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Learn Boatbuilding & Woodworking at IYRS: Hands-On Training at IYRS Newport
Boatbuilding & Restoration | 20 month program | Meets Monday through Friday, 8:30-5 | Rolling Admissions | Starts in September
Boatbuilding Program Overview
IYRS School of Technology & Trades offers an immersive 20-month Boatbuilding & Restoration certificate program for aspiring boatbuilders, historic preservationists, marine carpenters and woodworkers. The IYRS boatbuilding program equips students to master both traditional and modern woodworking through real-world projects—restoring and launching classic wooden boats and building the craftsmanship, project management, and professional skills needed for success in the maritime trades.
Master the craft and fundamentals of woodworking while restoring, building, and finishing classic wooden boats.
What You’ll Learn: From Beetle Cat Restoration to Advanced Yacht Projects
The IYRS curriculum is structured to guide students through progressively complex projects.
Year One: Foundational Craft & Beetle Cat Restoration
Students begin by restoring a Beetle Cat sailboat, gaining hands-on experience in lofting, drafting, half-model creation, planking, steam bending, joinery, and finishing. This process introduces the full lifecycle of a wooden boat, allowing students to move from raw materials to launch-ready vessels. Along the way, they build a deep understanding of design, structure, and materials used in classic boat construction.
Externship: Real-World Industry Experience
Between years, all students complete a required externship, working with leading employers in the marine industry. This experience connects classroom learning to real-world application and provides valuable exposure to professional workflows and expectations.
Year Two: Advanced Yacht Restoration & Modern Techniques
In the second year, students advance to restoring larger vessels, including projects inspired by renowned builders. This stage introduces advanced lofting and digital tools, while reinforcing craftsmanship skills. Students take on greater responsibility, managing timelines, materials, and workflows similar to a professional shop environment. By graduation, students have completed multiple large-scale projects, including the restoration and launch of traditional wooden boats, demonstrating both technical mastery and teamwork.
Hands-On Shop Skills and Professional Development That Prepare You for Day One
IYRS emphasizes hands-on learning, ensuring students spend the majority of their time building, restoring, and refining their craft in a real shop environment.
Students develop a full range of woodworking and boat building skills, including hand-tool and power-tool use, joinery, steam bending, planking, finishing, and paint systems. This comprehensive approach prepares graduates for the technical demands of the marine trades.
Beyond technical training, our boat school also focuses on professional development. Students gain experience in project management, cost estimation, communication, and business fundamentals. These skills are essential for those who want to advance in their careers or eventually run their own shops.
Faculty members are experienced professionals who mentor students throughout the program, helping them build both technical ability and confidence. This balance of craftsmanship and professional readiness is what sets IYRS apart from other wooden boat building schools or general vocational programs.
Where IYRS Boatbuilding Graduates Build Their Careers
Graduates of the Boatbuilding & Restoration program pursue a wide range of careers within and beyond the marine industry.
Many alumni work as boatbuilders, restorers, marine carpenters, and finishers, while others apply their skills in adjacent fields such as furniture making, architectural woodworking, and historic preservation. These roles highlight the versatility of wooden boat building training.
IYRS maintains a network of over 500 employers who actively recruit graduates. These include leading boatyards, museums, and marine service companies, providing strong pathways into employment.
The demand for skilled workers continues to grow. The marine industry alone supports hundreds of thousands of jobs, and workforce shortages are creating new opportunities for trained professionals. This makes boatbuilding a stable and rewarding career path for those entering the field today.
Take a virtual tour of Restoration Hall
Boatbuilding & Restoration program
What It's Like to Build a Boat at IYRS
Curriculum
Shop Skills
- Craftsmanship & Artistry
- Hand & Power Tool Use
- Woodworking Processes & Techniques
- Shop Safety
- Material Properties
- Manual Drafting
- Introduction to CAD
- Lofting
- Steam Bending
- Plank-on-frame Restoration
- Joinery
- Photographic Documentation
Professional Skills
- Business Acumen
- Project Management
- Entrepreneurialism
- Teamwork & Communication
- Survey & Assessment
- Time Management
Lyman-Morse I Boatbuilding & Restoration Alumni at Work
Your Campus: Newport’s Waterfront and Professional Training Facilities
IYRS is located on a 3-acre waterfront campus in Newport, Rhode Island, one of the most recognized centers for maritime heritage in the country.
Students train in Restoration Hall, a fully equipped workshop designed for professional-level boatbuilding and restoration. The campus also includes a working marina where students launch and sail the vessels they restore, creating a direct connection between their work and the water.
Additional facilities include makerspaces, design labs, and resources that support both traditional craftsmanship and modern marine systems and fabrication techniques. This environment allows students to experience the full scope of the industry while developing their skills.
Newport’s location provides access to a strong regional marine economy, giving students exposure to employers, events, and real-world opportunities throughout their training.
Recent Employers
At IYRS, you’ll go beyond what other boatbuilding schools teach to receive a comprehensive education in marine woodworking. By mastering traditional and contemporary boatbuilding skills, you’ll be ready to tackle any woodworking challenge, from fine furniture making to historic restoration and preservation to home construction.
The Rhode Island marine industry generates $2.649 billion in annual gross sales and employs 13,337 people. (According to RIMTA in its economic impact study in partnership with URI).
Recent Employers
IYRS provided extensive education in all things related to working on wooden boats; from lofting to planking and from fine joinery to project management. It allowed me to enter the wooden boat community with not only the theory, but the hands-on experience necessary to build, repair, and restore traditional wooden boats and yachts.- Jens Lange '10,
Owner of Baltic Boat Works
NEWSWEEK NAMES IYRS ONE OF THE BEST MAKER SCHOOLS IN THE WORLD
Newsweek named IYRS one of the Best Maker Schools in the world for 2021. Winners of this prestigious award are institutions of higher education that have curricula that encourages learning by doing; are supported by educators committed to collaborative problem-solving; have well-developed makerspaces, labs, and studios; and which support diverse, interactive communities that engage in knowledge and skill sharing. The award highlights institutions with innovative programs that demonstrate the ingenuity and community engagement that are hallmarks of the maker movement.
Our alumni find success with employers like...
Take The Next Steps
How to Apply: Admissions, Tuition, and Getting Started at IYRS
Getting started at IYRS is straightforward and accessible to students from a wide range of backgrounds.
Prospective students can apply online, schedule a campus visit, or speak with admissions to learn more about the program. No prior experience in woodworking or boatbuilding is required, just a passion for working with your hands and learning a craft.
The program attracts a diverse group of students, including recent graduates, career changers, veterans, and individuals looking to build new skills in a hands-on environment.
IYRS offers guidance on financial aid, scholarships, and veterans’ benefits to help make education more accessible. The admissions team is available to walk applicants through options and answer questions about tuition and planning.