Boatbuilding - College Salutes Graham Byrnes

Taking boatbuilding under Graham is like taking guitar lessons under Eric Clapton.

"Hell no! Too much engineering goes into this to have failures like that."

That was the emphatic, demonstrative, and profound answer from Graham Byrnes when asked if any boat his students had built had failed in any way or sunk. Pamlico Community College recently saluted Byrnes for having completed a quarter century of teaching boatbuilding, a tenure longer than any faculty member from any program of study ever in the history of the institution.

Recent interviews revealed how Byrnes is revered by his current and former students. Bob Andrews, 76, went to work for a boat manufacturer in New Jersey when he was only 15. Before retiring to the waterways of Pamlico County, Andrews lived near the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland and has been involved with boating for 61 years. He said, "Having worked on boats and owned many boats, I thought I was fairly knowledgeable, but I learned much from Graham. For one thing, he taught me to stitch and sew wood panels, something I carried with me after his class when I built a Chesapeake Light Craft kayak."



Bill Creswell, a retired Information Technology manager is currently building a 17 foot Core Sound boat in the class. Creswell observed this about the class under Byrnes. "There is nowhere else on this planet where all the ingredients come together better than they do here. We have the best in woodworking, engineering, and design background. Graham is a naval architect with all the right experience. I can't put a value on my experiences here. You can't replicate this class anywhere."

Byrnes lives and breathes for wooden boat designs and their construction. He has a motto in his private workshop, "If God had intended man to have fiberglass boats, he would have created fiberglass trees."

Last year Byrnes won a prestigious international wooden boat design competition sponsored by two magazines, Professional Boat Builder and Wooden Boat Magazine. There were 73 entries from 16 different countries. Byrnes designed a lightweight and economical center console power boat, outclassing the competition that would use a small engine but cruise at normal speeds with four people on board. The prize also included a cash award.

When asked if there had been any major changes in the instruction he has offered over the last 25 years, Byrnes was quick to point out the advent of the computer in creating boat designs and cutting material. He said, "Now we have computerization in the designs and in the equipment used to cut wood. A router's movement can now be guided by a computer to create the most intricate of designs or patterns."



On the flip side, Byrnes, with decades spent on the seas, noted that some things have not changed and will not change. "The laws of the sea have not changed. We still have to compete with nature and nature does not cut us any slack."

In addition to the many wooden boat competitions both he and his students have won, Byrnes has also won more sailing competitions all over the world than he can remember. One of his most memorable wins was at Newport, Rhode Island, in 1993. The race was sponsored by Wooden Boat Magazine and had 103 entries. Byrnes won both first in his class and first in the fleet.



Becky Fitzgerald is taking her first boat building class and building her first boat in the current class. She is building an eleven foot spindrift, a sailboat referred to as a catboat, only one sail, the mast near the bow.

"I like tools, and I always wanted to try this. My husband, Jerry, lets me play. I love this challenge. Graham is world class. To be in this class around his talent is simply unbelievable," she said.

Jeff Gurney, like many former students of Byrnes, is set to try his hand at becoming a professional boat builder. He has built a 30 x 30 shop at his home on Upper Broad Creek where he plans to open his new business, Coastal Carolina Watercraft of New Bern, NC, USA.

Gurney exclaimed, "Taking boatbuilding lessons from Graham Byrnes is like taking guitar lessons from Eric Clapton."



The class attracts students from many levels. Some have professional interests like those of Gurney, many are retired from a variety of professions, and some are still very much involved in careers. Brian Dodds said, "After working all day at a desk in front of a computer, to be able to do something as creative as this is more than satisfying."

Byrnes is a native of Australia. He studied boat building and design at Brisbane Technical College, a school similar to North Carolina's community colleges. That school is now a part of Queensland University.



Looking back over hundreds of classes and scores of students, Byrnes revealed why he has had and continues to have a passion for teaching. "It's the people. I have made so many fine friends, and I have learned as much from them as they have learned from me. Old yachtsmen never die. They just get a little dinghy."

PCC President, Dr. Cleve H. Cox, paid tribute to Byrnes. "Since the day I arrived at Pamlico Community College, I have heard countless accolades regarding Graham Byrnes and the boat building course he has been teaching here for 25 years. That certainly speaks to the quality of instruction he provides and the interest there is in learning from 'the best!' After seeing his work and that of his students, it is without question that he is an asset to the college, the county, and the world-wide marine community."

In western cultures, yoga is viewed as the union of the mind, the body, and one's spirit. Susan Koepp, who will be the instructor for a yoga class at Pamlico Community College beginning January 26, describes yoga as... a process of self discovery, a health practice that encompasses the whole being."

