Wooden Boatbuilding Class

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 2023-24 class is working on a 16’ Shearwater row boat, which we will raffle this summer. 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 are sold for $20 each or 3 for $50. Only 1,500 tickets will be sold for this boat! Buy yours SOON at the Door County Maritime Museum in Sturgeon Bay.

Stop by the museum to see the workshop. Visit on Fridays or Saturdays in the Fall and Winter, and you can watch the class work on the boat.

WHERE WILL THE BOAT BE IN 2024?

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.

June 7-9: Spring Door County Lighthouse Festival, boat on Cana Island
July 4: Baileys Harbor July 4th Celebration
July 25: Sturgeon Bay Sidewalk Sales 
August 2-4: Classic & Wooden Boat Show at the Museum in Sturgeon Bay
Aug. 31-Sept. 1: Marina Fest, Sister Bay
September 21: Harvest Fest, Sturgeon Bay
September 28: Autumn Fest, Baileys Harbor
October 4-6: Fall Door County Lighthouse Festival, boat on Cana Island
October 12: Pumpkin Patch Festival, Egg Harbor
October 18-19: Fall Fest, Sister Bay

To join the Wooden Boatbuilding class as a student: Fill out the form (click button below), and return form with payment to DCMM. Payment does not guarantee placement in class. Class is filled based on first come, first served basis, and students’ ability to attend the majority of class dates.

Sign-Up for
Wooden Boatbuilding Class

If you’re interested in volunteering 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

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