Each year, DCMM hosts a wooden boatbuilding class, keeping alive the traditional maritime craft. Aspiring boat builders have an opportunity to learn firsthand skills of the age-old craft of building wooden boats. The class is open to beginners and experienced woodworkers, and includes about 25 days of instruction from October through May. Our volunteer instructors Jerry McNamara, David Morgan, and Bob Schottmuller select a design, and students spend more than 1,500 hours building the vessel.
Win This Boat!
The 2022-23 class is building a 16’ Abenaki cedar strip canoe, which we will raffle this summer. Raffle tickets will be available at the museum very soon. In the meantime, stop by the museum to see the canoe in process. Visit on Fridays or Saturdays and you can watch the class work on the boat! Purchase tickets, and you’re helping the Museum support and pass down this maritime craft and skills to upcoming generations. Tickets for chances to win the boat (and trailer, donated by Malone and Bay Shore Outfitters!) are sold for $20 each or 3 for $50. Only 1,500 tickets will be sold for this boat! Buy yours at the Door County Maritime Museum in Sturgeon Bay.
WHERE WILL THE BOAT BE IN 2023?
In between the following events, the wooden boat is on display in the Sturgeon Bay Museum lobby; tickets are on sale at the admission desk throughout the summer.
July 3-4: Baileys Harbor July 4th Celebration
July 27: Sturgeon Bay Sidewalk Sales
August 5-6: Classic & Wooden Boat Show at the Museum in Sturgeon Bay
September 2-3: Marina Fest, Sister Bay
September 16: Harvest Fest, Sturgeon Bay
September 23: Autumn Fest, Baileys Harbor
October 13-14: Fall Fest, Sister Bay – raffle winner drawing
DCMM Wooden Boatbuilding Class History
- 1998 Hull #1
- 1999 14’ Duck Trap Wherry – Hull #2
- 2000 15’ Wittholz Catboat – Hull #3
- 2001 Shellback Dinghy – Hull #4
- 2002 Wee Lassie – Hull #5
- 2003 Pooduck Skiff – Hull #6
- 2004 Nutshell Pram – Hull #7
- 2005 Shellback Dinghy – Hull #8
- 2006 Wee Lassie II – Hull #9
- 2007 Lawton Tender – Hull #10
- 2008 Acorn Dinghy – Hull #11
- 2009 Shellback Dinghy – Hull #12
- 2010 Cosine Wherry – Hull #13
- 2011 Nutshell Pram – Hull #14
- 2011 Pooduck Skiff – Hull #15
- 2012 Abenaki Canoe – Hull #16
- 2013 Beach Peapod Yacht Tender – Hull #17
- 2014 Whitehall – Hull #18
- 2015 Stickelback Dory – Hull #19
- 2016 Whitehall – Hull #20
- 2017 Merlin 16 Rowboat – Hull #21
- 2018 Adirondack Guide Boat – Hull #22
- 2019 St. Lawrence River Skiff – Hull #23
- 2020 & 2021 Rangely Lakeboat ’17 – Hull #24
- 2022 Merlin ’16 Rowboat – Hull #25
- 2023 Abenaki Canoe ’16 – Hull #26
To join the Wooden Boatbuilding class as a student, volunteer to help the Museum sell raffle tickets at an event, or donate materials or funding to the class, please call the Museum office: 920-743-5958 or email: info@dcmm.org.