Teaching, Tools and 'Eureka' Moments

When Roger Rhodes walks into a MAST Academy lofting class, he brings with him more than just tools and large sheets of brown paper – he brings decades of experience, stories from boatyards across New Zealand and a down-to-earth teaching style that makes even the trickiest concepts click.

For more than 25 years, Roger has been at the heart of boatbuilding training and education. He began teaching the first pre-trade boatbuilding courses in Whangārei at Northland Polytechnic (now NorthTec), during a time when the marine industry was thriving. Having just stepped out of boatbuilding himself, he felt it was time for a change and teaching was a whole new challenge.

“Conveniently” Roger says, “our training workshops were located just across the path from New Zealand Yachts, so many of the trainees naturally stepped straight into work there.” He recalls how Robert Brooke, then General Manager of the Boating Industry Training Organisation (BITO), played a pivotal role in shaping these foundational courses. “It was the hub,” Roger reflects. “We set up the courses to prepare young apprentices and from there the lofting block courses just kept growing. We’ve refined them year after year to meet industry needs.”

Today, Roger teaches MAST Academy’s scale drawing and lofting block courses, where apprentices engage with scaled exercises that teach fundamental concepts of proportion and measurement without requiring the space and materials of full-scale construction.

Lofting is the traditional skill of drawing a boat’s full-sized lines on the loft floor “and is one of those crafts that separates someone who just builds boats from someone who truly understands them,” says Roger. It’s also the moment when many students experience what he calls the “eureka” moment.

“You can see it happen,” he says. “They’re sitting there, maybe struggling and suddenly it clicks – they can actually see the boat in three dimensions, like they’re inside a glass hull. And usually, they’ll say something a bit stronger than just ‘wow!’

Lofting class in action

Roger admits that not every learner gets it straight away. His classes always include a mix – some who pick it up quickly and others who need a bit more time. “Years ago, a student once said I spent too much time with the – in their words ‘slow ones’ and you know what? He was right. Since then, I try to keep a balance, supporting those who struggle but without holding back the rest. The key is to keep everyone moving forward.”

Preparation, says Roger, is everything. From long flexible battens to covering the floor with sheets of brown paper, he’s meticulous about setting the stage so learners get the most from their time on the block course. Over the years, he’s taught all over the country, recalling the challenge of carting those lengthy battens from venue to venue – no easy feat!

Through his teaching, Roger has helped hundreds of apprentices gain not just technical skills but also the confidence to see themselves in the industry. Whether they go on to become boatbuilders, welders or designers, his impact is clear. As he puts it: “I just do what I do and move on. But seeing those lightbulb moments – that’s the part I’ll never get tired of.”

Roger’s passion for training also goes beyond teaching the MAST Lofting course to apprentices. From his early days teaching in the community, he now spends one day a week introducing school students to carpentry “often it’s their first hands-on experience with tools,” says Roger. The small projects, such as crafting waka ama paddles, build their confidence and spark practical skills they may not otherwise gain. Students proudly share these projects with friends and whānau.”

A highlight for Roger is always MAST graduation, when he recognises former lofting students crossing the stage. “Faces I remember, names not always,” he laughs. But seeing them succeed, or hearing, ‘You taught me lofting’ – is the reminder of why he teaches. For Roger, those moments make it all worthwhile.