Meet Halee and AJ, our two instructors for this session of Girls’ Boat Project! Both are captains with extensive maritime backgrounds, bringing years of experience and a whole lot of knowledge to the Boatshop. We sat down with them to talk about what the girls are learning beyond boatbuilding, from problem-solving and working together to trusting their own skills to build confidence that carries into every part of life. They also share their experiences working in a male-dominated industry and why female representation and leadership matter. Having women to learn from and look up to helps young girls see a future for themselves in maritime and beyond. Today is only day two of this two-month session! Keep checking back over the coming weeks to see the progress the girls make on the vessel they’re building together.

Video by Andrew Tomayko

Port Townsend’s Wooden Boat Festival is the largest celebration in North America of the skills, craft, and culture of wooden boats. Thousands journey to explore vessels, spend time on the water, learn from tradespeople, dance, eat, and enjoy. Angela meets with Festival Director, Barb, for the inside scoop on this family-friendly, maritime-enthused event.

Video by Garret Weintrob.

Video by Garret Weintrob.

Video call with Team Notes, Lillian Signed Up To Suffer, Bristol Bear, and Race Boss Jesse. Video by Garret Weintrob.

Video by Garret Weintrob.

Video by Ryder Booth

Video by Taylor Amble

Video by Ryder Booth

Video by Taylor Bayly

Video by Garret Weintrob.

Video by Garret Weintrob.

Video by Taylor Bayly

Video by Garret Weintrob

Between Stage 1 and Stage 2, teams patched, repaired, adjusted, and occasionally stared at broken things hoping for inspiration. Video by Jim Meyers

Video by Taylor Amble

Video by Garret Weintrob.

Video by Garret Weintrob.

Video by Taylor Bayly.