Applications for boat-building workshop are due April 15

By Kathleen Schmitt, NH Sea Grant

This spring UNH Marine Docents will host a Family Boat-Building Workshop, offering six families an opportunity to strengthen their bonds while building a wooden rowboat.

Each family must include one or two adults and one or two children age 12 or older. No prior woodworking experience is required, although participants should have basic skills using hand tools. An experienced docent boat builder will assist each family. Because space is limited, each family interested in participating must submit an application by April 15.

The cost of the program is $500 and includes all of the boat-building materials, oars and three lifejackets. Each family will build a 12-foot Bevin’s Skiff, which can safely carry two adults and a child for a day on quiet water. The boat weighs about 140 pounds and can be transported on top of a car, in a pickup or on a small trailer.

Participants will meet Thursday night, May 13, for an overview of the project and to learn about the habitat and wildlife of the Great Bay Estuary. Construction will take place Friday through Sunday, May 14-16, at UNH’s Kingman Farm in Madbury. The following weekend docents will help families launch their boats on the Oyster River in Durham, while also providing water safety training.

The UNH Marine Docents are a group of trained volunteers dedicated to the preservation and wise use of marine resources. They are sponsored by NH Sea Grant and UNH Cooperative Extension.

For more information and/or an application, contact Sharon Meeker at NH Sea Grant Extension: 749-1565 or sharon.meeker@unh.edu. Applications are also available at www.unh.edu/marine-education.