Boat builders festival celebrates Washburn & Doughty recovery

The Seventh Annual Boothbay Boat Builders Festival on Sunday, Aug. 2 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. will include the celebration of the recovery and rebuilding of the Washburn & Doughty Shipyard following last year’s fire. The festival takes place on the East Boothbay waterfront, at Shipbuilders Park & Ocean Point Marina,

Just as in years past, the two shipyards will be open for viewing. Along with the newly constructed Washburn & Doughty, which continues to do business, will be the renowned Hodgdon Yachts, builder of world-class yachts like the Antonisa and Scherherazade. Visitors can also tour Ocean Point Marina, as well as Nat Wilson’s Sail Loft, where sails are made the old-fashioned way.

In addition, this year the Boothbay Region Land Trust, sponsor of the annual fund-raising event, offers new delights.

At the popular Kids’ Tent parents and grandparents can bring their young children to story time for a reading of “The Littlest Tugboat,†as well as music and sing-a-longs. The popular model boat building and nautical flag making will also be offered.

This year, The Pirates of the Dark Rose promise a raid on the harbor and festival grounds, complete with cannons. A pirate visit to the Food Tent is a real possibility.

One of the highlights of the festival is the Food Tent, offering a Gigantic Seafood Spread, with seafood chowders, lobster and crab rolls, and hot dogs and a variety of beverages, as well. Cookies and other desserts will also be available.  Live music throughout the day will entertain visitors, at the food tent and other places on festival grounds.

Boating is the theme of the festival and once again visitors can look forward to a variety of pleasure and working vessels, including one of the Washburn & Doughty world-class tugboats. On display also will be small vessels built in regional shipyards and backyards. Their builders and owners are always available for a chat. A parade of classic Lyman boats will be part of the large display of boats in the water and on land.

During the day, representatives of Washburn & Doughty will talk about the ordeal of the 2008 fire, the help of the local community, bringing the people up to date on their progress at the shipyard. These talks will take place at the E. Boothbay Methodist Church.

The art show at the Ocean Point Marina boat shed will offer paintings, pottery, sculpture, glass, and textiles. Also available will be the 2009 poster, East Boothbay artist Tony van Hasselt’s watercolor depicting the early rebuilding of the Washburn & Doughty Shipyard.

A cocktail buffet including wine and beer is planned for Sat. Aug. 1, when the Art Show will be open and art for sale. Tickets are $40 per person, and are limited. Call the BRLT office for further details.

Festival tickets are $12 in advance, $15 at the gate, young people to 18 admitted free. Advance tickets will be available at BRLT, One Oak St., Boothbay Harbor, (207) 633-4818 or at www.bbrlt.org. Proceeds from both events benefit the Boothbay Region Land Trust’s ongoing conservation efforts to preserve land as well as the working waterfront. The BRLT, established in 1980, protects a broad range of coastal, island, forest, meadow and wetland properties, with trails open to the public.

By Professional Mariner Staff