The Introduction to Shipbuilding course opens the doors of wooden boatbuilding to adult learners who already have woodworking expertise and want to expand it into new career paths.

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Developed through Erasmus+ projects All Hands on Deck and All Hands on Deck360, it adapts skills from carpentry, furniture-making, and woodworking to maritime contexts.

Learners follow 15 modules with over 430 hours of content. They offer classic skills such as sketching, assembly, caulking, and finishing, while also addressing budgeting, business opportunities, safety, new building techniques, digital tools, and environmental standards, ensuring that their skills remain relevant to contemporary needs.

To enrich learning, the course offers a knowledge repository of traditional shipwright practices from six European maritime regions (Inter-Mediterranean, Atlantic arc, Baltic, North Sea, Balkan and Black Sea and Islands) and interviews with shipbuilders.

Beyond the modules, at https://ahod360.infoproject.eu learners can access:

• European Audiovisual Terminology Database with over 1,000 shipbuilding terms in five languages, enhanced with images and voice recordings
• 5 immersive 360° virtual tours of shipyards from Spain, the Netherlands, Italy and Germany
• Shipwright Collaborative Portal that connects professionals, educators, and learners across Europe

Learning Objectives

• Understand traditional and modern shipwright techniques
• Recognize how woodworking skills can be applied in boatbuilding contexts.
• Gain knowledge of safety, sustainability, and basic business aspects in shipbuilding
• Explore digital tools and new emerging technologies in the maritime sector
• Appreciate Europe’s maritime cultural heritage

Effort

430 hours total learning time

Format

Online self-learning including narrated content, visuals and tests. The course is supported by additional immersive resources at AHOD360.

For whom?

Adult learners with woodworking experience: carpenters, furniture makers, upholsterers, and related professions; also relevant for vocational educators and heritage enthusiasts.

Provider

Erasmus+ projects All Hands on Deck (AHOD) and All Hands on Deck 360.

Prerequisites

Prior woodworking experience recommended; no prior boatbuilding knowledge required.

Hub

None

Topic

Bio-based, Regenerative, Long-life