Her current students in Oriental describe the yoga experience in her classroom as the "best of the best." Susan Gulko, who has travelled extensively, Wendy Osserman, a professional dancer who lives mostly in New York, and Ken Laser, a New York architect who also has a home in Oriental - all say that though they have been in classes from New York to California, nothing compares to being in a yoga classroom with Koepp.

Paula Beattie, a novice in the yoga classroom, says, "This yoga class under Susan has changed my life, physically, mentally, and emotionally." Beattie has even convinced her husband, Chuck, a retired airline pilot, to give yoga a chance.

Laser observed, "Susan intuits what's going on in the classroom. She senses the energy in the classroom on each particular day and addresses the needs of the individual students. She works with the energy in the class from both a quantitative and qualitative perspective. She addresses those needs as she intuits them."

Osserman, who has performed in a wide variety of venues nationwide, described Koepp's classroom as "so challenging." Laser noted that this area was so fortunate to have an instructor with Koepp's qualifications. "I have been in yoga classes in New York and other places, but nothing compares to being in a classroom with Susan Koepp. She tunes into the right combination of the spiritual and the physical. It's a perfect pitch when we are together. She is absolutely the best," he said.



Susan Gulko described her four years of taking yoga under Koepp as "an incredible journey." She said, "Susan is strong but flexible. My overall health is so much better since I have been taking part in this class. She is caring about the students and their needs. She understands that students have different abilities and works with them individually. It's not a competition in this class. We all mutually benefit."

George Wieniescky joined the chorus of praise and commented that Koepp would expose the students to more than they imagined, heightening their classroom experience.

One can log on to the website, www.mywellnesspartner.com to learn more about yoga's benefits for muscle tone, and better health for tissues, ligaments, joints, and nerves. Yoga is practiced in many cultures to reduce stress and anxiety, boost metabolism, improve concentration, focus, and attention as well as enhance balance, posture, coordination and agility. Yoga is also known to improve sleep patterns, enhance digestion, increase lung capacity, and alleviate pain.

Classes begin January 26 at Pamlico Community College and will be held during the noon hour, 12 - 1:00 PM each Tuesdays, through March 26. To learn more, call Misty Rasmussen, 252-249-1851 x 3019, mrasmussen@pamlicocc.edu.

It has been reported that Janet Rogers, parade judge, created a special category for an award for Pamlico Community College. The college was recognized for the most Christmas spirit in delivering candy to parade goers. Led by Jamie Gibbs, the PCC parade participants didn't just throw candy to parade watchers, they placed it in their hands.


Gibbs delights octogenarian Betty Brandon with candy from PCC.


PCC was ready to roll when the parade started in chilly temps.






"Six days on the road and I'm gonna make it home tonight."

Pamlico Community College, Pamlico County, and other counties in Eastern North Carolina will benefit from funds provided by the American Recovery and Re-Investment Act to train qualified veterans and military spouses for high demand jobs. Labeled the Veterans Initiative Project, this effort will significantly expand training opportunities and provide funds for tuition, fees, and books.

This endeavor is a collaborative partnership between the Eastern Carolina Workforce Development Board, the North Carolina Eastern Region Military Growth Task Force, the North Carolina Department of Commerce, the US Department of Labor and the Employment Security Commission JobLink Career Centers.

Training at Pamlico Community College will be designed to meet the demands of high demand/high growth jobs. Eligible individuals can receive financial assistance for training that must be completed over the next seventeen months, by the end of March 2011.

Cristy Lewis, Coordinator of the Pamlico JobLink Center, said, "This is an excellent program for some very deserving people. These educational and training opportunities will serve people who have in turn done so much to serve our country. I look forward in the coming months to helping as many individuals as possible receive assistance for these training programs."


Cristy Lewis, PCC JobLink Coordinator

To learn more about qualifying for this program and other educational and training programs at Pamlico Community College, contact Lewis, 252-745-9934, clewis@pamlicocc.edu, Kim Wallace, the college counselor, 252-249-1851 x 3023, kwallace@pamlicocc.edu, or Misty Rasmussen, Director of Occupational Extension, 252-249-1851 x 3019, mrasmussen@pamlicocc.edu.

Jamie Gibbs, Dean of Student Services, observed, "We're eager to see people receive benefits from the Veterans Initiative Project. We are confident that we can match the right training and educational programs with the right people. Having this program providing the financial assistance to pay for these classes is just a win-win situation for all."

