Since 1978, The Landing School has been educating the next generation of boat builders. Students learn the beauty, functionality, and tool work that goes into building a wooden boat. Between classroom demonstrations with experienced instructors and hands-on learning, students graduate this program with knowledge in all steps of boat construction, including: lofting, setup, planking, fairing, joinery, spars, rigging, finish work, and finally - sea trials.

A large percentage of our graduates from this program have continued on to own their own woodworking shop, build their own boat, crew a ship, or become a master artisan.

COMPOSITE BOAT BUILDING

The Composite Boat Building program prepares students for careers in a variety of fields including, auto racing crew, wind turbine and blade construction, sports equipment building, rigging design, building architecture, boat aeronautic constructions, and more. Divided into two semesters, students learn everything from the fundamentals of planning how to build something out of composites to producing marine industry based products. Students also learn the strength, stiffness, and structural mechanics and finish of different composite materials including fiberglass, carbon, aramids, gel coats and coatings. Many of our students have built kayaks, center consoles, hockey equipment, renewable energy sources, and skimboards in this program.

Do you like to fix things?

Similar to a real boat shop, the Marine Systems program focuses on hands-on, fast-paced, high-quality work. In the first semester, students start to learn the foundations of mechanical fastenings and hand tools. After classroom lectures and lab sessions students gain knowledge of how to diagnosis and repair problems with gas and diesel engines, basic composite construction and repair, electrical theory, wiring, pumps, and plumbing. In the second semester students do in-depth work on the project boats that belong to real-life customers. Project boats are dropped off in August and typically have large engine, plumbing, or wiring problems. Students learn how to work as a team and how to get a systems project done in a proper and cost effective time frame.

YACHT DESIGN

Are you interested in learning how to craft some of the finest yachts in the world?

In our engaging and dynamic Yacht Design program, our students learn how to design artful watercrafts that are functional, cost effective, and aesthetically pleasing. Yacht Design students learn drafting skills through CAD software, 2D drafting, 3D hull failing and 3D modeling. Throughout the course of two semesters they will also learn parametric student, layout and structural design, physics, statics and hydrostatics, drawing architectural plans, materials and fabrication, dynamics and fluid dynamics, ergonomics and aesthetics, and marine systems/ventilation.

Yacht Design graduates start their career in naval architecture, sail design, racing yacht design, and a variety of other occupations upon finishing this program.