Volume 14 | December 2020
Highlights & Events
This month, we created a video with some footage from Eric Goetz and Rich O’Meara, both of whom are long-time Landing School supporters and so well renowned in the composites industry, we take pride in our affiliation with them. While reviewing the raw footage and some footage from our current students, we marveled at the consistent messages we heard about the school’s community, the opportunities to network in the industry as a Landing School alum, and the integrity and work ethic of our student body. But the underlying theme wasn’t stated in words.
The Landing School is a place for all of us. The nontraditional class structures and hands-on learning attract students and supporters who are passionate about boats and the marine industry. Nobody in this building is free from getting dust on their clothes or bits of adhesive on their fingertips. It’s normal to be in a meeting or at a desk and have someone walk in with resin in a plastic container—“This was kept at room temperature; check out the viscosity”—or to walk by two people deep in conversation and making notes on the outside of a shipping box because that was the closest surface, or to see an equation written out with a finger in the dust on a mold. The Landing School is a composites lab. It’s a design studio. It’s a repair shop. It’s a wood mill.

We are here because we love boats. We love the mechanics of boats. We love the structure of boats. We encourage our students to create, design, think through challenges, make mistakes, experiment, and find solutions.

For this, we—staff and faculty alike—are grateful for 2020. We realized the strength of our school, the longevity of our programs, and the fortitude of our student body. We prevail because we are the place for future designers, builders, repairers, and leaders.

This newsletter is shorter than usual because Kate Slocum (Wooden Boat Building ’20) has shared an update about her second-year project that illustrates the culture at The Landing School better than we ever could.

Have a great holiday everyone. We will see you in 2021.
In the News
The Quest For The Right Materials With The Right Team
—Kate Slocum, Wooden Boat Building ’20

Ed Note: Kate has stayed at The Landing School for a second year to build a 17' Nordlandsbåt, a traditional double-ended row boat used for fishing in northwestern Norway since about the 16th century CE. As Kate explains, “In design and build techniques it is a descendant of Viking age ships.”
In July when it became clear that my plans to attend boat building school in Norway were not going to work out due to COVID-19, Richard Downs-Honey suggested that I stay at The Landing School and build a Norwegian boat here. Once I got over my initial shock, I began thinking through what it would take for me, a novice boat builder, to accomplish something like that in one academic year. I knew that I would need more specific expertise than even master boat builder Rick Barkhuff could provide. Nordlandsbåten are built right-side-up, by eye with a few rules of thumb but no plans. Nothing like it has been attempted at The Landing School before.
Virtual Events at The Landing School
This past month, we hosted a discussion INSIDE AMERICA’S CUP with Richard Downs-Honey, Sean Fawcett, and Mark Orams. The recording is free.

Register today for THE HISTORY OF INFUSION on January 18, 2021.

If you are interested in participating as a panelist or have ideas for future events, email Sarah Devlin, [email protected].
It's Not Too Late For the
Perfect Gift

We've all been there. It's getting close to the holidays and you realize you haven't found "the gift," that unique present for the boating enthusiast who seems to have everything.

Consider donating to The Landing School in their name! Print out the receipt, fold it into a card, and you have the perfect gift for that special someone.
The Landing School’s Job Board
As we have discussed, career-planning is a big part of a student’s experience at The Landing School. Over the years, we have created a robust Job Board, once available only to students, but now available to the public. If you’re looking for employment, or looking for personnel, jump over to our Job Board. Your job posting is free. 


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