The sounds of saws and mallets are intermittant, but the smell of fresh wood is constant, wafting from nearby stacks, waiting to be turned into gunwales and planking, spars and stays. Sometimes a dozen students swarm around the boat hulls, shaping and sawing, hammering and painting. Sometimes they're away in class or conducting research, and the small yachts, "beetle cats", nestle side-by-side in "Restoration Hall", all alone. But slowly, the yachts take shape under the hands of the craftsmen. Or, perhaps, "re-taking shape" is a more proper term, since they are being restored after years of abuse by the salt sea and harsh sun.

The 1905 building, originally an electric generating plant, houses workshops and classrooms and a large overhead gallery for watching the progress of students restoring classic yachts. Visitors can watch the process of restoration; removing decayed wood, shaping and molding new pieces, careful fitting, and then artful blending of colors and lines to make the new pieces match the old.

Students at the International Yacht Restoration School (IYRS) research, maintain, and restore yachts ranging in size from 10-foot rowing skiffs to the Coronet a schooner built in 1885 measuring 167 feet long, 27 feet wide, and 12 feet deep. The Coronet won the 1887 Trans-Atlantic race and has sailed twice around the world. Its sails measure 8500 square feet. The yacht is too big for Restoration Hall or IYRS's sister-building, an 1831 textile mill, so you'll find it being restored either on display in front of Restoration Hall, or out on the granite dock alongside other noteable yachts.

Beetle Cats, becoming new again Staff Photo

But as spectacular as the Coronet is, with its mahogany panelling and cut glass mirrors, the beetle cats are the mainstay of IYRS's two-year certificate program. These small yachts were built in abundance, over 3000 were launched using John Beetle's orginal design, starting in 1921 and continuing to the present day. Their steady supply makes them perfect for teaching the basics of yacht restoration to first-year restoration students. The 12-foot long cat boats are designed for pleasure sailing in waters like those of Narragansett Bay -- their six-foot centerboard lifts up to let the boats slide right up on the beaches for solitary picnics and sunbathing.

Other yachts at IYRS include the 1903 raceabout Eleanor, the 1924 Red Herring, the first Concordia yawl, Java, and the 12-1/2 meter racing yacht, Kelp. Fifty other yachts are either in Restoration Hall, along the docks, or pulled up onto dry land around the 2-1/2 acre campus in the process of restoration.

Visitors to the IYRS campus are welcome to linger on the mezzanine and watch the students restoring the classic wooden boats, or wander out the stone docks and explore some of the yachts from up close. Because of the heavy work around the campus, children should be closely monitored. The school hosts over 20,000 visitors a year from around the world. There is no charge to tour the campus and its boats. The campus is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10-5.

Full time students spend two years preparing for careers as shipwrights. IYRS also has curriculum enhancement programs for area high schools. With advance planning and registration, Rhode Island residents and visitors from all walks of life can

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learn specific boat-building skills, explore aspects of maritime or yachting history, or learn sailing and seamanship aboard IYRS's classic yachts.

IYRS is at 449 Thames Street, on the Newport's waterfront. You can contact the school at 401/848-5777 or visit their website at www.iyrs.org.

About the author, Paul Pence: Not a life-long Rhode Islander, Paul got to Rhode Island as fast as he could. He has 25 years of writing experience and numerous publication credits including the Providence Journal, the East Greenwich Magazine, Weissmann Travel Reports, Travel Lady Magazine, Jackhammer, Your Skin and Sun, TravelNotes, TexWoman, and many others.

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