Northwest Maritime Center: Where Boats, Community, and Craft Come Alive in Port Townsend

From keeping a 50+ boat working fleet seaworthy to teaching first-time builders what epoxy and fiberglass actually feel like in their hands, the Northwest Maritime Center boatshop in Port Townsend, WA is where boats, community, and craftsmanship come alive.

A Boatshop at the Heart of It All

Perched along the waterfront of Port Townsend, Washington—a Victorian seaport town with deep ties to the sea—the Northwest Maritime Center has spent decades building something that goes well beyond a typical boatshop. It's a place where wooden boats are built and restored, where students learn what epoxy and fiberglass actually feel like in their hands, and where nearly 30,000 visitors a year get a front-row look at traditional craft coming to life.

Northwest Maritime's mission is to engage and educate people of all generations in traditional and contemporary maritime life, in a spirit of adventure and discovery. The Boatshop is where that mission becomes tangible—sawdust on the floor, planks in clamps, and instructors side-by-side with first-time builders.

TotalBoat is proud to be a continued sponsor of the Northwest Maritime Center Boatshop, and this month we're shining a spotlight on the work happening there and what's coming next.

A Fleet That Doesn't Stop Moving

The Boatshop doesn't just build boats—it keeps a working fleet of 50+ vessels seaworthy and ready for daily use across Northwest Maritime's programs. That fleet spans everything from classic sailing trainers to traditional longboats:

• Sail training boats including Optis, FJs, 420s, and J/80s used in youth and adult sailing programs
• Rowboats, RIBs, and launches supporting everything from basic water access to skill-building courses
• Long Boats that carry forward local maritime traditions and give participants a connection to Pacific Northwest seafaring history

Keeping a fleet that size operational year-round demands consistent effort, skilled hands, and reliable materials. TotalBoat's sponsorship helps ensure supplies like High Performance Epoxy for laminating, to Lust and Gleam Marine Varnishes for finishing, are always within reach—so instructors can focus on teaching, not scrambling for resources.

Impact Through Learning

Each year, the Boatshop delivers hands-on education to a remarkable cross-section of the community:

• 200+ youth participate in classes, summer camps, and afterschool programs
• 150+ adults gain real skills in traditional boatbuilding and woodworking workshops
• Nearly 30,000 annual visitors pass through and see boatbuilding up close

For many students, the shop is where abstract subjects like math, physics, and geometry suddenly make sense—because they're being applied to an actual boat taking shape in front of them. Participants leave with new skills, but also with something harder to quantify: confidence, curiosity, and a connection to the water.

Coming in March 2026: The Old Salt Founders Build

One of Northwest Maritime's most exciting offerings of the year is landing soon. In March, the Boatshop will host the inaugural Old Salt Founders Build—a two-week workshop where six participants will construct the very first example of a brand-new 15' catboat design.

This isn't a kit class or a guided refinishing project. Builders will work in modern stitch-and-glue construction from the ground up, using plywood, epoxy, and fiberglass to shape a functional sailing vessel. This build will also be utilizing our new 42 and 52 Million Marine Adhesvie Sealants, for structural bonds and watertight seals.

Each participant leaves not only with new skills in epoxy application, fiberglassing, and precision joinery—but with an actual catboat hull ready to take home and finish.

It's the kind of project that puts TotalBoat products to work in exactly the way they're designed to be used: empowering both first-time builders and seasoned craftspeople to take on real construction with confidence. And it's a story worth watching—the kind that makes compelling content and speaks directly to the heart of what maritime education can look like when sponsorship gets behind it.

Why This Partnership Works

At its core, Northwest Maritime and TotalBoat share the same belief: that hands-on experience with boats and the water changes people for the better. Whether it's a kid learning to row for the first time or an adult discovering they can build a boat from scratch, the Boatshop is where those moments happen.

With TotalBoat's continued support, those moments keep happening—reliably, year after year.

Make sure to check out Northwest Maritime Center's website to learn more about classes and events, as well as ways you can support their work and follow them on instagram and YouTube!