If you have considered putting in an entry, but are feeling a little ambivalent, have a watch of this talk given by the Festival Director Paul Stephanus at the recent Auckland Festival in March. It’s a whirlwind account of the scale and breadth of one of the most successful gathering of timber craft anywhere in the world.

However for me the interest in the story is the roll on of business that the Australian Wooden Boat Festival creates when all the boats have returned to their home ports. After considering doing a great deal of the work myself , I came across the stand of the Wooden Boat Centre in Franklin , in particular Cody whom relayed his passion and plans to create as much new work for his apprentice shipwrights .

This week…Wingnut, AWBF entries, Veterans Race, Peixinho, and lots more.

Whales, Wanderers, Gretel, Dragons, Scallops and Gaffers. Now that’s a nice cross section of our world in the news this week!

The Calendar, The Centenarian, More MJOJO, mining (or not), Hoddle’s Grid and much more

Near Sinkings, saved habitats, boxes ticked and books worth reading. All in this week’s news page.

The biggest news page yet, with boats for sale, boats for free, events, opinions and awards from around the wooden boat world.

It’s a relationship that can only add to the combined cultural wealth of the wooden boat communities in this part of the world. It looks like there is going to be a sizeable contingent arriving from the big Island, for the event (13–15 March) including the small but mighty team from SWS who will be presenting at the symposium and covering everything else going on on the Waitemata.

This week’s sailing stories from around the web and the world.

Some sailing related stories that piqued our interest from around the web and the world this week.

This week’s news and events from around Australia New Zealand and the world.

The AWBF has just released a recording of the panel discussion between a gang of Derwent Class sailors and SWS’s co-editor Sal Balharrie at the recent festival. It’s not your standard symposium fare!

“Across the globe and throughout history, wooden boats have been foundational to the story of human civilisation. Whether for fishing, trade, exploration, or leisure, these vessels have always been part of humanity's shared heritage and culture. They've taken us to every corner of the Earth and they bind us together.”

The ABC picked up on our story from last week. The aforementioned rowlocks are still sitting beside my computer as I write. Surely there true custodians can be tracked down!

The idea was, that the two fully restored boats would go out on the Derwent and sail a short course in company. There would be a start boat to see them on their way, and then they would cruise sedately beside each other providing opportunities for photographs.

Well that wasn’t going to happen! On an overcast day with a 15 knot South Easterly blowing, the fog horn sounded, signalling the start ,and it was on for young and old!

The crew of 1958 pilot cutter Goondooloo called police at 3:45pm on Wednesday after the vessel experienced a mechanical failure in D'Entrecasteaux Channel, in the state's south.

Mark and Sal will be in Hobart on the waterfront for all four days of the festival. Don’t hesitate to come up and say hello, (especially if you’ve got a good story to tell in future pages of SWS!)

Browsing the Australian Wooden Boat Festival Program it’s hard not to be impressed with variety and quality of the eleven vessels that carry the “Tall Ship” moniker. If you are planning to be down in Hobart for the Festival consider getting onboard one of these awesome craft!

If you are reading this then the chances are you are part of something that’s bigger than you imagine. The wooden boat world by nature self depreciatory. It’s an admirable characteristic to understate, to play down, in a world where the unjustified hyperbole often drowns out the the quiet achievers.

"The AWBF is a celebration of our collective heritage. The 2025 theme allows us to explore our connection with the Pacific like never before, bringing visitors face-to-face with historic vessels and remarkable people from across the ocean. We hope to create a festival experience that feels both grand in its spectacle and intimate in its sense of community."