PORT TOWNSEND — For a town adorned by saltwater on three sides, Port Townsend’s much celebrated Wooden Boat Festival is only a brief hint of the area’s rich maritime culture.
It thrives year-round.
The festival officially starts at 9 a.m. today, marking its 29th season.
Traditionally, the boat festival attracts crowds of residents and guests with its numerous workshops and vendor.
It also features almost everything to do with boating and sailing.
The event lasts three days, filling Point Hudson Marina with live music, delicious seafood and beautiful wooden boats.
Yet, the city’s maritime pulse remains as permanent as the tides in Port Townsend Bay.
For those who love the sea, Port Townsend keeps its marinas, beaches, docks, boat rentals and maritime centers alive and accessible 365 days a year.
The Wooden Boat Foundation, in charge of organizing the festival, also offers a wide range of maritime educational courses.
These include big and small boat sail training courses that include Puget Sound trips in the summer and fall.
The foundation also offers customized maritime expeditions, Sea Scouts programs for youth and the Puget Sound Explorers program aimed at developing skills in such diverse fields as marine biology and marlinespike seamanship.
For more information, visit the foundation’s Web site at www.woodenboat.org.
