Meet the New Apprentices!
We have eight new 9-month and 2-year apprentices in the building this fall, as well as two new 12-weekers. You can read a little more about each of them below.
Max
Hailing from Chicago, Max left the big city and a job in marketing to join us at the ‘Shop as a 2-year apprentice. He is no stranger to tools, having spent 7 years as a passionate hobbyist woodworker, building furniture and renovating his 120 year old house. Max was drawn to The Apprenticeshop to pursue “a life dedicated to craftsmanship,” as he says. “I’ve always looked for the confidence to ditch the corporate world and pursue woodworking as a career …When I was in my 20s, it was easy to imagine I had all the time in the world to eventually make it happen. Now in my early 30s – and in response to the COVID pandemic, which has made me take serious stock of my values and goals – I’m finally feeling confident and inspired to make a major change in my life and live for my passion: woodworking.”
Amber
Amber moved to Maine from Minneapolis where she grew up. While many of the skills she is learning at the ‘Shop are new, she has experience working with her hands as a ceramicist and puppet maker. Amber came to the ‘Shop as a result of her participation in Atlantic Challenge this past summer. “The Atlantic Challenge expedition really gave me a lot of confidence and propelled me to continue to try new things. That experience gave me a deeper understanding and passion for wooden boats and deepened my connection with the water and the ocean. I learned how to work as part of a team to achieve a common goal...As a result of that learning process I felt a deep sense of achievement and reward which I now yearn to feel again…I want to build things with my own two hands and get stronger physically, mentally, and emotionally while doing so. I want to learn from doing and from the people around me.”
Joanie
Originally from California, Joanie moved to Rockland from the other Portland (the Oregon one). An artist and craftsperson, Joanie has quite a bit of related work experience, including as a deck hand for a glacier cruise company based out of Alaska and as a collective member and volunteer coordinator for The Fabrica Community Textile Arts and Fabric Workshop in Santa Cruz. Joanie was drawn to the ‘Shop by its ethos around learning and her desire to develop more skill in woodworking. “I am an artist and craftsperson who is affirmed and thrives in community; I believe in gaining skills and sharing skills in a cooperative environment…I am eager to learn more about working with wood and how boats are built. Translating two-dimensional ideas into solid three-dimensional objects is an area of creative practice I am excited to delve into.”
Julius
Julius joined the ‘Shop soon after moving to Maine from Texas with his family. Though he had spent the majority of his adult life working in academia and office jobs, Julius grew up boating and had spent time developing tool skills as an amateur woodworker. For Julius, a lot of his interests came together in wooden boatbuilding. “In talking to a friend about the move and seeking to work by building with my hands, she suggested I look into wooden boatbuilding. Dots began to connect and my love for geometry and design, for fishing and rowing drift boats down rivers where I grew up, for woodwork and traditional trades, all coalesced…I began looking for a way to start in building wooden boats. I found The Apprenticeshop and immediately knew I wanted to learn and begin here.”
Will
Despite coming from the landlocked state of Colorado, Will developed a deep passion for rowing and paddling rivers growing up. He joined the ‘Shop after building a Mackenzie style dory with a group of friends back home. This experience got him interested in traditional boatbuilding. As Will says, “Boatbuilding holds all I love: working with my hands, transforming 2d drawing into the 3d world, and being able to personally experience the way the lines play with the water…I want to gain a deeper understanding in building and using boats…I see attending this program as a start of a lifetime of learning involving boats.”
Benjamin
Though Benjamin originally hails from Puerto Rico, he came to the ‘Shop after completing two years of study at the Landing School. While there, he worked on restoring one of their Town Class sloops, and soon realized he wanted to learn more. “In the 2 years of woodworking, I learned more about myself and about wooden boats than I ever did prior to that. I hope to improve my wood working skills even further. I want to make a boat and sail it. Nothing beats the feeling of testing your hard work and craftsmanship out in the field…Having just finished this project, I feel like I barely scratched the surface of my potential in this industry and I want to go even further.”
Colin
Colin made the move to Maine from Alaska with his family, leaving a career in IT to pursue his long-held passion for boats. He came with a wealth of experience in woodworking, leather working and other related skills. Colin was seeking “the practical experience that could propel a career change and future employment in the boatbuilding and restoration trades.” He was also looking for connection. “I wanted to be part of a team - part of something greater than the individual….I had long subscribed to certain publications in an effort to continue my passion for boats and boatbuilding, and suddenly realized I was in a boatbuilders paradise, and that it was time…To learn about building boats. About seamanship. About people. About myself.”
Taylor
If you recognize Taylor’s face, that’s because he started at the ‘Shop as a 12-week apprentice in the spring of 2021. He had such a blast building a Susan, that he decided to join us for the 9-month program. He was originally drawn to the ‘Shop by a desire to “learn the basics of shipbuilding and extend my understanding of craftsmanship. My commitment to learn and the Shop’s commitment to teach me and better myself makes me believe that I will carry what I’ve learned with me for the rest of my life.” This fall, after working with Colin to loft a Susan Skiff, he has joined the Cliffy team.
Glenn
Glenn joined us for a 12-week after hearing about the program from another recent 12-weeker. He is a nurse practitioner at West Florida Hospital in Pensacola, FL. He is also a member of a federal team that trains for and responds to national disasters. As a hobbyist woodworker, Glenn was drawn here by a desire to “work with people who know how to do things the right way. I want the training and experience one can get from building something as complicated as a Susan Skiff. I want to immerse myself in the maritime and woodworking community.”
Keith
Keith moved to the Midcoast area soon before joining the 12-week program at the ‘Shop. He had been a humanities teacher in Boston for over 20 years before that. “After a career as a high school teacher, last year was supposed to be the year of me as a student.” He had just finished a stitch and glue kayak and was interested in building something more traditional, and with less epoxy. “I have been a hobbyist woodworker for quite a while. Recently, I sold my table saw and have labored to become more proficient at hand tools…My ultimate goal is to build a 15 ft or so sailboat.”