Boats on waiting list for September Wooden Boat Festival
By Jeff Chew, Peninsula Daily News
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"We have 140 boats confirmed in the harbor and 20 to 30 on the waiting list," Kaci Cronkhite, Wooden Boat Festival director since 2002, said of the 32nd event, which is scheduled Sept. 5-7.
The waiting list started Aug. 10, farther ahead than ever, Cronkhite said.
Usually that happens about a week beforehand.
"We've never been so full, so early," Cronkhite said.
"We've got an excellent variety of boats this year, with the pre-festival harbor layout indicating we're three or four boats deep on the linear raft-out, and given the mix of boats, it appears we're half power, half sail in the water.
She said boats-on-land exhibits are still being accepted.
The festival is nicknamed "the Woodstock of Wooden Boats."
Festival officials said the event is intended to be family-friendly, experience-rich educational and cultural festival where people from around the world mix with boats of all shapes and sizes.
The festival will feature music into the night, games, food, boats, marine related exhibitors, artists, hands-on demos, beer, races, boat rides, rowing opportunities, art and beautiful views at every turn.
Public sails
Waterfront boats available for public sails will include Port Townsend-based schooner Adventuress, the state's tall ship Lady Washington, the tall ship SSS Odyssey and gaff schooner Merrie Ellen, which was recently retrofitted in Port Townsend.
If the harbor layout holds as planned, the linear dock will be full of power boats, Cronkhite figures.
Center dock and the slips will be packed with sailboats and rowboats, she said.
Power boats will include large and small tugs, classic Northwest and international designs, green designed plywood boats, all running on a variety of fuel — biodiesel, solar, diesel, gasoline and electric motors.
Sailboats on the list of exhibits include tall ships, schooners, sloops, innovative rigs and clusters by design or rigs like Tbirds, Devlin, Calkins, Chamberlain, schooners and Folkboats.
"For the last three years, we've getting increasingly more boats on the waiting list," Cronkhite said, adding that she's seeing a growing trend in popularity for wooden boats and boat construction using wood.
"There are people looking at construction in wood again as a more sustainable product," Cronkhite said.
"Metal has gotten more expensive. Oil-based products are more expensive, so all of a sudden wood looks to be a more cost-effective thing."
Boats can be built from kits using plywood. That makes smaller boats, which can be hauled by trailers, such as row boats, more popular.
Inquiries from all over
Cronkhite said she expects a surge of first-time attendees from a four-hour radius of Port Townsend, as well as from outside the US.
"Attendees from Germany, Denmark, Italy, France, Netherlands and England have written for information," Cronkhite said.
"Likewise, we expect a lot more people who plan their vacation here, close to home. We've got a world of wooden boats in our own backyard.
"There's a revival of wooden boats and classics in Europe and their currencies are strong. They value the innovation here and the skill."
Children under 12 years old will be admitted free, and all activities within the festival are included for the price of entry.
Adult admission will be $12, or $24 for all three days, and $6 daily for seniors and students.
Jefferson Transit buses will run every 10 minutes, 12 hours daily. Bike parking will be free at the main gate at the end of Water Street.
For more information, go to the site at www.woodenboat.org/festival/.
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Jefferson County Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-385-2335 or jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.
Last modified: August 20. 2008 9:00PM