IYRS in the Summer

A visit to the International Yacht Restoration School on Newport's downtown waterfront is a window into the maritime heritage of the region. Step onto this campus at the edge of Newport Harbor to watch maritime craftsmen at work, see examples of the timeless classic boats that are native to New England, and walk in the shadow of historic architecture that has played a prominent role in this coastal city for nearly two centuries. The school is also the best pathway to the Museum of Yachting, located across the harbor. Each year the school and the Museum coordinate their restoration projects and exhibitions, and visitors can travel via water to tour these two destinations; the Newport Harbor Shuttle runs seven days a week between IYRS and the Museum in the summer season.  

WATCH MARITIME CRAFTSMEN AT WORK

At IYRS, students learn their boatbuilding trade while restoring historic wooden boats during the school term. Broken and derelict hulls enter the student workshop in the fall and emerge on graduation day in early June, restored to their original glory with paint and varnish gleaming. The school's docks are also home to a fleet of beautiful classic boats that migrate to Newport each summer. Inside the school's recently restored 1831 Mill building, one of only two mills still standing in Newport, is a Visitor Center where you can learn about the school and its programs and view a fascinating collection of miniature ship and yacht models. The William H. Combs Miniature Model Collection includes toy-like models that capture the beauty, artistry, and painstaking detail of model making and have captivated adults and children alike. The Mill also houses a leading maritime research library, which is open to the public.

A FLOATING "MANSION" IN THE MAKING

Newport may be known for its stately summer cottages. But there is a "mansion" of a different sort in the making at the International Yacht Restoration School, where a team of shipwrights are restoring the 133-foot schooner yacht Coronet, a rare survivor of the Gilded Age. Designed with the luxury of a fine home but one that was meant to travel to faraway shores, Coronet was launched in 1885 and completed two circumnavigations, a victory in the 1887 trans-Atlantic race, a passage to Japan as a scientific research vessel, and 90 years of voyaging for a religious organization's evangelical forays around the globe. After touring the restoration, visitors can travel across the harbor to the Museum of Yachting to view an exhibit that has been specially designed around the restoration. The display includes historic photos of Coronet and details of her luxe interior—as well as information on the yacht's colorful owners and her glorious and sometimes checkered past. A water taxi runs from the school docks to the museum, past large luxurious yachts that migrate each summer to Newport.

VISIT THE MUSEUM OF YACHTING

Located at historic Fort Adams State Park and linked in summer to IYRS by the harbor shuttle, the Museum of Yachting has created two new exhibits for summer 2010. As the Coronet restoration progresses at IYRS, the Museum will run an exhibition both documenting the yacht's colorful history and showcasing the restoration of Coronet's luxurious interior in a living exhibit. Famous for her opulent accommodations, Coronet’s beautiful hand-carved mahogany bulkheads, paneling and furniture is being painstakingly cleaned, repaired, preserved, and reassembled by a veteran craftsman and IYRS intern. The Museum has also joined forces with Mystic Seaport to create an exhibit that traces the evolution of marine engines—from the earliest steam engines to modern diesel and electric power plants. The engines in the display are both engineering marvels and functional artwork.

BECOME A STUDENT OF THE CRAFT

If you want to experience the art of wooden boatbuilding first-hand, enroll in a Monday-to-Saturday summertime course and build a wooden boat of your own. Classes run each summer at IYRS and the Museum of Yachting. Kits and instruction are provided by Chesapeake Light Craft, and each course focuses on a different type of craft—from small sailing prams to kayaks and canoes. Pre-registration in the boatbuilding courses is required, and prices run from $1,299 to $3,149 (including building materials and instruction). For more information, call John Freer at 401-848-5777 (ext 203).

The IYRS campus is open year-round to the public. For more information on visiting the school, and more on its programs and restoration projects  call 401-848-5777, ext 227. The Museum of Yachting opens for the summer 2010 season in late May. For more information on the museum and its events and exhibitions, visit www.moy.org or call 401-847-1018.