Interview with Warren Barker, Senior Instructor

What did you do before coming to IYRS?

Warren Barker: I went to college and then to a design woodworking school. My first job after that was with Bill Peterson (son of Murray Peterson), in Maine, where we built a 42' ketch. I spent five years there but didn’t want to become an anachronism, so I went to work for Eric Goetz here in Rhode Island, where I lofted a lot of boats—not one every three years as in Maine—and I learned a lot. I opened my own shop in 1990, working mostly on wooden boats of classic designs.

How did you decide to join IYRS?

WB: I backed into the job. I came down to the school to see if there were any jobs available on Coronet and ran into Clark Poston, IYRS’ program director. He asked if I knew of any instructors. I went home and thought maybe I should apply. I’ve been here four years.

What’s your role here at IYRS?

WB: As the senior instructor, I work with the second-year students in the boatbuilding and restoration program.

What do you like best about teaching?

WB: I like getting students wound up about building boats, and I like meeting people. One of the best aspects of teaching at IYRS is what we’re restoring – pedigree boats that I wouldn’t ever have received as a commission. I can check the history, which is fascinating, and I like the continual learning. I’d never seen a Bulldog before, but we’re restoring one this year. I’d built a cold-molded six-meter at Goetz, but now we’re stepping back in time with the other second-year restoration of the 1924 wood six-meter Madcap.

What’s the biggest challenge in teaching?

WB: The dynamic of working with teams. You might get a super-strong personality that could overwhelm the group so there’s a need to balance that out. I need to keep each individual motivated, as well as the whole group. I sometimes worry about that.

Are there any common traits or characteristics that you see in IYRS students?

WB: The basic training in the first year is really good. Then, at some point during the second year, students realize that they still have a lot to learn and that they need to be here. I think that’s because of the independence in the second year of the program. IYRS students graduate with good woodworking skills and a good platform, but they’re only at the beginning. They are marketable people. I also find that IYRS students are interested and want to find out as much as they can.

You’re considered around IYRS as a student of Nathanael Herreshoff and his methods. What influence has he had on your teaching methods?

WB: I’ve done a lot of Herreshoff boats. His boats are so austere and the proportions are just right. We’ve used his technique of having a mold for every frame (or every other in the case of the Manhasset Bay One-Designs, even though Herreshoff didn’t build them), as it allows us to build the boat upside down. I like his building techniques because they’re accurate and work well for restorations.

What do you like about building and restoring wooden boats?

WB: I like the process that a boat undergoes during a restoration. It starts out as a piece of wood. Then, we build the boat upside down and it becomes essentially a piece of sculpture. Next, we turn it over and it’s a piece of furniture living in a dry,safe environment. Finally, we finish it and chuck it into the most hostile environment imaginable. It’s once more a boat with a whole new life. I’ve always liked that.

What is your favorite boat?

WB: It’s always a race between a Concordia 41 and Herreshoff’s Alerion.

What’s your favorite boat to sail?

WB: Who gets to sail? I’d love to have a Herreshoff 12½. That’s all I’d need.