Written By Roselle Tenefrancia & Photos by Andy Kancachian
The Wooden Boat Festival, a four-day iconic Australian bi-annual event in Hobart, was held in February this year. Sharing Australia’s maritime history with visitors, there was something for everyone including the young children who were entertained with many free activities and events.
The event attracts hundreds of the rarest boats in Australia, that sail up the Derwent River to the Port of Hobart.
The heritage area was the ideal backdrop for this picturesque event. Hundreds of years ago, Hobart became a hub for commerce and attracted boats from across the world. The inaugural Australian Wooden Boat Festival was held in November 1994 by boating enthusiasts and friends. Since then, the event has grown bigger and better, and has gained international recognition among the wooden boat enthusiasts from all over the world. It is one of the events that involve the community and allows stories to be told and traditions to be passed on.
Wooden boats from everywhere and of all sizes – from dinghies to tall ships – were on display, and each owner or operator was more than happy to answer any questions. Many boats were open to the public, and allowed visitors to experience what it was like inside these vessels that carried with it the stories of their builders and their histories.
The festival included dozens of marine trade supplies, local food stalls, seafood cooking demonstrations, sailing legends telling their stories, musicians from close by and far away, buskers, art displays, photo displays, nautical book author interactions, and film showings.
The festival attracted an estimated 120,000 happy people. With many of those visitors from interstate, it generated a great economic benefit to Tasmania with many tourists estimated to have spent not only the four days of the festival on the island, but 10 or 11 days in total, spending their money elsewhere in the state.
One of the most spectacular sights of the festival is the Parade of Sail that begins the event, and for a number of hours sees the boats return to docks and be assisted into their berths with the help of volunteers on tenders.
There were around 500 ships on display at the festival with about 400 volunteers who helped in making the event a spectacular experience. The next Australian Wooden Boat Festival will be held in 2025, a highly recommended boating lifestyle experience.
Published in print April-June 2023
