An old Norse saying goes, “A person without a boat is bound to land.” This class is a one-of-a-kind study and hands-on look into the techniques of traditional Norwegian and Swedish boat builders: we'll explore the developments and skills required to build wooden lapstrake boats that have plied the fjords and fishing villages for centuries, stemming as far back as the Viking era and into today across Scandinavia and the Baltic. In a group setting, we will build an 11' wooden rowing pram. Along the way, students will learn how to design and build a full-size rowing pram using lapstrake techniques and beveled watertight planking. They'll also cut compound bevels for framing, riveting planks, and make trunnels to fasten frames. After this course, students will be capable of returning to their own backyard and building a pram at minimal cost. This approach to boatbuilding is a valuable investment of time and energy because of its simplicity, use of readily available lumber (from the lumberyard!), no mold construction, minimum number of tools including simple carving knives, and versatility of creating different shapes or customizing the boat to your needs (which may include sailing, iceboating, and a variety of rowing positions, depending on how many people wish to use the boat). The finished boat will be available for the cost of materials to one lucky student by raffle at the end of class.

Students ages 16+ may register for this course independently. Youth ages 12+ may register if accompanied by an adult. Adult/child pairs will pay one materials fee. A 25% tuition discount applies to the youth registrant when registering with a full paying adult; call to register.

Required Tools

• Sloyd Knife
• 10’-16’ tape measure
• Pencils
• Personal protective equipment: safety glasses and hearing protection are provided for students and required for certain tools in our workshops, but you may wish to bring your own for fit and comfort.

Optional Tools

• Block Plane
• Spokeshave
• Any tools you think may be helpful