Winterton boy gets his boat-building birthday wish
For some 11-year-old boys, a birthday party at a bowling alley or a movie theatre is a guaranteed good time.
But all Jacob Hiscock of Winterton wanted to do was go to a museum: Winterton's Wooden Boat Museum of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Jacob, along with brother Noah and buddy Ashton Ivany, headed to the museum earlier this month to build boats and learn about boat-making methods.
"I likes that the boats are here, and I likes learning about the boats," he told CBC's Weekend A.M.
A hundred model boats
"I love boats, and so I likes coming here to learn about them and talk to Jerome (Canning, master boat builder at the museum), ask him a few questions."
Jacob has a hundred model boats of his own, but hopes to make a full-size boat when he gets older.
His friend, Ashton, 10, was only too happy to tag along to the museum.
"I like going there because I like to learn about boats," he said. "We've built model boats."
Canning said the museum has regular workshops, and it's fairly common for kids to take part — especially when they're as keen as Jacob, Noah and Ashton.
Canning wasn't surprised at all when Jacob requested a workshop for his birthday.
"I wasn't in the least surprised," he said.
"If you knew the enthusiasm of Jacob and his brother and Ashton ... they're continuously in the land wash, they're up in the brooks, they're out on the boat with their pop and their dad and mom. I can't say they're typical children in the outport, in the bay communities, but I have to say they're exceptional."
For children, the museum starts very simply: A two-by-four with a hole for the sail. But that wouldn't work for Jacob (this was his fourth workshop) or Ashton (his second).
"These guys are advanced," he said. "We actually put together a boat that had six pieces, and we did three of them in three hours."
Full-size boat is the dream
Canning said the basics being learned by the boys will be applied when they're ready for a full-sized boat.
"Putting together that one is as complex in miniature as it is for the big ones," he said.
Jacob said he wants to build a full-size long liner.
"I want to go fishing," he said.
