Build your own double-paddle canoe this fall in a historic Vermont barn and gorgeous bucolic setting.An immersive boat-building experience with a master of the craft, boat-builder Bill Thomas. This 5 1/2 day workshop takes place at Scott Farm, a historic farmstead and apple orchard just outside of Brattleboro in Dummerston, Vermont. Participants will be building the Fox Canoe, a decked, double-paddle canoe designed for protected waters along the coast, for lakes, and for all those appealing backwaters and creeks you are always driving by and meaning to explore someday.About the Fox Canoe. With an 80” long cockpit, Fox is a grand boat for hunting, fishing and tripping with a dog or young child seated forward of the paddler.Fox boasts two accessible watertight compartments, which add flotation and dry gear storage. There’s ample room for a camping kit. A rotating seat back and caned seat insure all day paddling comfort. She is 14’7” long with a beam of 30"; the finished weight is just over 40 pounds.>> Read more about the Fox's design and construction>> Watch a video of the Fox Canoe in action! Learn. Students will construct their canoes using a stitch-and-glue technique. Once the plywood hull is complete, you'll learn how to apply fiberglass cloth set in epoxy resin to create a strong and waterproof shell. You'll also learn how to install seats, carlins, and other hardwood fittings to complete the canoe. Throughout the class, students will gain valuable woodworking skills and techniques while also developing an understanding of the principles of boatbuilding. No previous boatbuilding or woodworking experience required.Finish. While some woodworking tasks and epoxy coating will still be need to be done at home, by the end of this 5 1/2 day workshop each student will have a nearly completed boat and the skills to finish the work at home. Each student will also have access to a 23-part video on building the Fox.What to expect: Most builders spend about 30 to 40 more hours over several months to finish their boats (sanding, painting, varnishing). The boat needs to be stored inside for the last bit or work (or covered), but the work can be done outside if the weather in nice.Monday through Saturday, September 11-16 | 8:30am - 5:30pm (half day on Saturday) | Class will break for a 1/2 hour lunch each day. ** Special event included, Tuesday September 12 | 5:30 - 7:30pm | Join us for a tour of Naulakha, Rudyard Kipling's home and location where the "Jungle Book" was written. Followed by a complementary cider tasting.==> Registration Deadline is Sunday, July 23. Please read our Special Cancellation Policy for this offering (below).Cost: $825 members; $975 non-members | Pairs are encouraged! Work on a canoe together with a friend, for a single registration fee.Addtl. Materials Fee: $1,775. Participants will be asked to supply their own respirators and pocket knives.What to Bring: Bring a bag lunch, or you may purchase lunch at the Scott Farm general store.For more information including accommodation suggestions, please contact education@hatchspace.org.Instructor: Bill ThomasFor over 40 years I have been a woodworker, designing and building custom projects for a wide range of clients. The diversity of work, from cabinetry and furniture to sailboats, powerboats, kayaks and canoes, remains a constant source of enjoyment for me. At first blush, this breadth of work might seem unconnected but I’ve found that each new interest, each new skill set only serves to enrich and broaden the base of experience from which I draw. Through my woodworking and through outdoor leadership, by actively boating and designing, by building and teaching, both in the shop and on the water I continue to hone my skills while ensuring that they remain well founded in real life experience. View my work at https://billthomasmaker.com and on Instagram.Location: Scott Farm in Dummerston, VermontScott Farm, listed on the National Register of Historic Places - Historic District, has been in active cultivation since 1791. This 571 acre farm has been owned since 1995 by The Landmark Trust USA, a non-profit organization whose mission is to preserve historic properties through creative sustainable uses for public enjoyment and education. At Scott Farm this has meant revitalizing the entire farm operation from orchard to farmhouses to barns. At present, Scott Farm grows 130 varieties of ecologically grown heirloom apples, each year planting new apple varieties and other interesting fruit to expand the existing orchard.Special Cancellation Policy for the Fox Canoe ClassCancel by Sunday, July 23 to receive a full refund less a $25 deposit.Cancel by Sunday, August 13 to receive a full refund less $1800 (materials fee + deposit)No refunds will be offered after Sunday, August 13.Questions? We're here to help: education@hatchspace.org
Build your own double-paddle canoe this fall in a historic Vermont barn and gorgeous bucolic setting.
