July Flotsam
No Victorian Wooden Boat Festival in 2026
Just over a year after rebranding itself from the “Geelong Wooden Boat Festival” to the “Victorian Wooden Boat Festival”, the announcement has been made that the next scheduled event and the first under the new moniker has been cancelled.
The Chair of the Festival Peter Alexander announced,
“This decision has been made due to continued uncertainty around securing the funding required to deliver the event at the standard it deserves. Rather than proceed with an event that compromises on quality or financial sustainability, we believe it’s in the best long-term interest of the Festival to pause and plan for a strong return in 2028.”
What is slightly worrying to us at SWS is the next part.
“That said, we’re excited to share an opportunity to keep the wooden boat community connected and celebrated in 2026. As part of the Festival of Sails 2026 (festivalofsails.com.au), we will be delivering a special Classic and Wooden Boat Feature, and we’d love for our Victorian Wooden Boat Festival community to be at the heart of it.. We would welcome your feedback on the following proposed opportunities:
Dedicated on-land and on-water display spaces for classic and wooden boats
The return of the much-loved Portarlington to Geelong Passage Race, exclusively for wooden boats
A space to showcase the artistry and craftsmanship of wooden boatbuilding and associated trades
Display of Tall Ships on Wangim Walk
The Festival of Sails will also host popular crowd favourites including the Rough and Ready Boat Building and Racing, as well as a rich program of artisans and skilled trade activations.
We see this as a meaningful way to maintain momentum, celebrate the spirit of the Wooden Boat Festival, and keep our community engaged and visible.”
Here’s why. I have competed at FOS about 20 times over the years, occasionally with a fair degree of success, and have enjoyed the event enormously. However the culture of the event is fundamentally at odds with values of wooden boat custodianship.
Essentially FOS is about competition, where winning is the goal of the vast majority of the participants. The on shore activities are a great example of the traditional Australian Yacht Club Party, which we have all no doubt enjoyed.
The values of wooden boat custodianship do not align with these activities. They are slower, deeper and more thoughtful. Too often in the past a Classic Boat add-on to a mainstream stream sailing events becomes a quaint curiosity for the plastic boat sailor, rather than a vibrant and important activity in its own right.
A Couple of Comments
We love it when people provide personal insights into the stories we tell in SWS. There were a couple of doozies this week.
In reference to an article we wrote in 2023 entitled “The Restless Wind” John Wadman writes…
I knew one of the owners of Salmo in the mid 1980’s named Dennis Palmer who was restoring the Vertue. In Newport Beach I was side tied to Salmo at a marina and got to know Dennis and his girlfriend Becky who lived on Salmo. I was rebuilding a Yankee Dolphin named Barbara Joyce to set out on an extended five year cruise. Dennis was monumental in helping and encouraging me. I ended up sailing to Mission Bay San Diego for a job and lived aboard there. I was offered a job which I couldn’t accept but told Dennis about it and he and Becky sailed Salmo to mission bay and became me next door (slip) neighbors there. The day I left to set sail on my blue water cruise Dennis walked out on the jetty and took photos of Barbara Joyce sailing away and waved. That was the last time I saw Dennis though I returned to San Diego many years later and searched for him, I traced him to an apartment in OB but he never answered my calls nor knocks at the door. I was told by a relative that he was a 100% disabled veteran and had gone deaf. I think about him often as he was a great friend and really helped me get my boat seaworthy and my mind strong to set sail on a 24’ boat, I sailed on Salmo and in company with Salmo
Several times. One rare occasion we sailed side by side for hours in 15-20 knits of wind on a beam reach. Somewhere in a photo album in my container at my home in Costa Rica I believe I still have photos of her sailing that day,
And then this from “buteykosa” regarding an article that we published in the early days called “Not Southern. but very Suspicious”
I sailed on coral and watched her loving restoration from a broken boggel brought to Africa on a barge by dear Robin Reid and carefully restored back to her previous sailing splendour. This occurred over roughly twenty years and involved many skilled hands. We were so proud to be a part of the project and my husband was her skipper and project manager for years. Eventually they sailed off into the sunset and handed over with great trepidation to the next generation of guardians...Only for some idiot to scupper her in a murderous act. Is she still there? We would love to see her restored again. Her hull will survive. Who will raise her again for her next incarnation?
Shipping Control Tower Saved
Thanks to the wonderful Melbourne Maritime Heritage Network we learn of this happy story.
But first SOME BACKGROUND
When port infrastructure in Docklands (Victoria Harbour, Central Pier) was heritage listed, it was inexplicable that the Shipping Control Tower was omitted. One could speculate that this omission at the end of North Wharf led to the absence of adequate maintenance which has now resulted in extensive stabilisation and remediation works.
As technology advanced and the volume of maritime trade in different locations in the wider Port of Melbourne increased, the current tower, built in 1966, replaced a smaller wooden structure. As well as greater height and new technology, this tower was angled to allow port staff to monitor and coordinate port traffic and operations all the way down the river into the bay. It ceased operation in 1983 and was decommissioned in 1994. The two deck observation area was accessed via lift and stairs. The top deck contained radar and communication equipment, while the lower deck had amenities to enable 24-hour-a-day operation. Innovation in freight operations (e.g. bulk and break-bulk cargo, refrigeration, roll-on/roll-off vehicle transportation) and wider public access to port information resulted in the tower and its services becoming obsolete.
MMHN is delighted to see the care with which Development Victoria is conducting major maintenance works on the Shipping Control Tower. Not unexpectedly, given the age of the tower, non-standard new window frames and glass panels are required for the project. As part of the works, the restored lookout structure on top of the tower was removed, remediated, repainted and reinstalled. Improvements to electrical and security systems have also been made, as well as a new roof membrane that will keep the tower secure and weatherproof. The project is due for completion in mid-2025.
Swan River Sailing Dinghies Get Together
Tony Jones writes from the West…
We are overdue for a general meeting. We have set aside Wednesday morning 10 30/ 23 July. Hopefully you can make it and if you can reply we can arrange to have some Catering for your support. There will be things to see as well as discuss.
Quite a bit has been happening with the Dinghies significantly work has begun on Falcon 3 as well as some other smaller project Jos
Made for a permanent space needs to be a priority and it would be good to canvas ideas at the meeting. We have a significant collection and a number of good things have been happening in regard to publicity and Australia wide interest. We can report on this as well.
Tales of the Tide
Now the evenings are long you might be looking to step off the well trodden path of the behemoth streamers. If so, pay a visit to the free site Waterbear.
Have a look at five part series from Sundarban, India featuring lived experiences of the people of this tidal land. Their lives, their livelihoods and their future is under threat from this rapidly changing climate. Amidst the turmoil, there is a constant attempt to understand the forces of nature and adapt to its nuances. Traditional knowledge finds a new breathe of life in conjunction with scientific research. Watch these stories to learn how when communities are empowered and given agency, co existence can be achieved. Moving away from resource extraction and exploitation and finding a balance between using natural resources and nurturing them
