Wooden Boat Show at Mystic Seaport

See more than 100 traditional classics and contemporary wooden boats of every type at the 22nd Annual Wooden Boat Show at Mystic Seaport — a festival hosted in partnership with WoodenBoat Publications that celebrates the design and craftsmanship of wooden craft. The three-day show runs June 28-30, 2013 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day and is free with paid admission to this Mystic, CT, attraction.

Described by Yankee Magazine’s Travel Guide as “one of Connecticut’s Top 20 Events for the Summer,” the three-day Wooden Boat Show offers something for all wooden boat enthusiasts and marine history buffs. Wooden boats of every type — large and small, old and new, power,
sail, oar and paddle — will be on display including cruising yachts, launches, runabouts, fishing boats, performance powerboats, daysailers, dinghies, rowboats, canoes, performance shells, multi-hulls and racing boats.

Whaleboats for the Morgan

A special feature this year will be six newly-built whaleboats for the 1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan. The boats are part of a 10-boat national project to construct replica whaleboats to be carried onboard the ship on her 38th Voyage in 2014. Organizations from around the country are building the 28-foot long open boats for Mystic Seaport. The boats at the show will be from the Independence Seaport Museum in Philadelphia; New York City’s Rocking the Boat; Gannon & Benjamin Marine Railway of Vineyard Haven, MA; Beetle Boat Shop of Wareham, MA; the New Bedford Whaling fMuseum; the Great Lakes Boat Building School in Cedarville, MI; and The Apprenticeshop of Rockland, ME. The Apprenticeshop builders plan to sail and row their boat from Maine to Mystic over the course of five days.

During the weekend, the Morgan will be located on the Museum’s lift dock over the Mystic River in preparation for her launch on July 21. Come view the whaleship’s exposed hull and go on board.

Exhibitors and Activities

In addition to seeing beautiful boats in the water, browse through tents and extensive land exhibits which include boat builders, sail makers, marine adhesive and coatings companies, boat schools and associations, maritime art and antiques, tools, wooden boat hardware, nautical gear, books, and innovative items. More than 140 vendors will be offering items for sale.

Those interested in the construction of smaller boats can stop by the Family BoatBuilding tent, where families and teams will work to build their own canoe or skiff during the weekend. Purchased kits are opened at 9 a.m. Friday morning and tools are put down around 3 p.m. Sunday, leaving, in most cases, a boat awaiting only final finish work. Some boats will be launched at the Show.

Other events include the return of “I Built it Myself,” a display of home-built boats; a Concours d’Elegance, including Judges’ Choice, Innovation, and People’s Choice awards; and children’s toy boatbuilding.

Hours and ticket information are available online.