My first chance to build a boat came in 1980, when I was a college student in the Williams-Mystic Maritime Studies Program at Mystic Seaport Museum. As a volunteer in the Seaport shipyard I got to work with Willits Ansel building a replica of a Noank lobster skiff. After graduation I was able to parlay that knowledge into a job at Stone Boatyard in Alameda, California. A bit later I found a job at San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park where I worked in the museum’s Small Boat Shop.

In 1990 I left the museum and traveled to Japan. There I met several boat builders, one of whom would later become my first teacher. Since 1990 I have worked independently, building custom boats and designing and directing museum boat building projects. I also began writing about my work and research.

In 1996 I did my first apprenticeship with a boatbuilder in Japan, working alongside Mr. Koichi Fujii, the last professional builder of taraibune, or tub boats on Sado Island. This research formed the basis of my first book. I have now apprenticed with nine boatbuilders from throughout Japan, most recently in 2019, building ten types of boats. I am the sole apprentice for seven of my nine teachers. I’ve gone on to publish four more books on the subject, including Japanese Wooden Boatbuilding, the first comprehensive survey of the craft published in any language. See my Japanese Boats page for more detailed information on this work.

I wrote a feature article for Mortise & Tenon magazine about apprenticeship which you can read here. Read a feature article about my research in Japan, published by WoodenBoat magazine here.

I also teach boatbuilding, from specific techniques to workshops and school classes where I lead students in the construction of both western and Japanese boats. Find more information on my classes here.

Much more information, along with references and photographs, are detailed in the rest of my website. Please feel free to contact me if you would like a price estimate for a boat or lofting, advice on the merits of various boat designs and sources for plans, or to discuss public, lectures, classes, and education projects. If you would like to help me with my ongoing research in Japan consider making a donation.

I hope you will enjoy looking at the site and I welcome your feedback. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.