I was born on 5/17/1984, in Boston, MA.  I always enjoyed woodworking, from summer camp at age 8 to high school shop class.  Spent lots of time working with my hands in other artistic medias- painting, drawing, ceramics, sculpture and stained glass.  I also coordinated a few murals in community centers and coffee shops, during high school and college. My mom had an 18' Cape Dory growing up; I sometimes sailed with her at our summer house in Souther Maine but I was too young to really know what I was doing, beyong steering through fields of lobster pots... I dabbled in canoeing, kayaking, sailing other small boats, whitewater rafting, windsurfing at camp and on vacations but it wasn't really a passion; I was just into everything.

I graduated Trinity College in Hartford, CT in 2006 with a bachelors in fine arts, specifically oil painting and a minor in architectural design.  Spent a lot of time with extracurriculars- president of Habitat for Humanity, founder of Women's Club Lacrosse Team after one year on the sidelines of varsity, Green Campus (recycling and other treehugger stuff), mentoring and tutoring.  Didn't want to be a commercial artist nor spend senior year interviewing for jobs... decided after an internship with the New England Aquarium's Harbor Discoveries program (educational summer camp for kids) to join the crew of the Liberty Clipper after graduation.

Two weeks after graduation I moved onboard the Clipper- 125' steel-hulled schooner that did charters, harbor tours, and some educational programs in and around Boston Harbor. Was a deckhand all season then spent most of the transit down to Key West puking my guts out, decided offshore sailing was not for me.  Crewed 80' Liberty down in the Keys, then did a 3 month internship at the Dolphin Research Center.  I spent the following fall as a deckhand educator onboard the 140' Spirit of South Carolina in Charleston, SC.  Her pilot season consisted of mostly day trips with 5th and 6th graders.  Traveled around Hawaii as a WWOOFer (willing workers on organic farms) with boyfriend Shaun, who I met sailing in Key West for the Winter, applied to IYRS while away, spent the summer before school started back on Clipper in Boston as a deckhand.  After SOSC I had decided to go back to school, was considering a masters in education, but stumbled upon IYRS while in Newport one day... saw the boats out front and thought "what are these boats doing on land?" Was sick of hitting my head on deckbeams all the time and living on a boat with a bunch of other people and wanted no part in being a mate or captain, but wanted to stay in the boating industry.  IYRS fused this with my interest in art and furthering my education.

What I like best about IYRS is the sharing of ideas and special projects beyong the restoration projects- people making their own tools, surfboards, furniture, toboggans. Nothing compares to pushing off from the dock in a boat, I helped to build on Launch Day but I find the versatility of the skills it took, to make that boat the most valuable product of my education.  IYRS teaches its students how to solve their own problems and the reasoning behind certain techniques in boatbuilding.

My summer apprenticeship on Black Watch, a 68' racing yawl taught me that I want no part in the racing world!  I enjoy boatbuilding but am growing more and more eager to test out my skills on another area of woodworking.  After IYRS I hope to find a historic home preservation company to work with and focus on learning how make more decorative elements of homes, furniture or boats.  I really enjoyed spar-making and would love to pursue that, as well as some more finish work. Varnishing is my zen.

I very much enjoy reading, making jewelry and clothing, working with kids and animals, traveling, eating.  Living with boyfriend of 3 years, planning on traveling around SE Asia in the fall, then moving back to Key West. Middletown, RI.

I was born on 12/7/43, in Hartford, CT and I am so old, that my younger years are not clear.  I do remember my first boat ride and wondering as I watched the clear water deepen beneath me.  

I passed up college and joined the US Air Force, where I was a special operations Rescue and survival specialist (Airborne).
For the next 35 years, I was a medical surgical sales representative.  I retired in 2005.

My first three years of retirement I fly, fished, hunted and did home improvements.  I built several small boats; They kept sinking, so I decided to enroll at IYRS. What I have enjoyed most at IYRS is working with people who I share a common interest with.  My fellow students have been my best instructors.

I have not worked while attending IYRS.  I do have a home project.  I am building Herreshoff's Coquina.  She is planked and ready to turn over.

My special area of interest is, having fun. I am not married. I have three adult children, all of which have blessed me with a total of three grand children.  This has all happened in the past 18 months. It must be sonething in the drinking water!

I was born in Los Angeles, Ca. I won't say about my younger years, as that was too long ago to remember!  I graduated from the Northeastern University, in Boston, Ma, with a BS. on Industrial Technology/Electrical Engineering, back in 1975.

I attended the Babson College, in Wellesley, Ma. and had my MBA, in 1980.
Before IYRS, I have worked as an Electrical Design Engineer and Manufacturing Engineer with various Executive/Entrepreneur High Tech public and private firms.

I decided to join IYRS, to obtain learning skills that are completely new to me, while spending my days with bright talented young people, who are fun to be around. The valubale lesson - never stop learning something new, regardless of age.

Jobs after IYRS?  Well, the crystal ball just won't come into focus yet!  Possibly volunteering at the Cape Cod Maritime Museum in Hyannis and working with neglected and abused animals.  

My hobbies include motorcycling, mandolin playing (sort of!) and of course sailing.

I currently live in Lakeville, Ma, married to Priscilla 42 plus years.  I have 3 children -Joyce, Julie and Ronnie and 2 grandchildren -Kerra and Brian.

