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W O R K F O R M E / S P R I N G 2 0 2 0 36 graduated from the University of Chicago with a degree in biol- ogy then returned to her native New York to teach in Harlem and also the Bronx. "I had zero experience with boats, zero exposure to build- ing or tools," she says. Through family friends she heard about the Apprenticeshop. "I thought, 'That would be amazing, but that isn't a real thing people do.' But the more I thought about it, the more I was like, 'Why not?'" She enrolled in the two-year program. You start by building a small skiff by yourself and then grad- ually start working in teams. "I liked the community part, the interpersonal skills," Noah says. "That's a distinguishing factor … You're in close quarters with people with very different life experiences." For now, the school is not accredited, so a student would not be able to get college credit. Instead, students receive certifi- cates — and, in many cases, are able to nab job offers straight out of the program. Which was the case for Owen Page, who spent two years there. "I liked that you could do your own thing," Page says of his apprenticeship. "There was no one looking over your shoulder." At the same time, he also gained a valuable mentor, John England, a master boatbuilder who had retired from Rock- port Marine, a well-respected boatyard not far from the Ap- prenticeshop with about 35 em- ployees. England helped guide students through the restora- tion of the Dublin Bay, a 38-foot wooden deep-keel racing boat. "I was leading the project, with [England] helping with plans and strategy," Page says. As the pro- gram was winding down, "I had my sights on two boatshops, Arti- san Boatworks [also in Rockport] and Rockport Marine." England introduced him to Sam Temple, one of the prin- cipals at Rockport Marine. "By the time I went in for the interview, John had paved the way," Page says. He is now working on larger wooden boats, 40-feet and larg- er, including venerable yachts like Concordias. Working on well-known yachts is fun, but "they expect you to do your best on every project," he says. Students of all ages At the Landing School in Arun- del, director Richard Downs- Honey has made a point of bringing in staff to help broaden the school's standing as a boat- building training ground. Stu- dents range from traditional college ages to people making midlife career changes. The Landing School, founded in 1979, is fully accredited, so students can earn an associate degree in four fields — yacht de- sign, marine systems, composites construction and wooden boat M a n u f a c t u r i n g « C O N T I N U E D F R O M P R E V I O U S PA G E Elisa Schine, a canoe builder at Northwoods Canoe Co., called up Rollin Thurlow, right, for an internship and has now been there seven years. P H O T O S / P E T E R V A N A L L E N P H O T O / P E T E R V A N A L L E N Scenes from around the Landing School: wooden boat building and even a surfboard build.

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