Interview with Karl Cressotti - IYRS '08, Boatbuilding and Restoration Program

Hometown: Cheshire, Connecticut

Employer: Boothbay Harbor Shipyard/Museum of Yachting

Why IYRS?

I was a carpenter doing residential work--everything from framing to finish work. I enjoyed it but I was looking for something more challenging. I loved the water and so put the two together. Coming to IYRS seemed to be kismet.

What are you working on right now?

Planking the Beetle Cats along with everyone else. Right before lunch, I was scarfing a plank.

What’s the hardest skill you’ve had to learn?

The hardest is also the most satisfying and that’s planking. It’s the most foreign thing I’ve done because it’s specific to boat building. It tests the quality of the wood and the quality of the person doing the planking. But when the planks go on right, it’s very satisfying.

Neatest thing you’ve learned?

The little tricks that you pick up along the way that separate the enthusiastic amateur from the professional.  It’s like being initiated into the group when someone tells you “This is the way to get around that.”

Most memorable moment so far at IYRS?

That’s tough. Every crisis, no matter how it’s resolved, seems to be the most memorable at the time. A month later, it’s taken over by the next crisis.

Favorite tool or piece of equipment?

A well-tuned plane. When you take a pass at a piece of wood, it’s artistic and satisfying to have a nice, curly shaving. And a Yankee screwdriver is a fascinating piece of machinery that’s deceptively simple.

Favorite wood to work with?

Ask me again in another couple of years. I’ve worked with just a few types here so far–oak and cedar, a little bit of mahogany and some pine.

What do you like about boats versus houses?

In today’s market, houses are mostly cardboard cutouts. They don’t have much in the way of character. While sailboats might appear to have only subtle differences, when you look at them, you can see they have entirely different and new shapes.

Favorite classic boat in the IYRS boneyard?

The R boat Ruiweda with its exposed frames. I like things that are simple and sailboats fit that. There’s something very appealing about the shape of a sailboat. 

Any plans yet for what you’ll do once you graduate in 2008?

I have a few ideas. I want to remain involved in the restorative process. I’d like to tie in my history degree with the water and working with my hands. And I think I’d like to work in a smaller yard. I like the personal atmosphere of working with a core group of people.