Alumni Profiles
Packer McBride
WB ’21
For Packer McBride ’21, a career in boatbuilding began with a tip from a family friend. Pat Snyder, a boat builder and fishing guide on the St. Lawrence River, introduced Packer to The Landing School after his own son, Aziel, graduated from the program in 2010.
Drawn to a hands-on career with day-to-day variety and room for creativity, Packer enrolled at TLS and found more than just technical training. “Along with the experience and knowledge I gained, I was able to form lasting friendships that supported me in establishing my own shop, where I built and restored wooden boats,” he says.
Now, Packer is looking forward to the new school year from a different perspective — as someone who can mentor the next generation. “I’m most excited about the opportunity to work with new students and encourage them to realize their goals,” he says.
When it comes to favorite boats, Packer doesn’t hesitate: the St. Lawrence skiff. “It’s the combination of form and function,” he explains. “Beautiful to look at, while delightful for rowing and fishing.”
Greg Henry
YD ’96
Greg Henry first discovered the Landing School in 1994 through an ad in WoodenBoat magazine. Drawn to the opportunity to gain a thorough understanding of boat construction, he enrolled and immersed himself in both traditional wood and composite methods.
One instructor in particular, design instructor Walter Wales, left a lasting impression. “He was quite demanding and taught that all the details matter,” Greg recalls.
After graduating in 1996, Greg began working at Derecktor Shipyards in Mamaroneck, NY. Over the next three and a half years, he gained experience in various departments, focusing on project engineering and the fit-out of large yachts and high-speed ferries. He later became the yard’s primary electrical engineer.
In 1999, Greg left the shipyard to complete a three-year double-handed circumnavigation with his wife. Returning in 2003, he rejoined Derecktor at their Bridgeport, CT facility as the yard’s electrical engineer. After completing a major project for the State of Alaska ferry system, Greg transitioned into commercial shipping, joining Voigt Maritime Inc. in 2005.
The move marked a shift from shipyard construction to managing a weekly cargo liner service to Bermuda. Today, Greg serves as President of Voigt Maritime.
Greg remains connected to the Landing School through annual donations and by keeping up with its news via mail and email updates.
William Delano
YD ’21
William Delano’s connection to the Landing School began in high school, at a marine trades symposium in Annapolis, Maryland. “There was a Landing School representative, and I think that’s the first time I talked to someone from the Landing School,” he recalls. Originally from D.C., he credits that moment as the most impactful introduction to the school.
He didn’t attend right away. After high school, he enrolled at IYRS for their boatbuilding and restoration program, then worked as an apprentice in the shipyard at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. When COVID hit, his path shifted. “The program wasn’t really fulfilling my needs anymore,” he says. “I felt motivated to do something else.” With a growing interest in yacht design, he enrolled in the Landing School’s design program in the fall of 2020.
It was a unique year, shaped by the pandemic and a smaller-than-usual class. “Anyone who was there had really felt strongly about being there and making this change in their life,” he says. Though he had already been building boats, he came to the Landing School to learn design. “Everyone was so passionate… If they weren’t doing it for work, they’d probably be doing it for pleasure.”
After graduating, he moved north to Belfast to work at French & Webb, a company with strong Landing School ties. While the original project he signed on for didn’t pan out, he stayed on and ended up working on a range of jobs - from carpentry to design work, including superyacht furniture and a boutique hotel in New York City.
He still keeps in touch with a few classmates and instructors and says, “I should be more connected, because I really do appreciate the Landing School.”
Joshua Koch
MS ’24
Joshua Koch’s path to the Landing School started with a recommendation from a friend in the tall ship industry. “Nick Patey was a buddy of mine,” he says. “I mentioned I wanted to get kind of a formal education, and he recommended the Landing School because he was an alumni. He took me on a tour — and that was it.”
Originally from Michigan and spending winters in the Florida Keys, Josh moved to an apartment on Old Orchard Beach and made the 40-minute commute to campus each day. As the second-youngest student in his marine systems class, he found himself surrounded by older classmates from a range of backgrounds. “I was kind of an odd duck,” he says. “I’d already spent a lot of time in the industry before going to school, which was kind of backwards.”
Josh credits his instructors — especially Pete Worthington — with shaping his approach to systems work. “Pete had this thing where he’d say, ‘Start stupid early,’” Josh recalls. “If an engine isn’t starting, don’t jump into the complex stuff. Start simple. That stuck with me.”
What the Landing School gave him most, though, was confidence. “Ripping an engine out of a boat and putting it back in sounds simple enough,” he says, “but I gained a lot of confidence by actually doing it, and having the chance to mess up and learn.”
Even before graduation, Josh landed a job as the engineer on a Tall Ship in Washington. Currently managing a portion of a company in Boothbay, Maine, Josh also serves as an engineer and the traditional rigging consultant.
Though he’s currently connected to the school mainly through social media and the occasional update from Nick, he says, “There’s a part of me that would like to be more involved… maybe come back as a systems instructor someday.”
Mike Akeroyd
Associates Degree ’11
Mike Akeroyd’s journey to starting his own marine systems business began far from Maine’s boat shops; in San Diego, where he found himself looking for a career change. “I just went online and found the school,” he recalls. “I gave them a call, and they said they had one spot left in the composites program. I said, ‘I’ll take it.’”
Four days later, Mike had packed up his car, loaded in his dog, and was driving across the country.
What stuck with Mike most wasn’t just the technical training — it was the people. “I’d say the most valuable thing I got from the school was meeting the people there,” he says. “Now that I’m out in the world… I know I have a whole bunch of people I can call.”
One of his strongest influences at the school was his systems instructor, Roger Hellyar-Brook. “He had this motto: ‘Keep them boating,’” Mike says. “His point was, if someone’s boat keeps breaking down during the short season, they’ll eventually end up selling them. Your job is to make sure you keep them boating.”
After graduating, Mike was hired by Great Island Boatyard in Harpswell. “They hired me because I went to the Landing School,” he says, specifically crediting his ABYC certifications. He worked there for nine years before starting his own shop, Shift Systems, in Portland. “I don’t think I would have that without the Landing School,” he says.