120 WOODEN BOATS IN MELBOURNE THIS WEEKED

Maritime Heritage returns to Docklands, when over 120 wooden boats and two and a half tall ships go on display at the inaugural Melbourne Wooden Boat Festival, Docklands 20-21 Feb.

The 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.
                                                        
“Volunteers are a key factor. To run an event of this magnitude volunteers are needed and we’ve had a great response with enthusiastic volunteers, many of whom are leaving their suits behind and coming down to enjoy the simpler life of wooden boats.” Bergin says.  “Not everyone is a sea-going person; for many it’s the land activities that get them in.” 

“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:
Blunts Boatyard
City of Melbourne
Classic Australian Wooden Power Boat Assoc
Classic Yacht Association
Couta Boat Association
Docklands Yacht Club
H28 Association
Maritime Heritage Association of Victoria
Mordialloc Boating and Angling Club
Mordialloc Motor Yacht Club
Sail and Adventure Ltd - Alma Doepel
Sandringham Yacht Club
Sorrento Sailing Couta Boat Club
Tall Ships Victoria
Tumlaren Association
Wooden Boat Association

For event information and media interviews contact
Mark Bergin, Festival Director
email: mark@woodenboat.com.au or phone: 0418 565 848

For all information go to: www.woodenboat.com.au/mwbf2010/