Welcome to the Heritage Boat Shop, a vibrant community space where craftsmanship, creativity, and education converge. Nestled in the heart of Tacoma's downtown working waterfront, our wooden boat shop welcomes enthusiasts of all skill levels to explore the art of woodworking.
We offer a wide variety of classes to the public, led by experienced artisans and instructors. Our course offerings range from family craft events to intro-level adult woodworking, to advanced boatbuilding and marine technology. Join us to preserve Tacoma's rich maritime history, and discover the joy of woodworking!
~ A special thanks to our team of dedicated volunteers who make our work possible.
Access our state-of-the-art facilities to work on your own self-directed project. Complete shop safety training and gain access to mentorship and supervision from industry professionals. Pre-registration is required.
Our Boat Shop Gift Cards are a great gift for anyone interested in learning woodworking skills, or maritime repair and maintenance skills. Redeemable for any Boat Shop class!
Join us to learn the basics of woodturning and make your own custom pen! Please contact our Boat Shop Manager to schedule a one or two person lesson.
We are collaborating with Tacoma Boat Builders to bring you a FREE rowing & maritime skills program for women, nonbinary, and gender non-conforming people of all ages!
Join us to practice the timeless art of traditional joinery in this hands-on, one-day class.
Join us for an all-ages, immersive, participatory journey through song and story. The Well Tree is a three-person musical, illustrated by a ‘crankie’ - an illuminated, papercut, hand-cranked scroll. It is an original 'singing story' about wild journeying and remembering kinship -- the tale of a young woman moving beyond the fog of isolation to meet songbirds, snails and ancient trees as she travels through these unraveling times, finding her way home. The three members of Heartwood are the actors, musicians and the crew that runs the crankie —created by papercut artist Jennifer Jones – and audiences help sing pieces of the story.
Join us to learn the basics of woodworking and make your own serving board!
Join us to gain confidence and proficiency using power tools! Whether you’re a DIY enthusiast, homeowner, or an aspiring woodworker, developing skills with power tools is an important first step.
Join us this summer to build your very own rowboat! July and August dates to be announced.
Join us to explore the art of spoon carving! Learn fundamental carving techniques using traditional hand tools.
Cori (she/her) joined the Foss Waterway Seaport in 2023, and can usually be found tinkering in the Boat Shop. She enjoys sharing her love of woodworking with others, and her favorite workshop is the family boatbuilding class. When not teaching woodworking classes, she is planning new projects, and scheming ways to get people out on the water. Cori loves creating beautiful and functional things out of wood - she started carving before she can remember and apprenticed on her first wooden boat build at the age of eleven. Her passion for building really took off when she joined a crew building tiny houses in Colorado. Born and raised in Maine, Cori grew up with a love for crafting, being outdoors, and getting out on the water. For years, she worked as an outdoor guide and educator throughout the US, Central America, and Europe. She found sailing as a teenager, and was immediately hooked. After earning a US Coast Guard Captain’s license, she has dedicated herself to sharing the joy of sailing, cruising with folks ages 7 to 74! In her free time Cori enjoys having fun in the sun, rock climbing, biking, playing chess, backpacking, and tinkering.
Alice is a woodworking instructor for new & returning students interested in diving into the world of carpentry. Her first woodworking projects were apartment improvements. Frustrated at her lack of access to tools, she became formally trained in marine carpentry at the Wood Technology Center in Seattle. Alice learned wooden boat building, fiberglass, and fine carpentry. She currently works on yachts at Delta Marine. She specializes in refit, fine cabinetry, electronics installation and custom interior pieces like ceilings, flooring, headboards, and more!
To contact us with questions on our course offerings or about joining our team of hardworking volunteers, please email our Boat Shop Coordinator, at cori.shooter@fosswaterwayseaport.org.