Family BoatBuilding was first held at the WoodenBoat Show in 1998, in St. Michaels, Maryland. Carl Cramer, publisher of WoodenBoat magazine and author of the Family BoatBuilding concept, explained the event’s mission: “Building a boat as a team creates remarkably strong family bonds—we’ve seen new-found intimacy develop among family members every year we’ve produced the event. We want to encourage this integral aspect of recreational boating by providing the Family BoatBuilding opportunity to as many families as we can.” Families begin spending valuable time together on the water immediately after their dinghies’ construction. “The culmination of the event is when all the families and groups launch their own boats at once,” continued Cramer. “It’s such an inspiring introduction to boatbuilding and boating.” San Diego’s FAMILY BOAT BUILDING EVENT, is organized by Ancient Mariners Sailing Society (AMSS) in cooperation with the Maritime Museum of San Diego. The event has been held at prior venues and this year started on Friday at 8AM at the Koehler Kraft Boatyard. An essay contest determines who participates. Sponsored scholarships were awarded based on the best essays that ask for sponsorship or families can pay to participate (partially or in full). Every family has to write an essay to participate and we encourage the minors to do it. As Carl Crammer, publisher of the WoodenBoat Magazine and co-author of the program explains on the WEB Site www.woodenboat.com, The Nationwide expansion of Family BoatBuilding was prompted by the overwhelmingly positive commentary received from former participants: “An older gentleman approached me this year at the WoodenBoat Show in Rockland, Maine, asking me where the Family BoatBuilding event was being held. I explained that space considerations precluded it this year. He said, ‘You have no right to do that. My two granddaughters and I built a boat at your first event in 1998, and it changed their lives. Before, the girls were lost, confused troublemakers. Now—and in no small measure because of Family BoatBuilding—we are a close-knit family once again. You owe it to others to bring the event’s benefits to families who haven’t yet participated.’” The premise is simple: Offer families kit boats to build, shower them with instruction (much of it hands-on)... and they emerge a stronger unit, with their own boats! The only “contest” here is to complete the task. You Can Do It! The theme behind the event is that ordinary people -- in our case, families -- can, with proper instruction, build their own boat in a matter of days. Our experience has been that no prior woodworking or boatbuilding expertise is required. The greatest single ingredient needed for this event is that families be dedicated to completing the task. We have been so fortunate that our families have been so committed to the event. They help other families when one invariably falls behind; they share tools and interpretation; and they follow the instruction of the event organizers. In our case, we have established a necessary prerequisite of each family writing an essay concerned with why we should select them from the mass of inquiries we received. Additionally, we have asked them to write about the experience, and to send us photographs of their finished boats (typically, they leave the event with boats unpainted and, mostly, unprimed). What is perhaps most satisfying, though, is the transformation that occurs to the people who (mostly) arrive at the beginning of the event, full of questions and doubt that they can accomplish this task. To watch them over the course of two and a-half days... to see the wonderment set in as they realize that THEY CAN DO IT! And to experience the communal thrill as they all launch their boats simultaneously on Sunday at noon, row around, and then tie their boats to the tops of their cars and drive home! “They did it!” The AMSS/Maritime Museum event will build a Bevin’s Skiff, Designed by Joe Youcha, 12’6”, with optional sail rig, 100 pounds from the Alexandria Seaport Foundation www.capaccess.org/asf. Kit cost for this event are $900.00 which includes everything (oars, painters, instruction, etc.), except your personal tools. The preliminary work will be done prior to the event so at Noon on Wednesday each family will begin building. Doug Jones will be the Master Shipwright for the event. We have scholarships available and hope for more! Full and partial sponsorships are requested and given. Please call Deb Dominici during the evenings for details (619) 294-2244 or info@amss.us or on the WEB www.amss.us or send inquires to: Ancient Mariners/Maritime Museum Education Fund, P.O. Box 6484, San Diego, CA 92166.