Presented by The Charles Bruce Foundation
In partnership with WoodenBoat School

The Carl Cramer Scholarship celebrates the life and legacy of Carl Cramer (1946–2025)- a sailor, publisher, father, friend, and lifelong learner who believed that good work and good company made for a life well-lived.

Carl was the longtime publisher of WoodenBoat magazine and co-founder of Professional BoatBuilder and the International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition & Conference (IBEX). But beyond his professional impact, Carl was best known for his warmth, curiosity, humor, and generosity of spirit. He delighted in people, their stories, their quirks, their potential, and had a gift for making anyone feel like they belonged at the table.

He loved design and craftsmanship, especially the artistry of wooden boats and the hands that built them. He valued books, conversation, and the kind of friendship that weathers time and tide. To his family and many friends, he was both anchor and compass: steadfast, funny, and endlessly interested in the world.

In Carl’s honor, The Charles Bruce Foundation, through the generosity of his dear friend Pat and her family, will award an annual partial-tuition scholarship to Wooden Boat School. This award supports someone who shares Carl’s love of creativity, craftsmanship, and connection, whether through building, learning, or simply showing up with heart and curiosity.

Applicants are invited to submit a haiku inspired by the sea, craftsmanship, or connection. The poem can be funny, profound, or quietly observant, like Carl himself.

Please include your haiku, your name, contact information, and a brief note (up to 200 words) on why you wish to attend Wooden Boat School.

The recipient will be chosen for originality, heart, and resonance with Carl’s spirit: curious, generous, creative, and unpretentious.

Carl Cramer believed in experience over pretense, in boats and books, in family and friendship, and in the kind of joy that grows when shared. This scholarship continues that voyage- helping another mariner, maker, or dreamer find their way, light on the wind, and gone laughing.