About the school and campus life

Our commitment to quality education

After building wooden boats in the Puget Sound area for more than fifty years, master shipwright Bob Prothero had learned a lot about the business that wasn’t in any textbook. It was his dream to find a way to pass this lore along to new generations of wooden boatbuilders and help keep his craft alive. He came to the Olympic Peninsula from Seattle and founded the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding in January, 1981.

Here you can learn more about the history of our school, meet our instructors and master boatbuilders, our dedicated staff and our board of directors.

You can tour our campus virtually or make an appointment for a personal on-site tour. We'd be happy to show you around the campus.

About the student body

The only recognizable common thread within the goals expressed by the people who come here is an affinity for wood, boats and fine craftsmanship. You will find that your fellow students are of all ages and come from all walks of life. Students include recent high school graduates, middle-aged workers and professionals making a career change, and retirees learning new skills. Most of our students have vocational goals, while some simply express personal or avocational reasons for attending.

Explore our programs to learn the fine art of wooden boatbuilding and sign up today!

Hear what our students and alumni have to say.