Boat Building in Winterton, Newfoundland and Labrador

The Wooden Boat Museum in Winterton, Trinity Bay, Newfoundland, celebrates the skill and ingenuity of local master boat builders like Jerome, who build skiffs, punts, or ‘rodneys’ using hand tools and local wood. Watch how Jerome and his crew are passing down this rare skill to future generations of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

Boats were essential for survival when our only source of sustenance was the seas that surrounded us. Newfoundlanders struggled to make their own from whatever materials they could find from Fogo to Ferryland, and from Heart’s Content to Hopedale. In the process, wooden boatbuilding evolved into a treasured family tradition, giving birth to an entire legacy of cultural icons. The Wooden Boat Museum of Newfoundland and Labrador’s mission is to preserve that tradition and its emblems, which provide an intriguing glimpse into the unique places where they were built and the generations of Newfoundlanders who built them.

The Wooden Boat Museum of Newfoundland and Labrador offers Boat Building Workshops that teach the fundamental skills and knowledge needed to construct a wooden boat. Hands-on training with instruction and interpretation from our resident boat builder and museum staff allows workshop participants to actively learn how to build a traditional wooden boat. Workshops are offered at various levels, with the duration, material covered, and skills developed increasing with each level.