I was born in Hartford, CT, on 08/20/1980. My mother married my step father when I was 13. His mother lived in Barrington RI. That year my stepfather purchased a Pearson Ensign. The boat needed much work, and for me it was very exciting to try to make it right. Later in high school, I was making some good money and a friend of mine had a small sailboat that was damaged in a storm. I spent the year fixing it up. 

These activities along with my interests in reading about nautical subjects led me to IYRS.  I did not attend college.  IYRS is my further education.

My experience at IYRS was wonderful. The program was still new and under development. I feel the board was very flexible and interests were allowed to be pursued.  While at IYRS I studied design, and designed a 40' sailboat.  

I was hired to measure a boat in Maine and create a plan to build replicas from.  I did an internship at MIT under Kurt Hasselbalch. 

During the summer of my first year I worked part time for America's Cup Charters. I completed my second year by being hired as the deckhand on the 12 Meter Onawa. I began working nights and weekends in March of that year to help complete her restoration.  I missed graduation because I was at the America's Cup Jubilee.  Following the Jubille we did the Prada Classic Yacht Challenge in the Med.

I first worked on Onawa and I was then hired by 20th Century Fox for the film master and commander.  I was a deckhand and ships carpenter when we sailed the HMS Rose to California for the filming.  I then came back to serve as mate on Onawa. 

I lived in Colorado in Vail for a period and I was down in the Caribbean for a while.  I worked on a number of classic yachts like Marriete, Whitehawk, Adventuress, Bolerro.  I have a 100 ton captains license and about 25,000 miles under my belt.  I then worked to develop a marina for O'Neill Properties Group.  I am now a partner in a design business, where we are launching a line of furniture specifically designed and engineered for yachts.  

I also teach at MIT and am working on a project to develop plans for a number of Herreshoff designs that he had not developed himself.  I also consult on yacth restorations or new builds.

My special interests include sailing, drawing, lecturing, consulting and soon, I am going to be running the 2010 NY marathon.

I currently live in Newport and share time working between Boston and Manhattan.  I have a very special lady in my life, she has 2 children that I call my own. So I am as good as married.

Jennifer was born in Middletown Ohio, in 1973. She was the oldest of 5 children in her family. When she was thirteen her father moved the family to a farm. Jennifer had her first taste of tool use, construction projects, and working along side her father for all sorts of jobs a rural existence required. At school she was diligent in all subjects and graduated third in her class. Furthermore she was keeping very active with sports, theater, and volunteering at every opportunity

She remembers her family would take two week vacation every year that was always near the water, whether a lake or the sea in places like Maine. Water was special and was something that she treasured and anticipated every year, including fishing and light boating and of course swimming.

She entered Miami University, in Oxford Ohio, in 1992. It was time for her to rebel and spend the first years enjoying herself. Soon however, she decided to get serious and chose to get a degree in anthropology. She enjoyed the aspect of research, and learning about different cultures often through different disciplines. While at the University Jennifer joined a student run organization called the Outdoor Pursuit Center where she lead cave exploration and backpacking trips. She also worked in their retail/rental shop. At the time the organization was relatively new with the usual growing problems. Jennifer, as part of an independent study, used her anthropological background by applying it to problem solving within that organization. The data she collected helped in a number of problem areas and resulted in increase of sales and higher student participation.
After graduating in 1996, she headed to North Carolina and worked at summer camps, becoming a program director and managing over 30 camp counselors working there with her. She held a job in a warehouse, which did not work very well and was somehow disappointed with things when she decided to join her family in Rhode Island in 2000. There she held several temporary administrative jobs, which she decided did not suit her.

Unsure of what direction to take she came across the website of IYRS. She was intrigued and after a little research decided that this could be a worthwhile pursuit. As she said she could learn a “life long skill” and one she could enjoy. Jennifer worked while putting 40hrs a week at IYRS. She could not do it otherwise. The only time she decided to forego work was the last 3 months before graduation because of the demands to complete the project, unhappy to let her classmates down. There were many nights that she would be there till midnight, but at the end she felt it was all worth it.

She was remembered at the school for the extremely detailed notes she took on the beetlecat construction. She has kept her love for detail even today. After graduating from IYRS in 2005 she moved into Westerly, RI and worked for Rick Waters, a boat builder in Mystic.

While with Rick she worked on various projects including the 1907 Herreshoff sloop NEITH and a 1941 converted lobster boat. For the past year and a half Jennifer started her own business Bristol Fashion Yacht Services. Most Recently she subcontracted out to Bluewater Marine Consultants, where she was involved and completed a major restoration of the 1926 sloop EZILI that had originally been built for William Wrigley and donated to IYRS. Another recent project was an intricate stem repair on the 53ft McInnis trawler EMMA B. In parallel to her carpentry Jennifer had the opportunity to develop bright and finish work skills.

Through the projects above Jennifer was able to branch out and build upon the skills that IYRS taught her adding efficiency. Both EZILI and the 1941 Lobster boat SEA LARK (which she continues to maintain her bright and finish work) were recognized at the 2008 Antique and Classic Boat Show held in Mystic Seaport.

Jennifer still lives in Westerly and enjoys the area with the opportunities for boatbuilding and wooden boat restoration.