PORT TOWNSEND, Wash. —
Retired Port Townsend craftsman Wayne Chimenti continues to practice his trade by teaching building skills and life lessons to teens and young adults.
Chimenti started the nonprofit Community Boat Project 20 years ago. The group works on various projects and focuses, including building boats, but also tiny houses. While he’s proud of what they create, he said the finished results are not why they do it.
"We build things for the community but teach people how to build while we do it, so we’re not product-oriented, the product is the people,” said Chimenti.
He said about 80% of the young adults he serves are from low-income families, so it’s important to teach them skills that will carry over into their day-to-day lives.
“They are going to be the people that come fix your car, they are going to be the people that come fix your house for you,” Chimenti said, emphasizing how important hands-on skills are.
Chimenti spent his life working on boats, starting his family’s sail-making business, Force 10. He uses those skills to teach the teenagers hands-on lessons.
While his focus is on the teens, they also are helping others along the way. They build tiny houses to donate to the homeless community, which also teaches the kids to give back.
“You say ‘Oh what are you going to do about homelessness?’ 'I don’t know.' You can come down here, slap some paint, and you’ve been part of the solution. And that’s very very empowering,” Chimenti said.