Thanks to a few generous Picton Castle and Bosun School alumni and other donors , we are now able to offer full scholarships to every qualifying student aged 35 and under attending Bosun School this summer! We are thrilled to make this hands-on marine technical training program available at no cost to young, up and coming seafarers and sailors.
It’s not too late to apply for this summer’s Bosun School. It runs from Monday June 27 to Friday August 26 in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada. In this summer’s session of the Bosun School you will learn a variety of marine skills and you’ll get plenty of hands-on practice. Small boats will be an area of focus and you’ll spend a portion of most days on the waters of Lunenburg Harbour practicing small boat handling under sail, oar and power. Other technical skills you’ll learn will include knots, splices and whippings in rope; rope seizings; how to scrape, sand and paint; how to worm, parcel and serve; wire splices and seizings; throwing heaving lines and lead lines; caulking decks and boats; handling heavy gear and working aloft safely.
You’ll learn these skills through demonstrations and lectures, then repeated hands-on practice. Without the natural distractions of being at sea, you’ll be able to see a project all the way through from start to finish, learning every step of the way. As Captain Moreland likes to say, practice makes permanent. We want you to learn these skills thoroughly and completely and keep them, rather than just having brief familiarity with them.
One of our former students, who is now a crew member aboard the US Brig Niagara, had this to say about her experience:
“Bosun School on Picton Castle was unlike any other program I’ve heard about. It was 2 months of fun, interesting, and valuable work with a great group of fellow students. We practiced a huge breadth of skills, from wooden boat repair, to caulking decks, to writing maritime resumés, to splicing wire. It’s hard to imagine any work on a future ship that I won’t have at least passing familiarity with. Even more important than the specific skills we practiced is the confidence I’ve gained coming out of Bosun School to work through any new situation and realize that seemingly huge and complex projects are actually doable. Whether I continue on in another ship, take off cruising in my own boat, or return to corporate life, I’m confident that my readiness to roll up sleeves and dig into the next challenge will serve me well.”
Other graduates have gone on to work in sail lofts, rigging lofts, many different vessels, or just more able with their own boats.
Students of all nationalities, genders and backgrounds are welcome to apply. Students must be vaccinated against COVID-19. Applicants all should have some basic experience in or around boats and ships, whether that’s sailing as a trainee or crew member in a tall ship, sailing with your family or your local yacht club, working in or around boatyards, or some other experience at sea or with boats.
The full scholarship covers the cost of food, accommodations, instruction and course materials. The only thing that students ages 35 and under will pay is a registration fee of $100 Canadian dollars. Students are responsible for their own travel to and from the Bosun School, which takes place in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada.
To apply, please send an email to [email protected] with your resume/CV and a cover letter that tells us more about you, your experience and why you would like to be a student at Bosun School.
