WoodenBoat Show

The 32nd Annual WoodenBoat Show is almost here! We can't wait to get back to the Mystic Seaport Museum for this year's festivities. Click here to get your WoodenBoat Show tickets now so you don't miss out on everything we've got on deck, including:

Schedule of Events

9:00am-5:00pm : Concours d'Élegance

All boats exhibiting at the WoodenBoat Show, on land or in-water, are invited to participate in the Concours d'Élegance.

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Speakers' Series

Masin Room (shore side of North Entrance building)

10:30 a.m. - Left for Dead
Eric Jay Dolin
In his latest maritime history, Eric Jay Dolin writes of a War of 1812 encounter between American and British ships in the Falkland Islands. He describes it as a tale of shipwreck, greed, lying, bullying, a hostile takeover, stellar leadership, ingenuity, severe privation, endurance, banishment, the great value of a dog, the birth of a baby, a perilous 1,000-mile open-ocean journey in a 17' boat, an improbable rescue mission, and legal battles over a dubious and disgraceful wartime prize.

2:00 p.m. - Panel Discussion: Trends in Wooden Boatbuilding
Alec Brainerd, John Harris, and David Snediker
With high-end restorations that demand exacting traditional skills, cold-molded construction that seems to dominate in new custom yachts, and the rise of wood-epoxy kit boatbuilding among owner-builders, much has changed in the 50 years since WoodenBoat started publishing. What are the trends ahead for wooden boatbuilding? Alec Brainerd, of Artisan Boatworks, John Harris of Chesapeake Light Craft, and David Snediker of Snediker Yacht Restoration share their wide-ranging perspectives.

9am-5pm: Skills Demonstrations

9:30 a.m. - Keel Replacement (L.A. DUNTON) with Mike Coyle, Mystic Seaport shipwright, Shipyard north end
11:30 a.m. - Soft-attachment rigging with Matt Otto, The Rig Loft, Shipyard paint shop
12:30 p.m. - Blacksmithing with Mike Saari, Metalsmith, Shipyard pole barn
1:30 p.m. - Carvel planking with Walt Ansel and Scott Gifford, Mystic Seaport shipwright, Shipyard paint shop
3:30 p.m. - Strip-planking and Fiberglass Sheathing with Rose Woodyard, Newfound Woodworks, Shipyard paint shop

June 30, 2024
9:30 a.m. - Understanding Lines and Lofting with Tom Jackson, WoodenBoat Senior Editor, Shipyard paint shop
11:30 a.m. - Strip-planking and Fiberglass Sheathing with Rose Woodyard, Newfound Woodworks, Shipyard paint shop

I Built it Myself

If you've built a trailerable wooden boat that you'd like to show, we would love to hear from you! There is no entry fee for the I Built It Myself exhibit, but you must be willing to discuss your wooden boat project with attendees. In the past we've had up to 50 beautifully crafted boats and proud owners/builders. The collection has included kayaks, skiffs, daysailers, canoes, and much more by a variety of designers such as Iain Oughtred, Joel White, Chesapeake Light Craft, Arch Davis, and William & John Atkin. This exhibit always offers plenty of inspiration!

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5-8pm: We're Celebrating 50 Years of WoodenBoat With Boats, Beer and Bluegrass!

WoodenBoat is marking its 50th birthday with a special free after-hours party on Saturday, and you're invited! After the Boat Show wraps up at 5 p.m., stick around for three hours of beer, food and live music.

The party is sponsored by the meticulously restored Chesapeake Bay buyboat COASTAL QUEEN and the equally impressive Barnegat Bay catboat SILENT MAID, and features:

Music by the Providence-based bluegrass band Big River Stomp

Remarks from WoodenBoat's founder, Jon Wilson, as well as Nat Benjamin of Gannon & Benjamin Marine Railway

Free beer and pizza while supplies last

Additional cash bar

Award-winning food trucks Munchies and The Rolling Tomato

All Boat Show attendees and exhibitors are invited to attend the party, which runs from 5-8 p.m. Regular show hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on June 28-30 at Mystic Seaport Museum.

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