Calling all captains, kids, curious boat lovers and listeners to long-spun sea-faring yarns. The 2008 Sunshine Coast Wooden Boat Festival is coming to Pender Harbour, Aug. 1 to 4.
In its fourth year, this event showcases antique and classic wooden boats and offers children's workshops in scale wooden boat building classes. There will be demonstrations of hardhat diving, children's activities, entertainment by Joe Stanton and Jimmy Dougan, a silent auction, a concession stand and a parade of the boats on Sunday. The daily entry fee is $2 per person.
"This is a great opportunity for the harbour to show itself off," said Michael Ross, co-ordinator for the festival. "People have been giving up dock space for it, so the boats will have moorage."
The wooden boat festival moves to Pender Harbour this year to celebrate the partnership between the two hosts: Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary - Halfmoon Bay Unit 12 and Pender Harbour Unit 61. Another reason for moving the site was to save people bringing their boats from Porpoise Bay and having to wait for ebb tides in an otherwise wild Skookumchuck Narrows.There will be 30 boats ranging from 4.3 to 43 metres, coming from all along the Coast, Vancouver and Vancouver Island. A few of the boats are part of the Working Wooden Boat Association, which means they are still being used.
The silent auction's biggest prizes will be sold off on Sunday. A sailing dingy made on the Coast and a painting by Motoko are the grand prizes. All monies raised during the festival will go directly to the Coast Guard Auxiliary partners.
More information can be found at www.woodenboatfestival.ca.
