120 wooden boats in Melbourne this weekendWednesday 17th February 2010 | 11:07 AM« Back to ListingThe event, which is designed to promote wooden boat heritage and connect the broader public with the spirit of timber boating, will combine all of the major wooden boat and classic yacht groups in and around Melbourne. Wooden boat enthusiasts will not only be able to enjoy the luxury of 100s of beautiful timber vessels, from the very old to the newer, but can sail on a tall ship and take in the entertainment planned for the Festival. The Festival will feature both on-water and on-hardstand displays, model boats, sailing and racing boats, marine trade displays, live music, come and try sailing, and working boat displays. In addition to the boat displays there will also be two and a half Tall Ships - Enterprize and One & All - providing onboard tours, 1 hour Docklands sailing trips and twilight cruise. The half tall ship is the Alma Doepel that is undergoing a major refit, without her masts she looks like half a vessel. Why not step onboard and relive some of the magic from the tall ship trading days. The Maritime Heritage Association of Victoria is providing $15 cruises from Docklands to Polly Woodside and return via the Steam Tug Wattle. Pirates Garden and Picnic: join Melbourne's first Pirate Garden and Picnic in Docklands. As a treat, Pirate Children will be admitted at half price because we all know pirates only have one leg. Children will be treated to three shows daily by Melbourne's own Flat Head Fred. The event is a combination of over 15 community groups coming together to show that Docklands is the perfect water playground. "Melbourne has such a rich heritage with wooden boats; it's the founding city for the Classic Yacht Association, Wooden Boat Association and the revival of the Couta Boat fleet. So it was natural that it should also have a Wooden Boat Festival," says Mark Bergin, the Wooden Boat Festival director. "We have over 120 boats for the inaugural event. Who would have thought that Melbourne had so many wooden boats waiting to come together at the first festival," Bergin enthuses. Other activities to keep all satisfied include boat maintenance master classes and ‘How to Maintain your Hull', engine, rig, sail and paint demonstrations, along with what is required for an annual safety inspection and information on the suitability of marine timbers.
Shipwright Gathering will bring together Victorian shipwrights in one space who will share their extraordinary skills, knowledge and history. "We're very focussed on helping to build an active community in the Docklands area. Over the next five to 10 years, over 20,000 people will move into this area and wooden boats are a natural pastime activity for the local community." This Wooden Boat Festival adds to a growing calendar of events on Port Phillip and compliments the existing events at Sorrento, Queenscliff and Geelong. Now is the time to build up an activity centre closer to the largest population in the state, while supporting regional events and activities.
Event supporters include:
For event information and media interviews contact For all information go to: www.woodenboat.com.au/mwbf2010/ Press release published by Seeking Media. http://www.seekingmedia.com.au/ |
