Jon Clarke (Yacht Design, ’14), came to The Landing School after high school, and furthered his education at Solent University in England. Now he owns a marina in Maryland. We talked with him to get that story.
How did you come to The Landing School?
I came to The Landing School right after graduating high school. I had interned and worked at a few boatyards throughout high school, prior to coming to The Landing School. I have always known what I wanted to do early on in my life, and have never had a job that didn’t involve boating.
After searching for a way to further my education after high school, I found that choosing The Landing School was one of my best decisions. It gave me a good experience of learning boat systems, and what it actually takes to equip a vessel. My education from The Landing School truly set me up for success in going on to get my bachelor’s degree.
Do you have any fun memories about your time at the school?
My best memories from The Landing School are gaining new experiences. Being from a small town in Maryland where everyone loves where they live, not too many people choose to leave. Looking back, it was good for me to get out of where I’ve always been in order to learn more.
What skills do you use from your time at The Landing School now?
I would say the skills I utilize the most now are drafting, mechanical placements, and many calculations and mathematics. It can be much easier to understand how to fix something if you understand how to build it first.
Was Yacht Design your first choice? Why did you continue on to Solent?
Yacht Design or Naval Architecture were my choices originally, until I decided on Yacht Design. I always knew I wanted to keep learning as much as I could about boats, and The Landing School and Southampton Solent helped me do that. I was the first one of my siblings to receive a degree, and I think that played a part in me striving to do that best that I could.
How did you transition from getting a Bachelor’s in Small Craft Engineering at Solent University to buying a yacht yard in Maryland?
I was born and raised here on the eastern shore of Maryland, in a small town named Trappe. After coming home from England with my Bachelor’s, I started my own company building yachts—Thermocline Yachts, LLC. I designed a boat, named the Redeemer, to accommodate paraplegic passengers.
When things started to slow down in between design work, I realized I wanted more of a purpose. It just happened that right around this time, the oldest and only working boat yard in St. Michaels, Maryland, named Higgins Yacht Yard & Marina, was for sale. The owner was an old friend of my grandfather’s brother, Jimmy Wilson, and they had sailed log canoes together for years. I decided to talk with him and let him know of my intentions. So, I started coming around on weekends and weekdays, to see what it was like in the boatyard and marina business. Two months later, I went to settlement and purchased the company.
Would you recommend The Landing School?
I believe the systems program at The Landing School was exceptionally well taught. I would recommend The Landing School if anyone has an interest in boating – we need more of the younger generation to get involved in the industry and help to bring it back to life.
Did you grow up on boats?
Boating has always been a main part of my life. I grew up on a farm on the water in Maryland, and I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t on a boat, or a tractor. I started sailing when I was 12, and had my own boat when I was 13. Almost everyone in my family has had, and still have, multiple boats—power/sail, large/small.
My family has also owned the Chesapeake Bay log canoe, Magic, since 1923. She was built in 1894. I started skippering her when I was just 15 years old. Sailing such an historic vessel and leading a crew at that age taught me good management, responsibility, and most importantly, patience.
Do you have a boat now? Any stories?
I own quite a few boats now, but I do have a few favorites. I own my family’s Chesapeake Bay log canoe Magic. I also have a 26’ Shamrock Predator that is used as the company boat for my marina/boatyard, Higgins Yacht Yard. I still have my 20’ Alumacraft that my grandfather purchased for me when I was about 13. I took that out fishing just about every day during my high school years. At this point, it is more sentimental than anything, and I can’t imagine I’ll ever get rid of it. I’m also currently in the process of building an 18’ Thermocline, named the 18.5 Outlaw, designed under my company Thermocline Yachts, LLC.
