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06/22/2017 12:01 AMThe largest gathering of wooden boats and enthusiasts in New England will converge at Mystic Seaport for the 26th annual WoodenBoat Show Friday, June 30 through Sunday, July 2.
The WoodenBoat Show, hosted in a partnership with WoodenBoat Publications, offers something for all wooden boat enthusiasts and maritime history buffs. More than 100 traditional and classic wooden boats of every type will be on display, from hand-crafted kayaks to mahogany runabouts, classic daysailers, and schooners.
In addition to taking in the historic vessels and beautiful boats, visitors can find everything they need to outfit their own watercraft and learn new skills at demonstrations and workshops throughout the weekend. A variety of exhibitors will offer items for sale including maritime art, antiques, tools, books, nautical gear, and more.
Throughout the weekend, Mystic Seaport staff and guest experts will conduct demonstrations of a variety of boat-building skills, including wood-epoxy boat building, caulking, laminating wood, using an adze, and Viking boat building. There will also be tours of the Mayflower II restoration in the museum’s shipyard.
Other popular features are the “I Built It Myself” display of home-built boats and Family BoatBuilding, where families and teams work to build their own pre-purchased kits during the weekend. The 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.
Visitors can also try their hand at rowing or sailing a small boat at the museum’s boat livery, or in one of the boats participating in the John Gardner Small Craft Workshop, which is run concurrently with the show by the Traditional Small Craft Association.
A highlight of the 2017 show will be deck tours of the Viking ship Draken Harald Hårfagre. The reconstructed longship sailed across the Atlantic Ocean in 2016 to explore and relive one of the most mythological sea voyages: the first transatlantic crossing and the Viking discovery of the New World more than 1,000 years ago.
Tours will run throughout the show, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The last tour each day is at 4:30 p.m. Tours will run every 30 minutes and cost $6 per person (Children age 3 and younger are free). Tickets will be available at the ship and online at www.drakenshop.com. Note: The ticket is in addition to regular admission to Mystic Seaport.
Museum admission provides access to both The WoodenBoat Show and Mystic Seaport. Three-day passes are available.
The WoodenBoat Show is produced by WoodenBoat Publications, Inc., which includes WoodenBoat magazine, Professional BoatBuilder magazine, the WoodenBoat Store, the WoodenBoat School, and The WoodenBoat Show. The WoodenBoat Show is an annual festival celebrating the design and craftsmanship of wooden craft. For more information please visit www.thewoodenboatshow.com.
For more information about Mystic Seaport, visit www.mysticseaport.org or follow Mystic Seaport on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or Instagram.