History of our school

At one time, Port Hadlock’s business district was located along Water Street. Hotels, saloons, dancehalls, boatshops, barbershops, and even a large and successful lumber mill made the waterfront a busy place.

Today, this district’s businesses include woodworking shops, boatshops, rental cottages and a cafe. The Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding is playing a part in ensuring that the maritime heritage of this historic district is protected and enhanced.

During the last one hundred years, Puget Sound has been a special attraction for people who sailed, built and repaired wooden boats. A number of influences helped to establish a wooden boatbuilding style that is characteristic to only this region. Through the efforts of talented naval designers, shipwrights and boatbuilders, a style of boatbuilding began to emerge in the early and mid-1900’s, which allowed even small boat shops on Lake Union, as well as larger shops on the Sound, to build and repair wooden boats quickly and in large quantities. Immigration brought boatbuilding traditions from around the world (England, Norway, Japan, Yugoslavia) to close proximity on Puget Sound. This allowed a unique borrowing and blending of traditions. Specialized techniques of lofting emerged, employing sophisticated engineering methods. The availability of advanced machinery, an abundance of raw materials, and generations of talented wood craftspeople, allowed boat builders in the region to produce a significant number of boats, in a short time, while still utilizing the traditional skills associated with fine wooden boatbuilding.

This process of boatbuilding, which is unique to the Puget Sound, is the very technique used by the founder of the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding. Bob Prothero, renowned Puget Sound master shipwright, worked for fifty years in the wooden boatbuilding industry, before he founded NWSWB. His family produced several generations of Pacific Northwest ship captains and master boatbuilders. Everything he had learned – and especially the lofting process – he brought to the school.

Motivated by the concern that traditional wooden boatbuilding techniques unique to Puget Sound could become a lost art, Libby Palmer and Henry Yeaton persuaded Bob Prothero to establish a school to teach and preserve the skills and crafts associated with fine wooden boatbuilding. Since 1981, over a thousand students have graduated from the School’s vocational programs, and thousands more have attended summer and community workshops, studying traditional maritime arts. This tradition continues today. The School emphasizes development of the individual as a craftsperson, and our classes are filled to capacity with students from around the world seeking to earn associate degrees and diplomas in the traditional fine art of wooden boatbuilding.

1981

The boat school is founded by Robert Prothero at the Boat Haven in Port Townsend, WA

The boat school is granted status as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit vocational education institution

1983

School campus moves to a larger facility at Glen Cove Industrial Park, Port Townsend, WA

1985

Jeff Hammond is hired as Chief Instructor, leading and inspiring staff and students over the years

1988

School develops an academic quarterly curriculum

1991

Approval is earned for nationally accredited (ACCSCT) vocational certificate program

1993

Summer workshop program begins at Glen Cove campus

1997

Search begins for a waterfront campus site in Jefferson County

1998

School receives national accreditation for associate degree of occupational studies

A charitable remainder annuity trust for Port Hadlock waterfront property is donated to the boat school by Captain John and Mrs. Evelyn Westrem

1999

Five-year program begins for the restoration of the Westrem Building

2000

Summer workshop program moves to Port Hadlock Heritage Campus

2001

Purchase and restoration begins at a second Port Hadlock waterfront building

2002

Glen Cove property sells and is leased back, pending move to Heritage Campus

2004

August: All School operations are relocated to Port Hadlock Heritage Campus

September: Heritage Campus founding class begins 12-month associate degree studies

September: Acquired five-acre upland property for workshops, storage buildings and parking lot