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The Australian Wooden Boat Festival team has developed another compact event to help alleviate the ‘withdrawal symptoms’ suffered by many of those who missed the Covid-cancelled biennial festival this year.
03 March 2021
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The Maritime Trail offers a unique opportunity for wood-working enthusiasts, wooden boat builders and restorers, or those who are simply curious to have a look behind the scenes at the many steps involved in wooden boat building and maintenance.
From a boat’s initial design, through timber harvesting and milling to the finished intrinsic beauty of a lovingly crafted wooden boat, the Maritime Trail offers the opportunity to meet the passionate men and women who are the backbone of Tasmania’s world-renowned maritime sector.
The Maritime Trail is a series of guided tours of timber mills and boatyards and a showcase of classic wooden boats including some Tall Ship sailings.
It also includes some special-interest events at Franklin’s Palais Theatre featuring talks by maritime sector leaders and nautical authors; sea shanty workshops and a forum discussing Tasmania’s world-renowned boat-building timbers.
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As Festival General Manager, Paul Stephanus explains, the appeal of wooden boats is universal.
“They are part of our shared human experience,” he says.
“Wooden boats are common theme throughout human history. Modern civilisations were founded through exploration by wooden boats, and the boats of indigenous people changed the course of history. It unites us all.
“On a cultural level, wooden boats offer us the opportunity to reconnect to bygone eras and experience the past in a living way. Timber was a living thing. Wooden boats reflect their geographical location, such as the unique timbers of Tasmania and other Australian locations, or North America, Europe, and the various types of waterways they suit.
“They are not made in a mould, each one is unique and personalised.”
The event will be held over the weekend of 10 and 11 April 2021. Tickets are available online through the Australian Wooden Boat Festival website from 10 March.
The next Australian Wooden Boat Festival will be held in Hobart Regatta Day weekend, February 2023.
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