Boatbuilding Co-op

[nwranger]

Hello:

A few of us up (over, down etc.) here in Bellingham are interested in exploring the possibility of starting a boatbuilding Co-op. Looking for intrested parties to join with us and too, referrals to any other similar operations.

Thanks!

Kurt
Bellingham Bay Community Boat Center

[Bill Childs]

Good job Kurt... thanks for your excellent vision and organizational skills.
Kurt and I are already on the same page with this project but I just wanted to barge in and add that this is very exciting, holds a lot of potential, and is coming together nicely thanks to a wonderful group of go-getters.

If you are in the Bellingham, WA area and wish to see something very cool happen to the waterfront then please check in with us.

Bill Childs

[G. Schollmeier]

Hi Kurt and Bill, I’m down here in Arlington but looking north. What exactly is a boatbuilding co-op?
Gary

[Bill Childs]

Hi Gary,

A boatbuilding co-op can be organized many different ways. We are just now exploring some options based on the possible participants and possible locations.

Currently we have several non-profit groups as well as private commercial ventures who are looking into combining efforts to create something that cannot be achieved individually.

Besides the obvious synergy created with this type of organization, it's possible to provide the community with something of great value. Bellingham, like many other waterfront communities, is at a crucial turning point in deciding the fate of their waterfront. The city has a rich history of boatbuilding and industries which relied on wood boats - but currently you would never know it by looking at the waterfront. We have a state of the art multi-million dollar marina which caters to yachtings upper crust... but low and middle income family boating and traditional boat education is strongly lacking. Many of us feel that boating should not be for the wealthy only - the community is ripe for a traditional boat renaissance.

We would love to hear about examples of other communities who have successfully made something like this happen. Of course we have Port Townsend to look at as one great example.

[DGentry]

Hmm, I recently moved to Bellingham. I build boats. Tell me more about this co-op . . . is it a going concern yet?

For info on community sailing, you should look at Toronto. They have an amazing program of small sailing clubs all cooperating to get the avg family out sailing and racing. I've raced there, on Friday evenings, in huge fleets of - club owned - dinghies and everyone was having a good time.

Just recently Sailing Anarchy had a blurb about the outer harbor sailing in Toronto, though they were mostly talking about the Contender fleet.

I'd definitely like to see a small boat sailing (and rowing/paddling) center here.
Dave

[Tom Robb]

There's builders' co-op in Port Townsend (across the street from the Safeway) that's been at it for quite a while. Go talk to them. They're in it to make a living. If what you have in mind is hobby/historic/community education stuff, their experience may be somewhat less relevant. You may need to talk to Dick Wagner in Seattle's Center for Wooden Boats in that case.

[Don Kurylko]

That’s great news Kurt. Do you have an address and telephone number (e-mail address) where you can be reached? I’d like to pass it on to my Bellingham buddies. Good luck with your endeavors!

Don

[mike hanyi]

or in english -Kotka woodenboat center

http://www.puuvenekeskus.fi/

is a coop now running for over 10 years, several professional builders under one roof, sharing space,stationary machinery, expenses

the good- it does work, a new builder pays a fee to join- say 5-6k, and then is charged per project, if you have 20x 7ft boat there is a formula based on size of boat ,plus space all around the boat.-a monthly fee for the builder. if builder has no work, and is off working somewhere else there is no monthly fees.
every builder has his own hand and light tools- routers,sanders,etc
clamps-everybody has some-everybody can use all if needed.
sometimes one builder has a huge job and asks the other builders to work for him, one builder can take on a big job by the others joining in. working in your own shop alone he would have to pass it up or hire subs.
they have a warehouse next door for winter storage-many customers return for maintanence.

the bad-
as its every man for himself the question comes up many times of whos turn is it to clean, empty the sawdust bag, whos turn to change the planer blades,the light bulbs are burned out. and all the little things.shop improvements?


with no boss every man thinks independently on things like storage of lumber,what is to be thrown away and where and what to save.
I would love to see some more modern equipment but then where does the money come from? everybody needs to agree on big purchases.

I work there also under one builder, and I would not want to work anywhere else,its a good place as the other builders can consult, there is so much knowlege to be shared, and learned from observing others. But I am not blind to the negatives.

so in a nut shell-yes it can work but if you can find a good model shop to study first do so.

it should be for professionals only as ammeteurs are not interest in keeping production up.

if you want a coop hobby shop that it is organized differently

mike

[changtse]

Kurt, Bill--

I'd love to get involved with the boatbuilding Co-op. With my extensive experience (just kidding: I'm halfway through Hannu's Little Sister and once watched my uncle build a kayak) I'd love to contribute however I can. I also have quite a bit of time to contribute, if not so much money.

As part of my background, I've also designed and administered programs for at-risk youth, focused on environmental education and/or trail building. I've been impressed by some of the community boatbuilding programs, especially some that use building skills as entries into geometry, trig, math, life skills, etc. for kids. Are you guys thinking about anything like that?

Regardless, count me in in some capacity--do you have contact info as Don requested?

I know there are some other folks on here from Bellingham who might be interested as well.

Matt

[Steve Miller]

Rivers West in Portland, OR. Not a member but a good group and fun place to visit. I am going to a woodworkers guild meeting tomorrow night with my Dad where Rivers West is doing a presentation on strip building.

http://www.riverswest.org/

http://www.riverswest.org/CurrentProjects/RWShopInt_med.jpg