Construct your own wooden vessel

two-year course in all aspects of wooden boatbuilding will begin at the Wooden Boat Centre at Franklin south of Hobart early next year.

The lead instructor for the full-time course, which starts in February. will be Cody Horgan — who himself trained at Franklin 20 years ago.

“We are very excited to welcome Cody as our lead instructor,” Franklin Working Waterfront Association president and Wooden Boat Centre owner Graham Rankin said.

He said Mr Horgan had a varied and interesting career in wooden boatbuilding, including many years working on the Australian National Maritime Museum fleet and the Sydney Heritage Fleet.

He had also worked at the Halverson yards at Kissing Point and Bobbin Head.

Mr Rankin said the course would start with students constructing a boatbuilder’s tool chest. They would then progressively build clinker and carvel vessels, carry out heritage restoration work and also learn more modern techniques while making plywood tenders, strip-planked canoes and kayaks.

Boat school manager Anne Holst said the centre was looking forward to welcoming Australian and international students into the course.

“We will keep the group small to ensure personalised instruction,” she said.

“The students will also enjoy the opportunity to work alongside skilled shipwrights currently working in the industry, and will have the opportunity to practice skills on jobs that come into the shed during the course, giving them experience working for clients and managing the progress of projects.” For more information about the course and the Wooden Boat Centre go to www.woodenboat centre.com or phone Anne Holst on 6266 3586 or 0456 071 377.