Pocket Yacht Palooza, 2013

Doryman took a long weekend and visited Port Townsend, Washington for the second annual Pocket Yacht Palooza. The show was scheduled for last Saturday and Sunday, though Saturday was the big event. By Sunday, everyone was restless and on the water to various destinations.

The Port Townsend Pocket Yachters are a relatively new group of seriously fun sail-and-oar affectionatos who are not likely to be found lounging on a beach very long before they are off on a new adventure. The success of this gathering is in the numbers. This year there were at least seventy five boats in attendance. The Commons area at the Northwest Maritime Center was so full, it was difficult to get a clear photo of any one boat.

An added bonus was the Tribal Journey, Paddle to Quinault, which featured 90 US Tribes, Canadian First Nations and New Zealand canoes joining the celebration. Fort Worden was an over night stop on this journey. We watched (from a respectful distance) the welcoming ceremony for the canoes, which stirs the heart.

 
The canoe takes a counterclockwise turn at the approach to the beach and a warrior stands in the boat and asks permission to land, while a welcoming party responds. There are a handful of photos in the slide show (link below...) and I hope to add more, as my companions send them in.

As always, your correspondent was too busy chatting to get many particulars, so I'll simply give you the photos and if you're interested in a particular boat, will try my best to identify it for you.

Organizer Marty Loken has posted more photos on the Pocket Yacht website.

What a great opportunity to visit with friends from near and far. Looking forward to next year already!



In case you missed the link - Photos can be found on Doryman's Flickr site.

The Pocket Yacht Palooza is sponsored by the Northwest Maritime Center, the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding, the Port Townsend Pocket Yachters, Small Craft Advisor Magazine and the Small Craft Skills Academy.

Thanks to all for such an excellent weekend on the water.

Port Townsend Pocket Yachters Boat Show

There's a new boat show in Port Townsend, Washington: Pocket Yacht Palooza.



Port Townsend’s Northwest Maritime Center will be the site of the first annual Pocket Yacht Palooza, a one-day boat show organized by the Port Townsend Pocket Yachters club to celebrate traditional small rowing and sailing boats.









The show, free to the public, is scheduled for Saturday, May 19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.





Pocket Yacht Palooza will feature boats belonging to several Puget Sound area groups, including the Port Townsend Pocket Yachters and the Puget Sound chapter of the Traditional Small Craft Association. Boats from the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding and the Northwest Maritime Center’s boatshop will also be displayed.


Organizers are appealing to owners of small rowing or sailing craft in the 10-foot to 23-foot range to participate in the event and everyone interested is invited to participate. Newcomers are more than welcome.
And, if you are in the process of building or restoring your small craft, they're interested in that too.








“We’re eager to celebrate a wide variety of smaller boats, whether built of wood or fiberglass and we know there are hundreds of interesting trailerable boats on the Olympic Peninsula, so we’d like to hear from owners who might be willing to display their small craft during the Pocket Yacht Palooza.” says my friend, Marty Loken.

No entry fees will be charged, Marty tells me.

“This is not one of those judged shows where people need to worry about whether their boat is in perfect condition.” The main goal, he said, is to display a variety of interesting designs and appreciate the different ways in which designers and builders have produced smaller watercraft that are functional, seaworthy and suited for surprisingly lengthy cruises.






“Most of us appreciate the famous quote of Larry and Lin Pardey, a couple who circumnavigated twice aboard a pocket cruiser. 'Go Small, Go Simple, Go Now.'”




The Pocket Yacht Palooza is co-sponsored by the Small Craft Skills Academy, a four-day program that begins May 20 at the Northwest Maritime Museum. The Skills Academy is being organized by small-craft adventurer Howard Rice, who will speak the same Saturday evening, May 19, 7 p.m. at the Northwest Maritime Center, describing his harrowing rounding of Cape Horn—both directions—in a small Klepper sailing canoe. The public is invited to attend. Admission will be $7.00 per person. Sponsored by the Northwest Maritime Museum and Small Craft Advisor Magazine.


The Port Townsend Pocket Yachters are great folks. I guarantee you will enjoy this show - the weather is always sunny in Port Townsend!

The address for the Northwest Maritime Center and location of the Pocket Yacht Palooza is:
431 Water St, Port Townsend, WA 98368





Those who are interested in bringing a boat to display in the water or on a trailer should contact organizer Marty Loken: Marty@islandboatshop.com

There goes Marty now...