With winds gusting above 25 knots on the Willamette River, three school staffers pushed the boat hard. The cockpit controlled, adjustable jackstay proved handy.Photographs and video by Norman Eder

With winds gusting above 25 knots on the Willamette River, three school staffers pushed the boat hard. The cockpit-controlled adjustable jackstay proved handy.

Wind & Oar Boat School is a Portland, Oregon, nonprofit that teaches boatbuilding not only for its own sake, but also to give meaning to math, science, design, and practical problem solving. As part of a workplace readiness program in the summer of 2013, students were tasked with building François Vivier’s Ebihen 16. With a long bowsprit, plumb stem, and workboat carrying capacity, the Ebihen 16 has the look of traditional English Channel fishing boats of northern Brittany and Normandy.
The women in the class showed great attention to detail and were cutting terrific gains by the time they got to the sheer plank. The inner/outer stem construction avoids having to cut rabbets. The outer stem is laminated with 1/8” fir.

The women in the class showed great attention to detail and were cutting terrific gains by the time they got to the sheer plank. The inner/outer stem construction avoids having to cut rabbets. The outer stem is laminated with 1/8” fir.

Read this article now for Free!

Ready for a second free article? Create a free account by entering your email address and a password below.

— OR —

Subscribe now for $29.99 a year and have immediate access to all of our content, including hundreds of small-boat profiles, gear reviews and techniques, adventure stories, and more! You can also browse our entire archive of back issues starting from September 2014, as well as post unlimited classified ads. This is an extraordinary value!

Subscribe Now or SIGN IN