Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival 2012

This year's festival in Port Townsend, Washington State was the 36th celebration of wood boat craft in this famous maritime town. It's a huge show requiring constant year-round planning, hundreds of volunteer hours and consumes the entire community for three days every September. Many of the vessels in attendance come time and again because the whole event is like a huge reunion.

Whether you are a wooden boat fanatic like myself or simply like to stroll around on a nice day and enjoy a beautiful setting, there is something there for everyone. In fact there are so many boats, displays and lectures you could never take it all in.

 There were no Doryman boats entered in the show but I took the rowing shell, Finesse so I could view and photograph the boats from the water. Joel Bergen was kind enough to take me sailing in the small boat race in his John Welsford Navigator, Ellie so some of the photos came about that way. I see that Joel has already begun his coverage of the show, which will no doubt be excellent. Be sure to stop by and see navigatorjoel's version of the weekend.

(No we didn't take any prizes in the race but I'll leave it to him for that story.)

My voice is completely gone from talking about boats for days on end. Positively heaven for Doryman.

I can't add much to the photo essay. But you know what they say about pictures.


This essay is worth close to 150,000 words, please enjoy:

More photos of the 2012 Festival from John Kohnen:

Wooden Boat Festival, Portland, Oregon

The weather promises to be fine this weekend. Those of you who live close to Portland, Oregon might want to drop in at the Wooden Boat Festival at the Willamette Sailing Club. The show is Sunday the 8th from noon to six, but the family boat building starts on Friday.

Sponsored by the Willamette Sailing Club, RiversWest and the Oregon Maritime Museum.



Admission is free!

Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival 2010

September 10-12, 2010 were the dates for the 34th annual Wooden Boat Festival in Port Townsend, Washington.

A maritime vortex in the Salish Sea, Port Townsend has an international reputation for the preservation and perpetuation of traditional wooden boat building, restoration and lore.







The original festival was a home grown affair, an entirely grassroots, no hype gathering of local salty citizens.

That was the last time I was there, thirty three years ago. I happened to be in town and impulsively bought my first fixed keel boat that weekend, a Picaroon named Scud moored in the boat basin.





Many of my friends attend or exhibit at this fine show every year, so I'm informed about how it has grown but the actual event was even more than expected.


It's come a long way in three decades!







Hundreds of boats and exhibits, live music, great food, demonstrations, workshops and thousands of visitors.

Exhausting!


















Here is a slide show to give you some idea of how packed the weekend was. From mega yachts to homemade dingy tenders, there is something for every wood boat enthusiast at this festival. Regular readers will recognise some of the boats. If you have any questions or imput about a particular boat, please check in with a comment below...




It will not be another three decades before I go again, guaranteed!