Orland 14-year-old builds skiff at WoodenBoat training sessions Teen uses skills learned in after-school program to excel at workshop

ORLAND – Joshua Leach, 14, of Orland attended the WoodenBoat School in Brooklin July 24-30. He received boat-building training at the school through a scholarship, earned because he was an outstanding graduate of the Orland Consolidated School after-school boat-building program. In September, Leach will be a freshman at George Stevens Academy in Blue Hill.

“In the after-school program, I worked on three skiffs,” Leach said. He and two other students in the after-school program built the Jean Adora, a rowing skiff.

A friend told Leach about the after-school boat-building program and he thought it would be fun to do.

“I grew up building things with wood,” Leach said. “My dad’s a carpenter.” Leach is the son of Stanley and Kim Leach.

During his week at the WoodenBoat School, which is celebrating its 25th year, Leach lived at the Mountain Ash student dormitory and worked in the boat-building shop housed at the WoodenBoat publishing complex at Naskeag Point in Eggemoggin Reach.

The school also offers courses in seamanship, navigation, photography and marine maintenance and repair. The company also publishes Fine Boat Building, WoodenBoat, Maritime Life and Time and Hope magazines.

“All the people [at the WoodenBoat School] were real nice,” Leach said. “I was surprised they treated me like family. I had a good time.”

Instructor Marty Sievers mentored Leach through the construction of a lapped cedar plank, over-sawn oak frame skiff with a fair curve shear and planked bottom. The skiff is fastened with copper clinch nails and bronze screws. At the WoodenBoat School, Leach was able to draw on skills he had learned in the after-school boat-building program at Orland Consolidated School.

He said the most important thing he learned from his experience at the WoodenBoat sessions was “how to design a boat.” He also gained enough confidence to contemplate designing a boat on his own.

At the end of the week, Leach received a bonus. Shop manager Jerry Cumbo told Leach that the boat was his to take home, provided he finished it and sent photos of the finished boat to the WoodenBoat School.

Leach plans to use the boat on Toddy Pond where he will fish for bass.

He also plans to participate in the Orland Consolidated School after-school boat-building program again this year.

“We’re going to build a cedar strip kayak,” he said.