Dharma Voyage has proudly collaborated with Westport High School for several years, offering students a full-semester course that blends hands-on boatbuilding and design with local maritime history, river science, and ecology. Below is a summary of our 2023 project — our eighth year building boats with Westport students.

That year, the class constructed a Southard Skiff, a historically significant boat originally owned by the Southard family of Westport Point and likely built between 1890 and 1900. In 1979, Bob Baker documented the original skiff, measuring and lifting its lines. We were fortunate to locate and purchase his plans from the Mystic Seaport Museum.

The build was led once again by master boatbuilder Jon Aborn in the MakerSpace at Westport Middle-High School. He was joined by Jamie Soares, who assisted in teaching woodworking techniques. Over the course of three months, students completed the skiff using okoume marine plywood for the hull and white oak for the gunnels. The design called for a traditional two-plank, lapstrake hull construction.

Meanwhile, high school teacher Dan Harrington led the classroom portion of the program, connecting the boatbuilding process with academic study. Students explored topics such as whaling, navigation, engineering, model-making, knot-tying, Westport’s maritime history, and traditional boatbuilding techniques.

The final touch? Students painted the skiff’s exterior hull a classic medium blue, with a gray interior — and named the boat after legendary blues musician Muddy Waters.