Wooden wonders

Get set for the Australian Wooden Boat Festival, 10 to 13 February 2023 on Hobart’s waterfront.

06 February 2023

The 2023 Australian Wooden Boat Festival is a free, four-day Festival held across the beautiful Hobart Waterfront.

From boats afloat to boats ashore, talks, exhibitions, films, music, demonstrations and family friendly activities — there’s something to float everyone’s boat!

Celebrate wonderful wooden vessels and their custodians across the entire waterfront area of Sullivan’s Cove.

Among the biggest drawcard for locals and visitors are the Tall Ships. In 2023, 11 local and interstate Tall Ships will be berthed across Sullivan’s Cove. Sailings will be offered, in addition to open boat tours.

Across the Festival site there will be a large fleet of boats including Australian Dinghy Designs and beautiful Model Boats.

Kids will love the Blundstone Noisy Boatyard where they can get hands-on and make a toy boat.

The Festival honours traditional boat building skills and techniques.

Constitution Dock will host boats afloat, as well as Festival activities such as Parbuckling and Dragon Boat racing.

There will be hundreds of wooden boats on water and onshore.

Timber boats from all states and territories will be on show, 10 to 13 February 2023 in Hobart.

The Wooden Boat Symposium features a series of presentations, debates, panel discussions and stories.

One of the major drawcards is the fleet of Tall Ships.

The famous Parade of Sail opening event kicks off at midday Friday 10 with a showcase of 200+ wooden boats sailing across the River Derwent to enter the Festival site. Visitors will also be able to view the spectacular Derwent World Championships, the Ketch Review and more.

The Australian National Maritime Museum Boat Builders Display celebrates current and bygone boat builders of Australia, representing each state and territory.

The Shipwright’s Village is one of the most popular programs on the site, and features the extraordinary people behind wonderful wooden boats. The 2023 Village boasts the Living Restorations projects, the Wooden Boat Centre precinct, steam bending and blacksmithing.

The Maritime Marketplace features everything you need for your boat. With over 60 stallholders, exhibitors span apparel suppliers, books, accessories, materials specialists and more in one of the best commercial displays at an Australian boat show.

The Wooden Boat Symposium will hold a scintillating series of presentations, debates, panel discussions, story-telling and films. Local and interstate guests will discuss everything from boating simulators to building wooden surfboards.

The Blundstone Noisy Boatyard comes alive with a series of half day, full day, and multi-day courses. Under the tutelage of a skilled Shipwright, lucky students have the opportunity to make and take home their own handcrafted maritime object.

At Constitution Dock, known historically as the home of wooden boats, the area will host boats afloat, as well as traditional Festival activities such as Parbuckling, Dragon Boat activities and the popular Quick N Dirty Challenge.

There will be plenty of food and beverage available on-site, as well as wooden boat fun for kids, free entertainment, and plenty of grassy space to run around or just sit back and relax.

For those seeking a little extra to add to the experience, there are several AWBF and Partner ticketed events.

australianwoodenboatfestival.com.au

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