To open the festival, there was a Parade of Sail, from down the Derwent up to Hobart. I was watching up beside the CSIRO complex, on Battery Point (the actual point). Very little wind and rather overcast. As the guy sitting near me said, it was like watching grass grow. I took these photos to kill time, because through the camera, none of the sails were visible.
An observation here, how easy is it to identify anything at that distance? They do it in books all the time, once a sail has been sighted. Of that lot, Endeavour is easy to pick and I was fairly sure that one was Lady Nelson, but I couldn't be sure until they were much closer. The other ships I couldn't pick. A ship would have to be very familiar or have something distinctive about it, to identify it as soon as it became visible.
(It's easier in the photo because they're not moving and sails and hulls can be picked out, and it's a good half to three-quarters of an hour after the ships were first spotted)
All those tall ships and not a square sail to be seen. They don't look the same with just fore & aft sails :\
Duyfken is a replica of a Dutch ship that in 1606 made the "first historically recorded voyage to Australia". Quite a lovely little ship and open to the public.
Of the open ships I went on, I took lot of photos. I could put them in their own journal entry, or add them to the list of things to be put on my website, one day.
Dinghies.
There were a lot of temporary walkways, pontoons I guess they are, sometimes a chain of them. This one, you had to climb down a ladder to reach.
The Wooden Boat Festival is for all sizes of boats.
Three ships...
Endeavour, which is a replica of Cook's ship.
Enterprize and Rhona H. The latter used to be
in Launceston.
Enterprize is a replica of the topsail schooner that carried settlers from Launceston over the strait to start Melbourne.
This boat was outside the marina, where the water was rough, and it was moving a lot. The dog was sitting there on top looking quite happy, and enjoying all the attention.
Pine clinker
This year the Wooden Boat Festival took in
Hunter St and Victoria Dock, where the fishing boats are.
A long tent on Hunter St held the Maritime Market, which has interesting stalls in it.
Like a shop that sells books about boats, and ships and all related things. Didn't stop here long, in case I saw something I wanted. I did pick up a catalogue with their
website address on it.
The adjoining stall had photos. I did stop here, and bought one of
Windeward Bound in full sail &
James Craig, out on the water but no sails :(
There were also working displays.
These are cute. Three snails and two doglike animals, from rope.
May Queen was open. She's an old ketch, built in the 1860s, that was restored a few years ago. "Australia's oldest floating wooden sail trading vessel". I have
other photos from other days.
Model boat marquee
Marine engine display
How to tell the age of a sperm whale by its teeth. Vertebrae from a sperm whale just behind.
Entertainers, alongside Duyfken
I love the steam boats, although I got better photos
last time.
