Student Hannah Lovett, 38, from Calderdale in West Yorkshire, has never sailed and joined the 40-week course following a career in hospitality.
She said: “A series of life events back in 2022 turned my life upside down and I found myself starting again from scratch, both personally and career wise. I knew that working with my hands was the only way I wanted to work.
“I was considering living on a boat as my options were limited, but the upkeep was daunting. I also knew that I needed to find a way to improve my self-esteem and so was on the hunt for a skill which could build my confidence and set me on a new journey. It was really important to me that the skill could be applied to everyday life, bringing with it a new sense of freedom, and I was initially thinking joinery.
“I’ve always been happiest when close to water and I’ve always loved boats, and one day my friend who works with boats sent me a link to Women in Boatbuilding, whom I found completely inspiring. A couple of weeks later, I woke up at 3am, sat bolt upright in bed and knew that’s what I should do.
“I have never sailed. I’d never really had the opportunity and it’s not been on my radar to be honest. I’d love to give it a go! But honestly the draw for me here is the process, craftsmanship and making, as opposed to the end result.
“The first few weeks of the course – and the amount of new terminology it involves – is something I really struggled with. I’m a practical learner and struggle with vast quantities of new language, but I think as the time has gone on, it’s slowly sinking in. I’m absolutely loving all of the benchwork and I enjoy making mistakes because you learn so much more. I get such a great sense of satisfaction with the joinery and understanding how to do it successfully.
“The tutors here are absolutely brilliant, so incredibly knowledgeable and patient, whilst also bringing warmth and humour to the course. I think we’ve also got lucky with the student group, because everyone has gelled quickly and seems to have a shared drive to want to do really well. I am so happy to be on the first course to be predominantly women. I love that the academy is making a conscious effort to balance gender diversity.
“I’m absolutely loving the course. The time is disappearing so quickly which I think is indicative of how absorbing it is.
“Afterwards I’d love to gain further experience through working in a traditional boat yard, hopefully honing skills and learning more in a working environment.”
