Entries about tall ships

The Australian Wooden Boat Festival is an exciting celebration of the nation’s rich maritime culture and one of the world’s most anticipated maritime events.

It only happens every two years.

Held across Hobart’s vibrant and bustling waterfront, the four-day festival brings together the largest and most beautiful collection of wooden boats in the southern hemisphere. From its humble beginnings in 1994, it has grown to become the most significant event of its kind in Australia.

It's a celebration of Tasmania's long maritime history, its active boat-building industry and the traditional skills that keep this legacy alive.

We went down to watch the ships come in - quite a sight with so many boats of all different sorts, in amongst the majestic Tall Ships


There are plenty of beautiful hand-made wooden boats on show.




Below are some of the details that I thought were worth a closer look:

Along with the exhibition of these beautiful boats, the festival delivers a lively combination of incredible local food, live entertainment, music, demonstrations and displays. From the state’s best seafood, Maritime Marektplace and tavern. The Australian Wooden Boat Festival has all the elements of a summer celebration by the sea.

People join in both on shore and in the water, regardless of their type of boat, even the dogs get to have some fun

There were rowing boats, such as this swan boat

Steam boats offering rides for passengers

and Tall Ships to go aboard and investigate

Over looking proceedings was this giant cruise ship.

Over the docks were display from the Squirrel Helicopter Team and the Navy Roulettes (like the Red Arrows!)

Crowds gathered to watch the events, and what better place to take your MGBGT for an outing

In one display area there was a large collection of hand made model boats. Including everythgin from HMS Victory

to a steamer

a fishing trawler

and these weird and wonderful boats made from bits and bobs:

below, you should be able to find parts of a saxophone and a dentist mirror

and how about a compass and a valve off a trumpet:

Lady Nelson

This little brig is a full size replica of the original ‘Lady Nelson’ which sailed from England to Australia in 1800. She was involved in the first three European settlements in Tasmania and helped to transfer the Norfolk Island settler. In 1825, natives at Barbar Island in the Indonesian archipelago seized the ‘Lady Nelson’ and murdered the crew before burning the vessel. Two small carronades (cannons) are the only known remnants of the original vessel.

In 1980 it was decided to build a Tasmanian tall ship to celebrate the 1988 bicentenary of Australia. Due to it’s historical significance to Tasmania, the ‘Lady Nelson’ was chosen. She was built for the Tasmanian Sail Training Association which conducts sail training, educational charters, harbour sailings and extended cruises.

And if you've had enough of boats - how about a tour around Hobart in this unique taxi