Nestled on the grounds of the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum is an area where you can hear the hum of power tools and the witty banter of a very special group of volunteers. This is Heritage Boatworks, a truly unique, volunteer-based program dedicated to preserving the traditional art of wooden boatbuilding.
A part of the Lighthouse’s archaeological program since 2007, Heritage Boatworks was created to educate guests on the maritime history of Northeastern Florida. Starting with a group of 3 industrious volunteers, the program now has 26 passionate individuals (pictured below) who together have donated a collective 4,000 service hours to the St Augustine Lighthouse in the last year.
While the volunteers provide the bulk of the labor, the program is supported by staff member John Clarke, the Museum’s Maritime Activities Program Coordinator. John plays a critical role, describing himself as a requisition officer, making sure the boatbuilders have everything they need to complete their builds. “I’m essentially their on-staff cheerleader,” he explains. “I’m not one of the builders, but it’s been really amazing learning from the guys that are. We take on volunteers for Heritage Boatworks that have some unique experience related to building or carpentry. We have retired woodshop teachers, retired Coast Guard, we even have a gentleman who was a luthier.” (A luthier is a person who builds and repairs stringed instruments)
John’s role stretches well beyond coordinating supplies. He also leads three presentations about maritime history to the Museum guests, Monday through Saturday. With a B.F.A from the Art Institute of Boston, his creative talent can be seen across the Museum’s site in exhibits and on the grounds, from the ship’s wheel in the Wrecked! Exhibit to the cut-outs and illustrations in the Shrimpin’ An’t Easy Exhibit. If you have strolled the grounds, you’ve likely enjoyed some of John’s work without even realizing it!
Before joining the team at the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum, John spent over a decade with the National Park Service where he specialized in maritime history at the Salem Maritime National Historic Site. There he worked aboard a full-scale replica of a 1797 East Indiaman merchant ship, an experience that deepened his appreciation for traditional maritime craftmanship and interpretation.
It’s that same spirit of historic preservation and public engagement that defines the spirit of the Heritage Boatworks program today. “As a maritime museum, it’s crucial that we have boats on site,” John says. “There’s no need for a Lighthouse without a boat or ship on the water. It’s crucial to our history.” As one of the few traditional boatbuilding groups in the South, Heritage Boatworks has a clear objective: to preserve historic maritime craftsmanship and to immerse visitors in the maritime traditions that shaped Northeast Florida.
Visitors are encouraged to stop and engage with the boatbuilders at work steam bending wood, caulking seams and breathing life into classic vessel designs. The team is currently working on three vessels, including a traditional wood-strip rowboat known as the Lawton Tender, a twelve-feet two-person sailboat called a Shellback Dingy, and a small 1880’s vessel called the Coquina. Boatworks has been able to collaborate with other organizations on historically significant builds in recent years. These partnerships include constructing a Barca Chata for the Fort Mose State Park, a chalupa for the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park, and a yawl (pictured below) that is currently on display at the Mosaic Museum on Jekyll Island, Georgia.
Heritage Boatworks isn’t just about building boats; it is about preserving and keeping alive the traditional skills that are part of the maritime heritage of Northeast Florida. Through sawdust and sweat, as well as storytelling and the sharing of skills, John and the boatbuilding volunteers ensure that this vital history stays afloat for future generations.
Consider helping fund the Heritage Boatworks program and you might just take home a piece of history! Tickets for the boat drawing are $5 for 1 or $20 for 5 and can be purchased in the Museum Store inside our Visitor Center. The boat drawing for the Shellback Dingy will take place on December 3, 2025, during our annual Luminary Community Night. You can see the Shellback Dingy (pictured below) on display in the breezeway outside of the Museum store during regular Museum hours. The drawing for the Lawton Tender will take place in December 2026.
