North Country Community College Guideboat Building Class brochure North Country Community College Adirondack Guideboat Apprenticeship Program
Initiated in the fall of 1980, the Adirondack Guideboat Apprenticeship Program has proven one of the most successful and popular educational programs in the North Country. Led by master craftsmen, Carl Hathaway and Ralph Morrow, classes of no more than twelve students each have experienced the excitement and pleasure of molding by hand the beautiful Adirondack Guideboat. Traditional materials and methods of construction are the focus in the program so that apprentices become a living part of the tradition. The program begins as craftsmen and apprentices select tree stumps from which ribs will be made, and the class ends when the completed guideboat takes to the water at the launching party. There are trips to Mystic Seaport Museum and other Northeast institutions devoted to maintaining the wooden, hand crafted, boat tradition.
Guideboats completed by apprentices have been exhibited in Albany, New York at the State Museum as well as at other institutions and a number of our guideboats have been purchased by individuals. The proceeds of these sales are used to help finance succeeding classes. For only in this way can we keep tuition costs at a minimum and classes small enough so that the tradition of craftsman and apprentice can be maintained. Classes begin in October and end in April. Tuition is $275.00.