According to Clark Dimond, Dean of Institutional Advancement, "Pamlico Community College is a participant in Breaking Through, a Jobs for the Future initiative to help individuals move from one level of training and skill to another. The Veterans Initiative Project is one more way our college can provide pathways for people to move forward in education and ultimately toward job satisfaction. We're good at putting different programs together to help people achieve success in pursuing goals. I really encourage veterans and military spouses to give us a call so can help them find the right path to individual success."

Circle Ten Art Gallery in Oriental will host an exhibit of works from a variety of media created by students, faculty and staff from Pamlico Community College. The exhibit, sponsored by the Pamlico County Arts Council, opens with a reception, 2-4 PM, Sunday, November 1.



Highlighting the show are works by PCC art instructor Joan Burns and her students. Christian Jones, a second year student in the Associate in Arts curriculum, hopes to transfer to Meredith College in Raleigh after graduating next year to major in fashion design. Her three-dimensional creation featuring two-dimensional drawings from her sketch book is expected to generate significant interest.

Jones says, "I love creating hands-on work. When I was little, I would make clothes for my dolls out of socks. Before I had a sewing machine, I sewed by hand. I made everything from garments to curtains to pillows and pillowcases for my friends."

Her work for this exhibit is a replica of the Bay River Apartments where she lives. Originally thinking she would create some "weird box shapes" for this assignment in her art class, she went outside late one sleepless night, looked at the apartment building she calls home and decided to re-create that, decorating the walkways and part of the facade with pages of drawings from her pen and ink drawings. She recalled, "I did this to challenge myself."



The foundation of the structure is cardboard. She used a hot glue gun to weld the fabricated pieces of the building together. "Once the glue dried hard, it sort of took the place of beams in a house and made everything stand up straight. I have to admit that there were times I didn’t think I was going to finish," she said. The project was two months in the making.

Part of that process took its toll in pain and scars. "I cut a piece of flesh right off my finger one night but I put a Band-Aid on it and kept on going. I lost track of the times I burned myself with the hot glue gun."

In addition to this and other pieces of work, the exhibit will feature pencil drawings by Allyson Rice who is an Environmental Science student, photography by Clark Dimond, Dean of Institutional Advancement, Cristy Lewis, the college's JobLink coordinator, and Carolyn Casey, Program Director for the Associate in Arts Curriculum. Burns will be exhibiting a painting, not on canvas, but on a life-size door. English instructor Rick Miller will be exhibiting drawings and photographs. Kathryn Gillenwater's compensatory education students will also be represented.

According to Burns, "We're grateful to the arts council and to Circle Ten for giving us the venue to showcase a small part of the diverse talent that thrives on the PCC campus. This exhibit, while showcasing some of the works of faculty and staff, is designed to ultimately encourage students in their artistic expressions. Artistic expression enhances critical thinking and that is big part of the educational process for our students."

"Delegates" from Pamlico Community College met with John Wright Stanley at his home in New Bern, Saturday, September 19. In a meeting arranged by Kay Williams of Tryon Palace, Stanley pleaded with the "delegates" to support the patriots in Massachusetts. The "delegates," history students of Elizabeth Cox and humanities students of Carolyn Casey, toured the palace and participated in an interactive convention of delegates from all across North Carolina wrestling with the decision of whether or not to remain loyal to the king.



Stanley posed with the delegation from Pamlico Community College on his front lawn after his meeting with them.



After touring the palace, PCC students viewed the splendor of the gardens. Dora Miramontes, Fran Bennett, and Stephanie Edwards strolled about the floral gardens while others visited the vegetable gardens.



At the Academy Museum, Stephanie Edwards viewed a display describing life of African-Americans in early New Bern.

Students in the Pamlico Community College curriculum welding class scheduled to begin Monday, September 21 will be welding more than steel plates. They will be "welding" a college transcript with curriculum credit. Previously, many PCC welding classes have been offered as occupational continuing education classes but this class will offer college credit to those who successfully complete the course.

Welding 121 will be taught by Shawn Carawan in the welding facility at Pamlico County High School using recently updated equipment. The classes will be Monday and Wednesday evenings, 6 - 9:50 and are open to the general public. To register, contact Michelle Willis, 252-249-1851 x 3040, mwillis@pamlicocc.edu.

Carawan said, "This will be a class in mig welding, or wire-feed welding. It is commonly associated with welding aluminum but we will be teaching how to weld steel plates. People who finish this course will find it useful to gain entry level employment as a welder or useful for welding jobs on the farm or at home. A lot of the applications I will teach will be useful in the construction industry."

According to Dr. Larry Gracie, Chief Academic Officer at Pamlico Community College, "This class is another example of the open door of our community college being open more than just at the traditional beginnings of semesters. We are doing more and more to make our courses more accessible and more relevant to the needs of the people we serve."