An immersive boat-building experience with a master of the craft, boat-builder Bill Thomas. This 5 1/2 day workshop takes place at Scott Farm, a historic farmstead and apple orchard just outside of Brattleboro in Dummerston, Vermont. Participants will be building the Fox Canoe, a decked, double-paddle canoe designed for protected waters along the coast, for lakes, and for all those appealing backwaters and creeks you are always driving by and meaning to explore someday.
About the Fox Canoe. With an 80” long cockpit, Fox is a grand boat for hunting, fishing and tripping with a dog or young child seated forward of the paddler.
Fox boasts two accessible watertight compartments, which add flotation and dry gear storage. There’s ample room for a camping kit. A rotating seat back and caned seat insure all day paddling comfort. She is 14’7” long with a beam of 30"; the finished weight is just over 40 pounds.
>> Read more about the Fox's design and construction
>> Watch a video of the Fox Canoe in action!
Learn. Students will construct their canoes using a stitch-and-glue technique. Once the plywood hull is complete, you'll learn how to apply fiberglass cloth set in epoxy resin to create a strong and waterproof shell. You'll also learn how to install seats, carlins, and other hardwood fittings to complete the canoe. Throughout the class, students will gain valuable woodworking skills and techniques while also developing an understanding of the principles of boatbuilding.
No previous boatbuilding or woodworking experience required.
Finish. While some woodworking tasks and epoxy coating will still be need to be done at home, by the end of this 5 1/2 day workshop each student will have a nearly completed boat and the skills to finish the work at home. Each student will also have access to a 23-part video on building the Fox.
What to expect: Most builders spend about 30 to 40 more hours over several months to finish their boats (sanding, painting, varnishing). The boat needs to be stored inside for the last bit or work (or covered), but the work can be done outside if the weather in nice.
Monday through Saturday, September 11-16 | 8:30am - 5:30pm (half day on Saturday) | Class will break for a 1/2 hour lunch each day.
** Special event included, Tuesday September 12 | 5:30 - 7:30pm | Join us for a tour of Naulakha, Rudyard Kipling's home and location where the "Jungle Book" was written. Followed by a complementary cider tasting.
==> Registration Deadline is Sunday, July 23. Please read our Special Cancellation Policy for this offering (below).
Cost: $825 members; $975 non-members | Pairs are encouraged! Work on a canoe together with a friend, for a single registration fee.
Addtl. Materials Fee: $1,775. Participants will be asked to supply their own respirators and pocket knives.
What to Bring: Bring a bag lunch, or you may purchase lunch at the Scott Farm general store.
For more information including accommodation suggestions, please contact education@hatchspace.org.
 | Instructor: Bill Thomas For over 40 years I have been a woodworker, designing and building custom projects for a wide range of clients. The diversity of work, from cabinetry and furniture to sailboats, powerboats, kayaks and canoes, remains a constant source of enjoyment for me. At first blush, this breadth of work might seem unconnected but I’ve found that each new interest, each new skill set only serves to enrich and broaden the base of experience from which I draw. Through my woodworking and through outdoor leadership, by actively boating and designing, by building and teaching, both in the shop and on the water I continue to hone my skills while ensuring that they remain well founded in real life experience. View my work at https://billthomasmaker.com and on Instagram. |
 | Location: Scott Farm in Dummerston, Vermont Scott Farm, listed on the National Register of Historic Places - Historic District, has been in active cultivation since 1791. This 571 acre farm has been owned since 1995 by The Landmark Trust USA, a non-profit organization whose mission is to preserve historic properties through creative sustainable uses for public enjoyment and education. At Scott Farm this has meant revitalizing the entire farm operation from orchard to farmhouses to barns. At present, Scott Farm grows 130 varieties of ecologically grown heirloom apples, each year planting new apple varieties and other interesting fruit to expand the existing orchard. |
Special Cancellation Policy for the Fox Canoe Class Cancel by Sunday, July 23 to receive a full refund less a $25 deposit.Cancel by Sunday, August 13 to receive a full refund less $1800 (materials fee + deposit) No refunds will be offered after Sunday, August 13. Questions? We're here to help: education@hatchspace.org |