Great Lakes Boat Building School

Support GLBBS just by shopping

As of October of 2018, Amazon has given $105,515,619.04 to linked charities. It’s a pretty safe bet that you’ve heard of Amazon before. Chances are you have something from Amazon about to delivered right to your door right now. What you may not know is that you can help Great Lakes Boat Building School with every purchase […]


Posted: January 15, 2019 | View More »

GLBBS Honors Program Advisory Board Members

As we start 2019 it is important for us to thank certain individuals for their involvement of the School. On October 17, 2018, Great Lakes Boat Building School recognized the significant contributions of Sandy Bryson Brian Nettleton, and Steve VanDam of the School’s Program Advisory Board (PAB). All three gentlemen have served on the PAB […]


Posted: January 9, 2019 | View More »

Scholarships Help Launch Careers

As a student at GLBBS, Tom Ruddy is known for his dry sense of humor and his exacting craftsmanship. He tells Stem2Stern that he enjoys working with and interacting with his classmates, as well as “learning new skills and different approaches to woodworking and boat building each and every day.” Tom’s Mother, Elaine, recently wrote […]


Posted: January 5, 2019 | View More »

LEARNING CURVES…Thoughts On Craftsmanship

by: Patrick Mahon, Director of Education We talk about teaching and preserving “craftsmanship” so it is appropriate that we define what we mean by that term. Sometimes the word is used to describe anyone who works with their hands, or makes something tangible. I think it is more flexible in definition and often up to […]


Posted: January 9, 2017 | View More »

LEARNING CURVES…GLBBS Educational Objectives

By: Patrick Mahon, Education Director GLBBS is a vocational school in the purest definition.  Vocation comes from the Latin word vocatio, meaning both an occupation for which one is trained and a calling or strong inclination to follow a particular activity.  At GLBBS, we value both types of students, which are now referred to as vocational and avocational students.  Vocational […]


Posted: January 2, 2017 | View More »

GLBBS Delivers Special Paddles to Lansing

On December 22nd, Great Lakes Boat Building School’s Director of Student Services, Ryan Hinnen delivered two very special gifts to Michigan’s State Capital.  One paddle was for Mr. Steve Arwood of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and the other was a gift for Governor Rick Snyder. In August of 2016, Governor Snyder and Mr. Arwood […]


Posted: December 23, 2016 | View More »

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year from GLBBS…

The Students, Faculty, and Staff at Great Lakes Boat Building School would like to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and Happy (and healthy) New Year!


Posted: December 20, 2016 | View More »

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT – KRIS KINDT

2014 Graduate Kris Kindt returns to GLBBS as an assistant instructor We remain very proud of our graduates and the successes that they are experiencing in their respective careers.  It is particularly gratifying to have one return as an assistant instructor because in doing so, he is validating his belief in GLBBS’s program and his […]


Posted: December 15, 2016 | View More »

GLBBS Launches New Website

Great Lakes Boat Building School, which teaches and inspires students in the art and craft of traditional and contemporary wooden boat building, announced today the launch of its newly revamped website. This newly redesigned website offers quick and easy access to essential information and features that offers a more comprehensive understanding of the School’s full-time hands-on […]


Posted: October 19, 2016 | View More »

GLBBS Summer 2016 Workshops offered something for everyone…

…from building kayaks and paddleboards to casting wolf prints! GLBBS’s full-time instructors, Andy James and Pat Mahon, along with the assistance of Eric Seefeld, Brian Nettleton, and GLBBS class of ’17 student Mark Pugh, instructed the Chesapeake Light Craft (CLC) boatbuilding classes.  Between the Build Your Own Boat (BYOB) and Artisan Classes like Strip Planking or […]


Posted: October 2, 2016 | View More »

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