Come and celebrate B.C.’s maritime heritage during the Cowichan Bay Maritime Centre’s 33rd Annual Wooden Boat Festival taking place July 7 and 8.
Arrive early to enjoy the pancake breakfast on Saturday morning or stay late for the salmon BBQ dinner and silent auction on Saturday evening; take in the live entertainment, knot tying and steam engine demonstrations; vote for your favourites among the classic wooden boats on display and in the much-loved ‘Best of the Bay’ Chowder Contest; bring the kids along for the boat building, fishing derby, RC Boat Pond and face painting; cheer on the underdog in the seagull engine and brown bag dinghy races, and more.
“The 33rd Annual Wooden Boat Festival is a fun-filled community festival with activities for the whole family,” said organizers. “Don’t miss out on this great event.”
Among the boats on display at this year’s festival will be Wind, a 12-foot clinker built dinghy. Shipwrights who have examined Wind figure she is close to 100 years old and based on the wood, was likely built in England (maker unknown) and brought to B.C. soon after. Wind was used as a life boat on a coastal cruiser locally for a period of time. Wind is carved into her transom and may have been done so shortly after her build. The oars, mast, floor, and fittings are all original. She has had a few repairs along the way and is in fine shape to last another 100 years.
The 33rd Annual Wooden Boat Festival is open to all wooden power, sailing, and pulling vessels up to 40 feet in length. There will be wooden boats on display from near and far. Complete festival details, including a schedule of events and boater registration forms, are available at classicboats.org.
