The 2025 Mystic Seaport Woodenboat show proved to be 3 days of fun, learning and many people admiring just how beautiful a wooden boat can be. It’s wonderful annual show and a way to introduce even the youngest or eldest members of your family and friends to just how user friendly an object made of wood and floated on water can be to all ages.
Though throughout the world fiberglass boats have taken over waterways and marinas there is still a special place in the hearts of boaters worldwide for a classic or modern wooden boat. All boats having started as wooden in the past there is a great resurgence of the love of a wood boat. They are being made at shipyards specializing in making completely wood boats from keel up to restorations of classic boats from the last century. Wood boats are always going to be here to stay.
Everyone who came to the show was a winner in some way. But, for the owners of Spartina, a 1954 47’ Stephens brothers’ yacht, it was especially nice. They were chosen as the “Best In Show 2025”.
The Mystic Seaport Annual Woodenboat Show celebrates all floating things wooden. From Canoes and paddleboards to kit boats made in backyards and sheds across the country to beautiful custom classics and remakes of classic designs of all sizes and shapes. They may be human powered, sail powered, or motor powered but each one has its own distinct touches.
The Woodenboat Show gives those a who admire wooden floating boats a chance to speak with owners of homemade boats and those owners an opportunity to commune and give tips and advice to those thinking of building their own. There are workshops and speakers during the three day event.
If you don’t own a wooden boat or plan on owning one the Woodenboat show is still an excellent opportunity to go down to the Mystic Seaport and just admire the beauty of so many different types of wonderfully maintained wood boats in one spot. The Seaport is already a destination in itself with its many exhibits and opportunities to see how an actual seaport operated back in times long past.
With its shops and demonstrations of wood boat building it is a microcosm of a small New England Seaport. From the sawmill to candle making, metal working to seeing an actual ship as it’s being restored to launch and live a long new life on the sea. It’s a place absolutely worth visiting.
Visiting during the Woodenboat show gives it a bit more in variation in how many different ways you can still have and keep a wood boat.
The owners are welcoming and enjoy talking with visitors to their boats about the history of their boat, where it came from and gladly answer questions and are obviously proud of each of their boats no matter the size and shape. It also gives owners and crew a chance to commune visit with like-minded boaters.
The show has vendors of all shapes offering hardware that is sometimes hard to find. They also showcase the various specialty boatbuilders in the New England area.
They can do a keel up build, lovingly restore a classic or repair any damages done to an owner’s prized boat.
The weekend was a complete success with happy visitors, boatowners and staff. There was a short break in the sunshine Saturday for a little shower in the morning, but it cleared out and the day ended beautifully.
Brilliant and Norwal made their first appearance since sailing down from main after a restore on Brilliant and Norwal having repairs completed following her damages caused by the storm last year.
For more information about Mystic Seaport visit Mystic Seaport Museum
Article by Donna Erichsen
Photos by George Bekris
