April 2024
River Front Boat Show happens 13 April and serves as an annual celebration of the craft of boat building and to raise scholarship funds for students in the Cape Fear Community College boat building programs. Held on the banks of the Cape Fear River in downtown Wilmington, CFCC’s boat show attracts thousands of visitors every year. https://cfcc.edu/boat-building/cfcc-riverfront-boat-show/
Spring CENTEX Small Boat Messabout happens 20 April at Inks Lake State Park Burnet, Texas. This event is for small boats and their owners and typically includes wooden kayaks, canoes, and small cartop and trailer boats handcrafted with loving care, many by their owners. 'Boatless' folks who attend may be treated to a short row and sail. For event details email Steve at slansdowne249@gmail.com
Pull And Be Damned Small Boat Messabout is 20 April at Seafarers Memorial Park, Anacortes, WA. An event for small boats and small boating aficionados of all kinds: wood, fiberglass, oar, sail, built, bought, seasoned or green ‐ all are welcome to take part in the festivities! Coordinated by the Anacortes Waterfront Alliance. anacorteswaterfront.org & anacortesnow.com/new-calendar/2024-small-boat-messabout-and-fidalgo-bay-trestle-row
Forgotten Coast 111 is 24-28 April. Sailing event, primarily for trailerable shoal draft boats, is in the preliminary planning stages. Some longer days planned than the well-known FL 120, with the area being more remote. The proposed time is ideal with a full moon, and high tides during much of the daylight hours allowing easy navigation and anchorage access, although some stops may dry out overnight with boats resting on the bottom. Information at facebook.com/events/s/forgotten-coast-111
May 2024
Cedar Key Small Boat Meet is 3-5 May. An informal gathering at Cedar Key, FL. Tides & weather are still the only organization - no planned boating events, sign-ups or fees. The Cedar Keys' magnificent National Wildlife Refuge islands & waters, along with people & their boats account for & assure the meet's popularity. Shallow draft is essential—whether sail, oar, paddle, motor or engine. Host: classicboatshow.com/listing/cedar-key-small-boat-meet/, Contact: Mike at fgctsca@gmail.com
MUG Race traditionally happens 3-5 May and billed as the 'World's Longest River Race', the 38 nautical mile one-way race down Florida's St. Johns River from Palatka to Orange Park. All boats mush be able to pass under a 44' bridge without lowering their masts and boat classes cover racers to cruisers and all boat types from Sunfish to trailerable pocket cruisers and larger. rudderclub.com/2021-mug-race
World Pilot Gig Championships is 3-5 May on the Isles of Scilly, UK. An annual gig racing event held on the Isles of Scilly, United Kingdom during the May Day bank holiday weekend. The World Championships were first held in 1990, only attracting a few crews from Cornwall, but in the intervening years the amount of pilot gigs attending has increased with crews coming from all over the South-West and some from even further afield. www.wpgc.uk
Big Lagoon Messabout happens 8-12 May. This annual small-boat event is for all types of boats: traditional or modern, wooden or fiberglass, power, sail or oar. Held at Big Lagoon County Park, Trinidad, CA. facebook.com/Big-Lagoon-Messabout-177478498942568/ and www.luckhardt.com/blmessabout.html
Wooden Canoe Heritage Association NW Spring Meet happens 9-12 May at Camp Bishop, Shelton, Washington. An occasion for wooden canoe owners and enthusiasts to gather at one location in the Pacific Northwest and experience a full weekend immersed (usually not literally!) in everything related to wooden canoes. Details and contact information: http://northwest.wcha.org/events.html
Olympia Wooden Boat Fair is 11-12 May in Olympia, WA. Wooden boats of all conditions, vintages, and sizes will be on display throughout Percival Landing. Coordinated by the Olympia Wooden Boat Association: olywoodenboat.org
Florida 120 Challenge is 16 – 19 May. A cruise-in-company event for small boats. The route each year is subject to change, but it typically is in the bays and sounds in the Florida panhandle in and around Pensacola. florida120.com and facebook.com/groups/fl120/
Big Little Boat Festival happens 18 May at Conquest Beach in Centreville, Maryland. This annual celebration of small wooden boats. Event is still in the early planning stages. Contact Chesapeake Light Craft for more information: clcboats.com/boatbuilding_classes/851.html
Dinghy Dash - ‘a race for cake’ is 18 May at Orchard Point Marina, Eugene, OR. Join us for Triton Yacht Club’s first event on the water! Intrepid participants who brave Spring’s fury will be rewarded with cake. www.tritonyachtclub.net/events-calendar/
Canoe & Ocean Festival is 21 May at Jackson’s Beach, San Juan Island, Washington. In conjunction with Esqaplh etse Kwelengsen (Gathering of the Eagles) Canoe encampment this new event will have: healers tent, cold water immersion workshop & mobile sauna , Karl Karl Krüger and SSV Oceanwatch with a live WFR scenario demo on beach, canoe families & cultural sharing, local stewardship organizations, canoe & sailing canoe rides (pending weather) and a community potluck with music. For information contact the Salish Sea Voyaging Society: facebook.com/pnwvoyagers
Salish Sea Small Boat Montague Harbour Rendezvous happens the last weeekend of May, 24-26 in 2024, on the beautiful sheltered waters of Montague Harbour Marine Park, in the Canadian Gulf Islands British Columbia. There is good camping right close to the dock for those not staying on their boats and there is a shuttle bus to the local pub. salishseasmallboatrendezvous.wordpress.com/montague-harbour-rendezvous/
