RPM Foundation Grant

We are excited to announce the recent award of a grant from the The RPM Foundation to provide financial support for one of our 2021 Fellows, Rick Kraft.

Our Fellowship Program offers the opportunity for a graduating apprentice to remain at the 'Shop to continue his or her boatbuilding education while serving as a leader, mentor, and teacher. By entrusting Fellows with greater responsibility as project leaders, the Fellowship Program can act as a bridge between the apprentice learning experience and career placement in a professional boat yard.

Rick finished his apprenticeship in September of 2020 and stayed on as a Fellow to lead the “Cliffy” Lobster boat project. The “Cliffy” Boat, commissioned by Lisa Dingle, was used in the lobster fishery on Matinic Island in the late 1930s through the 1950s. The plans were developed by Clifford Winchenbach (hence, the name) from photographs and the recollections of “some old guys”, as they are referred to in the drawings. They were drawn for H.H. Payson in 2002.

Rick has been working on the “Cliffy” since we began the project in January of 2020. He continued working on it after our 3-month COVID shutdown last spring. This grant will enable Rick to extend his Fellowship for an additional 6 months so that he can, hopefully, see the lobster boat to completion. As he has moved from lofting to constructing the backbone of the boat to preparing for planking, he has developed into a dedicated and precise craftsman. He has also taken his responsibility of teaching others to heart, providing instruction and guidance to the two first year apprentices who are now working on the boat with him.

The RPM Foundation is an educational grant-making program of America's Automotive Trust. The RPM Foundation safeguards the critical skills necessary to restore and preserve collector vehicles by supporting hands-on training and engaging the next generation of craftsmen and women. Visit: www.rpm.foundation for more information.

News, AlumniGuest UserMarch 15, 2021Apprenticeshop, Boatbuilding, Wooden Boats, Rockland, Midcoast, Fellowship, Cliffy, RPM Foundation, Lobster boat