The Wooden Boat Association was formed in 1989 for people who enjoy wooden boats and wooden boat building.
Members appreciate wooden boats for their aesthetic qualities, the beauty of the boats and the materials from which they are constructed, and the pure romance of wooden boats. In this age of mass production, each wooden boat is as individual as her owner.
Find out more about the club, its members and upcoming activities under the About Us tab and check out some of our members' boats.
Complete an online membership form to join the Wooden Boat Association today!
Want a canoe for Christmas?
The Gecko 425 Canoe build was commenced by WBA members during the recent Melbourne Boat Show to demonstrate the building process, from a kit generously donated by the Victorian Wooden Boat Centre. Some very experienced boat builders have been working on this project, and the end result will be pretty special. The Gecko weighs in around 17 kg, making it easy to cartop and ideal for camping or family day trips. The perfect Christmas present!
The canoe is being raffled by the WBA. Tickets are limited to 300 so your chances are pretty good! The raffle will be drawn at the WBA Christmas function at Albert Park Yacht Club on 10 December. Winner to collect the canoe.
Buy your tickets: https://www.woodenboat.asn.au/2023-wba-boat-show-raffle
More info on the Gecko canoe: https://www.woodenboatcentre.com.au/gecko-canoes
The 2024 Inverloch Classic Wooden Dinghy Regatta Sat. 17th Feb & Sun 18th Feb 2024
Planning for the 2024 Inverloch Classic Wooden Dinghy Regatta is well under way, so dust off that wooden dinghy sitting in the garage, finish off any restoration work and bring it to the next Classic Wooden Dinghy Regatta on 17th and 18th February next year.
The regatta program will include two races on Saturday and two races on Sunday,. The Regatta dinner on Saturday evening is always a highlight with excellent cuisine, entertainment, raffles, auctions and door prizes. There will be a BBQ and presentations after the second race on Sunday afternoon.
Registration for the regatta is $80 which includes entry for the four races, the regatta polo shirt (with WBA logo) and boat storage in the club compound for the weekend.
Details of activities and entry information can be found on the SGYC website. http://sgycinverloch.com.au/ under the ICWDR tab.
The Voyage of The Aegre – From Scotland to the South Seas in a Shetland boat
Our September 2023 club night featured a conversation with Nick Grainger about his new book: “The Voyage of The Aegre – From Scotland to the South Seas in a Shetland boat”.
The longer serving members of the WBA will know Nick Grainger, a member of WBA from about 1996-2002. He sailed the Caledonia Yawl Crazybird, often with past WBA member John Freeman and the late Colin Hunt, and one or more of his two (then young) daughters Erica and Mariko, and wife Tommy. The Gippsland Lakes, Port Phillip, Lake Wendouree, Albert Park and the SA Wooden Boat Festival were their usual haunts, but Nick had a sailing background that other members vaguely knew of, a voyage in his early twenties from the north of Scotland to the Pacific in a 21ft decked in lapstrake engineless Shetland boat. It all seemed rather unlikely. But then one evening at a club meeting, Nick told us the story and had the photos to prove it. ‘You have to write a book’, we all said. Well, the book has finally been written, and published, and in September Nick came back and talked us through the voyage of a lifetime.
Paynesville Classic Boat Rally
The Paynesville Classic Boat Rally& Maritime Festival is fast approaching. Hopefully March 1 - 3, 2024 is in all our diaries!
For updates, registrations, the exciting action-packed program and more, check out the Rally's website: www.paynesvilleclassicboatrally.com.au
Tim Drinkall talks with the 2023 Alan Chinn Award nominees
Our August 2023 club night was ably run by Tim Drinkall, one of the Alan Chinn Award judges, who conducted short interviews with each of the nominees, while showing photos of their boats.
There was an opportunity for questions from the audience as well, and it was good to see so much interaction in this Zoom session. We often see the boats on the water, but don’t get the opportunity to explore the “whys and wherefores” of the design or the modifications that have been made to make it more suitable for the owner, and this evening gave us the chance to learn much more about each boat.
Why Build a Wooden Boat?
Why build a wooden boat? Maybe we all have different reasons – but I built mine because I wanted to go fishing on Port Phillip Bay, and I didn’t want to spend the money on a new boat, or take a chance on someone else’s reject
Check out "The Boatyard"
Looking for a boat? The Boatyard is the WBA's "For Sale or Wanted" section - some FREE TO GOOD HOME.
SOME RECENT LISTINGS:
Call for contributions
We encourage members to share their experiences – a great day out on the water, a completed project, a request for information. - we'd love to hear from you.
- Shavings-shavings@woodenboat.asn.au
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