Where else can you see this many great wooden boats old and new than at the annual Wooden Boat festival in Port Townsend, Washington. This is the place to be for west coast fans of everything in boating that is not made of fiberglass. It all seems particularly apropos here in the Pacific Northwest with it’s rich tradition of lumbering. Having worked in a plywood mill I know how deep the roots of the lumber trade go. Standard fare in humor was the barbecuing of the Spotted Owl. Forest products of all kinds once formed the primary source of employment in western Washington..
Among the things I will be concentrating on this year will be Chesapeake Light Craft. I don’t believe they will have a Chester Yawl at the show. It will be interesting to look at the rest of their line in depth having some experience of building one of their kits. I hope to get some time on the water in some CLC boats. My impressions will be featured in Seaward Adventures.
There will be a number of seminars to attend. Probably more than I can actually get to not having mastered the art of being in two places at once. Items of special interest are:A Bob Perry Daysailor: Sliver, Build Your First Wooden Boat! by Dan Mattson, fillets and Bonding with Bruce Blatchley, and Scudding, a book written by Julia and George Maynard about building and cruising in a Spray replica.
Of course Sunday will be pirate day for me and my grandson. It’s an annual bonding ritual that gives me many fond memories which I shall revisit in my dotage. My grandson will have the same opportunity someday in therapy as Grandpa is a bit weird.
There will be more to see and do than I will have time for. That’s the beauty of it. You simply can’t have too many wooden boats all in one place.
