Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Brooklin located and what is the closest airport?
Brooklin, situated right on the coast, is located in Hancock County in Maine’s Down East/Acadia region. It is a 3.5 hour drive north of Portland; an hour and a half north of Camden, and approximately 45 minutes southwest of Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor. Bangor International Airport is about an hour and a half drive from WoodenBoat School. Portland also has a major airport servicing many major airlines.
Do students need to rent an automobile if they’re arriving by plane or bus?
No. We provide a shuttle service to and from the Bangor International Airport and the two bus depots also located in Bangor. Call the school office for details. A number of students arrive by car each week for classes so there are plenty of ways to get around if one needs a vehicle. Everything at WoodenBoat is within a half hour walk or 5 minute bike ride from the main dorm and dining room. Check this map for a look at our campus.
Can students bring their spouse and/or family if they’re not taking classes?
Sure. There’s plenty to do in the area for those not participating in our boatbuilding and seamanship program. Hiking, touring around the local communities, whale watching trips, shopping for antiques and local crafts, using the WoodenBoat Research Library, bicycling, visiting museums and art galleries, sea kayaking, Acadia National Park, exploring nearby islands, painting, and just plain relaxing with a good book are all available to our guests.
What options are there for accommodations at WoodenBoat?
We have two student houses available, both providing simple, quiet, and clean accommodations. The majority of our rooms are doubles with shared baths. Room and board is $425 per person per week. We also have a beautiful campground at WoodenBoat that overlooks our waterfront for those students and guests with tents, trailers, or RV’s. A convenient washroom services our campers. There are no electric hook-ups or dumping stations. A campsite is $100 per week. For those arriving by boat, we have guest moorings available at $100 per week.
What type of housing is available to those not wanting to stay at your facility?
Upon request, we can easily furnish a list of local houses, cottages, and apartments to rent. These work well for families or folks looking for an alternative to our accommodations. Note: Our various meal plans are available to those not staying with us.
What is a typical day like at WoodenBoat School?
Breakfast is served in our dining room from 6:30 to 7:45 a.m. Most boatbuilding and seamanship classes begin at 8:00 a.m. Some courses get started at 8:30 a.m. Lunch is served at our shops, at the Boathouse, and on board boats at noon. Classes usually wind down around 5:00 p.m. Dinner is served in our dining room from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
In the evening some students return to work in the shops while others choose to enjoy themselves on our supervised waterfront in our extensive fleet of rowing and sailing craft. Evenings also afford time to relax and read, visit local boatyards (there are nine of them in Brooklin alone!), shop at The WoodenBoat Store, explore Brooklin and the surrounding communities, and use the research library housed in the offices of WoodenBoat Publications.
On weekends, some of our courses include working a portion of Saturday. Our waterfront is open on Saturday afternoons from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., weather permitting. Students who are enrolled in courses that include working on Saturday have their rooms and campsites for Saturday night.
Could you describe how your off-site program works?
Each season (usually in the spring and fall) we offer a number of courses at various maritime museums and similar facilities around the country. The curriculum for these courses is identical to the classes that take place here on our main campus in Brooklin. The only difference is with our Fundamentals of Boatbuilding course which is presented in a one-week format off-site. Students find their own accommodations for our off-site courses and we can provide lists of available housing at these locations upon request.