ISLESFORD BOATWORKS - Community Boatbuilding Organization


An Annual Newsletter	December 2006

Your Help Needed We need your financial support in order to continue pursuing our mission. Please help us by sending a donation to Islesford Boatworks at P.O. Box 261 Islesford, ME 04646. Thank You and Happy Holidays. Live Auction a Huge Success On the evening of August 16th, our community gathered and everyone was there. They came to encourage, to admire and of course, to bid. The auctioneer warmed up the crowd with a series of wonderful items donated by members of our supportive community. Lobsters, art and oars were auctioned off before the grand finale, the boat. There were many who bid, and many who wanted to, but in the end the boat was sold to Frank Newlin and his family for $7,800. The boat, christened Class Work by the Newlins, now lives on Sandbeach, in one of the last surviving boathouses on Islesford.	IB Mission: Islesford Boatworks (IB), aims to serve as an organization dedicated to restoring marine trades to Islesford by engaging residents to consider new ways to live from the sea. The Year in Review IB focused on developing a boatbuilding program with local youth during its inaugural summer, 2006. Through a hands-on approach to education, the IB boatbuilding program offered young people from Islesford and the surrounding communities the opportunity to develop practical skills and achieve tangible goals. By utilizing volunteers, under the direction of three full time instructors, IB was able to maintain a student to teacher ratio of 2 to 1, allowing for close supervision and hands-on instruction. The students were divided by age into two groups, each attending class twice a week for four hours per class. Over the nine weeks of programming, 43 students between the ages of 8 and 15 were responsible for the creation of a beautiful sailing skiff, complete with mast, tiller, rudder and centerboard. The students also shaped three sets of oars, made numerous bat houses, mastered rope splicing, learned to maintain and clean the shop, and most importantly became avid writers, each keeping a journal full of thoughts, lessons and drawings based on their experiences. The students were eager and quick learners, and initial fears about some students being too young proved unfounded. Even our smallest eight year olds were able to use block planes and sanders with impressive control under close supervision. Growing up around the ocean, we found that the kids were also very insightful about the purpose of the various boat parts and were quick to learn the terms associated with boatbuilding. The attendance was incredible, with students arriving early every day and more importantly showing up eager and excited to work. This made for energetic and productive classes, and the boat was successfully completed in just eight and a half short weeks. The program culminated on August 29th with a grand pirate-themed community boat launching, complete with costumes, treasure maps, pirate jokes and, of course, buried treasure.


A Letter from the President Dear Friends, It seems strange to be writing to you from the other side of a successful summer program. For so long Islesford Boatworks existed solely as this dream, this future thing. But it is a real and living thing now, with a beautiful boat to prove it. Our inaugural year was a stunning success, and all my doubts and worries about the viability of such a program have been put to rest. The community and the kids responded with incredible support and energy. Over the nine-week course, 43 kids built a boat from scratch. They did this with the assistance of three full time staff and over a dozen volunteers who gave invaluable time and patience to the project. The efforts of volunteers and members of the community reminded me how special Islesford and the coast of Maine truly are. We faced many challenges before the program began and I can honestly say we wouldn't be here today without the supportive staff and board of the Island Institute, a nonprofit organization based out of Rockland Maine that provided Islesford Boatworks with the fiscal sponsorship we needed to apply for grants. The Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation also joined us as an early supporter, providing a well-timed and much needed grant which allowed us to secure insurance, materials and tools prior to the beginning of programming. Many thanks to Harry Bryan who, believing wholeheartedly in our mission, very graciously donated his plans for the 12 1/2' Daisy and was always available to answer our many questions. We received additional funding from the Maine Community Foundation and the Arno Day Memorial Fund, and in-kind materials donations from MAS Epoxy and Ellsworth Builders Supplies. These donations and the generosity of many local residents enabled us to subsidize tuition while covering our expenses and still carrying a small balance into next year's budget. The costs of establishing and running a nonprofit boatbuilding program are high. Our various insurance policies alone total more than $6,000 dollars (three times as much as we spent on lumber!) But we are encouraged by our first year's success, empowered by the enthusiasm of our students, and we hope that through future grants and the generosity of the Maine community we will be able continue our programming for years to come. Sincerely, Brendan Ravenhill "It was cool having instructors you already knew. They were really nice and I got more confidence with power tools." Adam, age 11.	Tree Planting Initiative Islesford Boatworks is pleased to announce an effort to offset the natural resources that we use. Next summer we will be planting native tree species often used in boatbuilding, while educating our program participants on species recognition and usage. IB will sell trees at cost to Cranberry Isles community members who wish to have one planted by students and volunteers on their property. "The boathouse had the feeling of a guild, a place where apprenticeships were served, where those who were more skilled were facilitating the learning and practice of youngsters who would, someday and in their turn, succeed them." Rick Benjamin, Parent. A Gift for Your Support We are thrilled to announce that our dear friend Ashley Bryan has completed a limited edition printing of his beautiful print "Bobby Shafto's Gone to Sea" solely for Islesford Boatworks. All donations of $500 or more will receive a framed and matted copy of this breathtaking print. Donate WoodenBoat Magazines to IB! Islesford Boatworks is building up our wooden boatbuilding library, a public archive for all community members to utilize We are seeking donations of any and all WoodenBoat magazines, and texts on woodworking, wooden boats, and Maine maritime history. Please help us create this great asset for our community to share.