Boat School sails ahead with Husson

The Boat School in Eastport, now a part of the umbrella of Husson College's New England School of Communications, is once again attracting students and staffed with enthusiastic teachers.

"Overall, it's been an extremely smooth transition," points out Bret Blanchard, a lead instructor and student advisor at the school, which was founded in 1969 as part of the Washington County Vocational Technical Institute. "Husson is an absolute pleasure to work with. They're all very curious about the Boat School, and we're working things out in a very timely fashion. I don't know how it could go any better."

"The community college is getting out of boatbuilding; some common sense has prevailed," says instructor Dean Pike, who fought hard to keep the Boat School in Eastport when the Washington County Community College wanted to move it to Calais.

"I'm the only community college employee [here]," points out Pike, who was hired by Otto "Junior" Miller in 1981. "Everybody else is with Husson. One of the great things, now that we're not dealing with community college system unions, is having teaching assistants run the laboratory work. [Boatbuilding instructor] Jeremy Chapman was let go by the community college, but now he's back as a teaching assistant. Students have more shop time than ever was available in the history of the school."

"Things are going great. We're very pleased with the city [of Eastport], staff, students and facility. I can't say enough about the support we've received," points out Tom Johnston, president of Husson College's New England School of Communications. "To be able to move into something so quickly and have it work out the way it has.... We have a bright future."

At the end of August, six students from Maine, Massachusetts and Canada became the Boat School's first freshman class under Husson College's umbrella, joining the two second-year boatbuilding students. In early January, three more students from Maine began taking classes at the Eastport institution.

"We've pumped out a tremendous number of press releases reflecting the needs of the boatbuilding industry. We just spent three days meeting with different boatbuilders in Maine, and the diversity of the businesses was amazing," points out administrator John Miller. "When students graduate from the Boat School, their education will translate into a career C not just a job."

"I have at least one or two conversations a day with someone talking about the Boat School," says Johnston. "They include collateral issues with the community college, folks in the boatbuilding industry, and various organizations that support this type of education."

Blanchard, who was hired by Junior Miller back in 1984 and lost his job twice in the past few years, remembers the school's glory days and watched it decline after Miller's death. "Husson is turning us back in that direction, when the school [was respected]. It deteriorated the last few years. We were down to one instructor, and everybody thinks you're closed. But Husson stepped up to the plate."

Tuition for residents of Maine and New Brunswick is $8,000, and scholarship money is available from the North Star Alliance. In addition, Husson College pays for $1,000 worth of boatbuilding tools that students used to have to buy with their own money. If they attend the Boat School for at least one year, the students can keep those tools. The cost for students from out-of-state and provinces other than New Brunswick is $12,500.

The Boat School property is in the process of being transferred from the State of Maine to the City of Eastport, and the volunteer organization, Friends of the Boat School, has been playing an important role in that process.

"Compared to where we were a year ago, this is like heaven," says Friends of the Boat School member Meg McGarvey of Eastport. "It's such a nice feeling to know the Boat School is secure and in a position to grow and expand its scope."

"Husson knows what they need to operate, and Husson is very entrepreneurial," says Blanchard of the equipment negotiations. "In the end, everything will work out fine."

Looking ahead to the fall 2008 semester, Johnston would be happy to see 20 more students enroll at the Boat School. "I would like it to grow but not too quickly so it can't handle the growth. We want to offer ABYC [American Boat Yacht Council] and ACMA [American Composites Manufacturers Association] certificates in various skills. They are the standard C what businesses are looking for when a worker goes from one job to another."

"Probably, if things go well over the summer, we'll arrange for a painting facility better than the current one. Also, our marine systems program needs different equipment and platforms," notes Johnston. "But the change has to occur within the capability of the organization. You want to continue what you're doing now. That's what we're balancing."