Day one of the Australian Wooden Boat Festival was getting off to a grand start as 200 vessels of every size paraded in their finery, some fully dressed, and most with flags flying in the light breeze.
Leading the charge were the 10 tall ships that showed the colonial maritime history, including the giant James Craig, right down to the tiny Duyfken, one of the earliest colonial visitors from Holland, which first charted Western Australia in 1606.
The Parade of Sail showcased a variety of recreational and commercial vessels that sailed across the River Derwent to enter the festival site at Constitution Dock. It was led by the Governor, Her Excellency Honourable Barbara Baker AC, on the motoryacht Egeria, a 1941 huon pine cruiser. She told me, “As a proud Tasmanian, the festival is not just a celebration of our heritage, but also a vital part of our economy,” she said.
Offshore a day later, the Derwent World Championships saw the river dotted with racing sails and towards the festival end, a special Ketch Review. Each day the air was filled with sound of jet engines as the
