Wooden Boat Festival 2013, Port Townsend

The maiden voyage of the Stone Horse, Belle Starr was north from Olympia, Washington to Port Townsend, Washington, on the Salish Sea. What a fabulous week!

This voyage began last Wednesday, in rain and thick fog with occasional lightning and ended yesterday in beautiful blue skies with a downwind run home.

In between was the always satisfying Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival. Three days of navigating one hundred nautical miles northward by GPS, with hardly a sight of land, culminated in glorious skies Friday, as Belle Starr set anchor off the Port Townsend wharf.

The festivities had already begun and spirits were high with anticipation of a fine weekend. Belle Starr proved to be in good shape, with few problems and performed as her pedigree predicted. We tried all potential sail combinations and discovered a few rigging shortcomings, but nothing to put a damper on the fun.

Doryman has friends in high places (lucky man) and soon after arrival, Belle Starr was invited to tie-up at the dock inside the Basin and join the Festival, even though that was not her intention. She elected to stay outside, at anchor, the better to spread her wings at a moments notice.

You will discover, therefore, most photos in the Doryman archives are on the water, under full canvas. Shooting while handling a sailboat is not ideal for photography, though looking through the photos might give you the feeling of being there. (That's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it.)

Event Photos:
Doryman's Flickr site
Northwest Maritime Center (facebook)
Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding (facebook)

Thanks to all my good friends for making this a week to remember (you know who you are). Doryman is fortunate indeed, to be a member of such a stellar tribe.

Your happy skipper

Belle Starr on Marristone Island. A happy boat.














  Sleeping Seals on Eagle Island from doryman on Vimeo.