging terrain with outmoded equipment.

By 2014, though, when it came time to cut the ribbon on Skolkovo, the second Nicklaus Signature design outside the capital, the work crews were more seasoned, the equipment upgraded and the entire process streamlined. The job took four years. It’s since gotten more efficient. The start-to-finish work on Raevo was a comparatively scant three years.

The resulting course is a sylvan beauty that spills through a woodsy landscape, west of the capital, with natural creeks and lakes as ornamentation, and gentle hills and valleys that lend plenty of movement. Stretched to the tips, the course plays 7,245 yards, plenty of heft to handle tournaments. The turf is creeping bentgrass, and the sand-capping and extensive drainage beneath it is designed to stretch the golf season to its fullest.

“Instead of mid-May to mid-October,” Bouts says, “we’re hoping for something more like mid-April to end of October.”

This month marked a soft opening for Raevo, as the clubhouse is not yet completed. When the grand opening takes place, celebrities will no doubt be in attendance, Nicklaus among them.

Don’t expect Mike Tyson.

Golf in Russia has gotten serious.