Four Under 35

They cannot be pigeonholed, these four; they constitute, in fact, a master class in contrasts: Schelbert had never been sailing before “hitchhiking” across the Atlantic on an 85-footer; Theriault, on the other hand, grew up in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, where he not only started sailing as a child but also bought his first boat at age 12. Goolden resisted a university education and predictable career paths in favor of adventure; McMurdo, however, stayed on the path to his university degree in mechanical engineering and went right to work. McMurdo negotiates the notoriously expensive city of Vancouver; Schelbert is working in a tiny cove in Guatemala between charter sailing crew jobs. Goolden has made a nearly full-time job of running his project and documenting it in videos; McMurdo fit in 20 to 30 hours per week for years on his reconstruction in addition to his full-time marine engineering and project management jobs.

Despite their differences, however, they have a great deal in common. Above all, this: they came to boatbuilding by purposeful choice. And they sought out wooden boats not just for their beauty but also for the fact that they could work on them by themselves, albeit sometimes with help and advice. All found mentors of one kind or another. A soft market for boat sales put boats, most of them of considerable size, within range financially, so long as they were willing and confident to undertake whatever repair and restoration work they would encounter. They have found that older boat owners and builders are eager for them to succeed and are often free with advice and help.

“I had never done any manual labor besides waitressing and some simple part-time jobs, and I had never worked with tools,” Schelbert said. She learned sailing by signing on for a transatlantic passage and started learning boat maintenance by sailing with a friend for a year and a half. “My grand love for wooden boats definitely roots in that beautiful period of sailing through exotic Caribbean islands, living a simple, yet exciting life, filled with learning, adventure, and love,” she said. After buying the 36-footer, she found it to be in much worse shape than anticipated. “I bought some books, talked to as many knowledgeable people as I could, and started the project. I did a lot in the learning-by-doing style. Fortunately, I had great advice and help from friends. I am combining traditional wooden boat repairs with modern materials, such as bio-epoxy, and practical, do-able compromises that I, as a novice, am able to do. I know that ALANI will be 200 percent stronger and more durable than she was before, and I will be half a shipwright when I am done.”