Timeline of the WBF & NWMC at a glance:
1978
The Wooden Boat Foundation was founded in 1978, after the first and highly successful Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival.
What started as a wild idea— a vision of community and a lifestyle of “salt water hippies” centered on boats and the sea— sparked a national conversation among those involved in the then nascent wooden boat revival. More than 2,000 people from all corners of the US and several Canadian provinces traveled, some with their boats and tools, to the first nationally recognized Wooden Boat Festival in Port Townsend.
Leaders from that group served as board and staff, inspiring a commitment that continues to this day. Through the decades, WBF and an ever-growing number of marine trades business and maritime education partners carry on their work with a progressive “PT” style of community and business.
The most popular and largest program continues to be the internationally renowned Wooden Boat Festival, but this small non-profit also offers an eclectic and well stocked Maritime Library, a high quality Wooden Boat Chandlery and active Boatshop. All are open to the public year round in the historic Point Hudson district of downtown Port Townsend.
1980
The Foundation created youth and adult programs to get people out on the water.
During the spring, summer and fall, the Wooden Boat Foundation supports youth and adult programs at the Northwest Maritime Center. These programs offer experiences, information and on-the-water opportunities that seem to grow every year. From 7-year-olds to octogenarians, the Wooden Boat Foundation continues to be a place, a supporter, an organization through which parents, teachers, other non-profits and local entrepreneurs have created programs for decades.
Some of those programs included:
- Community Sailing, that grew and specialized into highly successful Learn to Sail programs for youth, adults, women and the High School Racing Club.
- Community Rowing, that grew and specialized in the Rat Island Rowing & Sculling Club, the Pocock Singles Project and a variety of fixed and sliding seat rental or storage options.
- Summer Youth Sea Symposium, that grew and specialized into Family Boatbuilding, Puget Sound Explorers, Longboat Expeditions and partnerships with sail training vessels like Schooner Martha Foundation , Alcyone and Bryony, and other maritime non-profits including Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding, Port Townsend Marine Science Center and Sound Experience.
- Classic Mariners’ Regatta, which continues and has expanded to other classic and wooden boat regattas. In the 1990s, programs became the central focus of the Foundation and in 1995, the idea to purchase a permanent home was born and launched. It was called Northwest Maritime Center and the building fund was established.
1990
In the 1990s, programs became the central focus of the Foundation and in 1995, the idea to purchase a permanent home was born and launched. It was called the Northwest Maritime Center, and the building fund was established.
The idea quickly grew and like some other programs and non-profits in the area, the Northwest Maritime Center became a separate but closely associated organization. When the Thomas Oil property was located on the waterfront, where the historic downtown joined the Point Hudson maritime district, community and regional leaders joined the effort raising nearly $1 million dollars to buy the property and dock. That effort led to hundreds of community meetings and a decade of work that culminated in the integrated Northwest Maritime Center & Wooden Boat Foundation you find today.
2008
Construction of the Northwest Maritime Center began in July, and the campus opened at Festival 2009.
In January, 2008, the Northwest Maritime Center construction began and the buildings opened at Festival 2009! The facilities connect the Victorian historic downtown with the maritime heritage and modern marine trades activity of Point Hudson, the home of the Wooden Boat Festival since 1977.
Today
The Northwest Maritime Center & Wooden Boat Foundation continues to thrive and bring maritime heritage to people from all walks of life—it is a true community!
We will celebrate the 46th annual Wooden Boat Festival on September 9-11, 2022 and continue to bring world-class boatbuilding, maritime skills and education to the world.
Today, Port Townsend’s Wooden Boat Festival is the most education-packed and inspiring wooden boat event in the world. Featuring more than 300 wooden vessels, dozens of indoor and outdoor presentations and demonstrations, a who’s who of wooden boat experts and thousands of wooden boat enthusiasts, there’s something to do, someone to meet, or a boat to board at every turn. Expanded a little each year, the Festival honors its traditions while inviting energetic debate and demonstration about the latest innovations in boatbuilding, equipment, skills, and adventure.