Seventy48 begins 31 May. No motors, no support, and no wind. That’s right. HUMAN POWER ONLY. Pedal, paddle, or row from Tacoma, WA to Port Townsend, WA, (70 miles) in 48 hours or less. seventy48.com
Bay to Bay Trailable Yacht Race traditionally happens the first weekend of May. An annual Australian sailing event for monohull and multihull trailable yachts conducted by the Hervey Bay Sailing Club on the first weekend in May each year through the Great Sandy Marine Park and past the Great Sandy National Park and the World Heritage listed Fraser Island, Australia. herveybaysailingclub.org.au/bay-to-bay-yacht-race/
Desert Regatta traditionally happens in May at Charbonneau Park, Burbank, WA at Ice Harbor Marina on the Snake River near the Tri-Cities, WA. Three boats in any class will have their own start. cbsc.info/desert_regatta.html
June 2024
The Harstine GT is June 1 & 2 in south Puget Sound. This two day “race” around Harstine Island includes a bbq and camping at a park halfway around the island. The event is focused on small boat adventure and completing the loop around the island. It is open to sail and/or human powered boats up to 20 feet without a fixed keel that aren’t too serious about the racing part. dinghy@ssssclub.com
Classic Mariners' Regatta is 1-2 June at Port Townsend, WA. This two day, weekend event is organized by the Port Townsend Sailing Association. All sailing vessels welcome. ptsail.org
Swallows & Amazons is 7-9 June at Walton on the Naze, United Kingdom. This big Race for Small Boats has been extended to three days and is held in the sheltered Walton backwaters where small boats overcome challenging tides, current and mud banks. Coordinated by: The East Coast Area of The Old Gaffers Association, www.oga.org.uk/areas/east_coast/events/swallows___amazons.html
Backwater Environmental Escape Rendezvous (BEER) has happening 7-11 June. Come and explore the beautiful sailing territory near Pensacola, FL! The event runs on island time and is strictly a relaxed environment! facebook.com/BEER-Cruise-2020-1419539134732050/
Race To Alaska (R2AK) begins 9 June at Port Townsend with Stage 2 beginning 12 June at Victoria, British Columbia. No motors, no support, race from Port Townsend, WA to Ketchikan, AK. First boat there wins $10,000. Second place gets a set of really nice steak knives. Race Pre-race Ruckus is 12 June where you can see the boats and teams racing along with eats, drinks and music! r2ak.com
Texas 200 is 10-14 June. A cruise-in-company happens in June geared toward small sailboats and offers the opportunity to challenge yourself and your boat along 200 miles of the remote South Texas Gulf Coast. texas200.com and facebook.com/groups/100346820013471/
Wooden Boat Show and Summer Solstice Festival is 21 - 23 June in Grand Marais, Minnesota. Welcome the summer season in the best way possible: talking boats, celebrating community and hanging out on the shores of Lake Superior. Rows of hand-made and unique watercraft, a boat parade, craft demonstrations, an evening square dance, boat and tool auction, chowder and brats...there’s a bit of everything! northhouse.org/events/wooden-boat-show
Scottish Traditional Boat Festival is in Portsoy, Scotland, 21 - 23 June. Every member of the family can discover, enjoy, learn about and participate in the maritime and cultural heritage of the North East of Scotland. stbfportsoy.org
Carlyle Lake Rendezvous is 23 - 29 June. CLR started out as a get together for Compac owners, but ALL small sailboats are welcome. Carlyle Lake is in southern Illinois. We stay at West Access Marina. Most sleep on their boats, but there is a motel within waling distance of the docks, and another a mile or so away. Town is less then a 5 minute drive. There is an air conditioned clubhouse for our use offering bathrooms with showers, a full kitchen and TV. The marina is well protected and the fees are reasonable. trailersailor.com/forum/index.php?topic=690.0
WoodenBoat Show at Mystic Seaport, CT, happens 28 - 30 June and 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) are on display. Skills demonstrations and workshops are provided throughout the weekend. thewoodenboatshow.com
Family Boat Build happens 29 - 30 June at the new RiversWest Small Craft Center shop located at Green Anchors Portland eco-industrial park on the north shore of the Willamette River, just downstream of the St Johns Bridge, Oregon. This exciting event has drawn over 100 families in years past. A “family” can be almost any group interested in building a boat in two days. Preregistration is required. Contact: Craig at craigb@pobox.com, riverswest.org
South Sound Traditional Inuit Kayaking Symposium (SSTIKS) traditionally happens in June and is the Northwest’s premier event devoted to traditional kayaking skills and culture. Held at Twanoh State Park on the beautiful Hood Canal in Washington. SSTIKS is a family-friendly event featuring some of the best mentors in Greenland-style kayaking. Information: https://www.facebook.com/groups/641181172683084/
Please, if you know of or coordinate a boating event that has a component geared towards small boats please contact Dave Scobie, wdscobie@yahoo.com, or Small Craft Advisor, smallcraftadvisor@earthlink.net, with the details. Thanks!
The above event details are correct to the best knowledge of this magazine. It is recommended that you visit the listed event www-site and coordinator to confirm dates, registration requirements and any associated cost. If you know of an event or find that any of the above is in error please contact Dave Scobie with additions and corrections at wdscobie@yahoo.com.