Australian Wooden Boat Festival

08/09/2026

SNEAK PEEK FEATURE BOAT: TORRES PEARL ⚓

If you didn’t catch it in our enews, here’s a sneak peek at one of our feature boats for 2027: Torres Pearl.

With Working Boats as the theme for AWBF 2027, Torres Pearl brings with her almost 100 years of working maritime history.

Built on Thursday Island by T. Shibasaki and launched in 1928, Torres Pearl is a 43-foot, carvel-built pearling lugger constructed from Oregon/Douglas fir.

Approaching a century old, she spent much of her working life as a diving boat, harvesting pearl and pearl shell in the waters around Thursday Island.

Today she is based at Dunalley, on Tasmania’s south-east coast, with shipwrights Holly and Jordy Ruth from Shippies Shipwright Services .

At AWBF 2027, that working history will be brought to life as members of the Diving Society Australia-Pacific in Tasmania present vintage diving re-enactments, offering a glimpse into the world of the pearling luggers and the divers who worked from them.

We’ll reveal more about Torres Pearl, the vintage diving demonstrations and where to catch them when the full AWBF 2027 program is released.

Photo Credits: Images supplied by Shippies Shipwright Services, except vintage diving image by Ben Cunningham.

03/09/2026

Meet Megan - AWBF Boat Manager ⛵

Megan has spent much of her life on the water. From sailing Tasmania’s D’Entrecasteaux Channel on her family boat, The Sally, she’s gone on to work across tourism, ferries, rescue work and sailing in Tasmania, Western Australia, New Zealand and the Mediterranean, and most recently headed south to Antarctica as a Watercraft Operator.

Now back home in Hobart, she’s bringing all that experience to AWBF 2027 as our Boat Manager.

Read Megan’s full story:
australianwoodenboatfestival.com.au/meet-megan/

⚓ Boats Afloat update

A big thank you to everyone who got their Boats Afloat EOI in before Monday’s deadline. Our selection panel is now busily working through all the submissions.

Applicants will be contacted from 30 September 2026 with an update on their submission, including whether their vessel has been accepted or placed on the waitlist.

🚤 Boats Ashore EOIs are still open

Have a boat you’d like to display on land at AWBF 2027? Get your Expression of Interest in by Monday 2nd November 2026.

Find out more and submit your EOI:
australianwoodenboatfestival.com.au/display-your-boat/

27/08/2026

Time is officially running out, just 5 days to go! Get your Boat EOI in now! 🙌

The excitement is building, and the Hobart waterfront is ready to welcome an incredible fleet, but our Boats Afloat collection simply isn't complete without you and your crew. Applications close this coming Tuesday, making this your absolute final call to secure a berth!

Imagine the sun shining over Sullivan's Cove, your boat looking her best on the water, and the docks absolutely buzzing with passionate people sharing stories and smiles. Don't let the ship sail without you!

Drop everything, round up your crew, and lock in your spot for the Southern Hemisphere’s ultimate wooden boat celebration.

✨Head straight to this link to submit your application before it's too late!

https://australianwoodenboatfestival.com.au/registration/boats-afloat-2027/

BOAT AFLOAT EOI'S CLOSE AUGUST 31ST 2026

Australian wooden boat festival 5-8 February 2027
Hobart, Tasmania.

Photo Credit: Mark Chew

26/08/2026

AWBF co-founder Ian Johnston has been part of the Festival since its inception in 1994 and remains as hands-on as ever — towing pontoons, helping to deliver kids’ activities and advising on the Constitution Dock program. Here, he shares why boat owners, volunteers and the wider community remain at the heart of the Festival.
✨✨

A Message from Ian
The upcoming Australian Wooden Boat Festival is already looking as if it will be the best one yet. There is a plethora of new events organised, as well as the return of the crowd favourites.

We have the best Festival in Australia – and we have the awards to prove it!
It is a time to catch up with friends and make new ones. I love that it is a hands-on event; everybody is welcome to participate in activities and touch the boats, there is much to learn and fun to have. One of my favourite events is on the Parliament lawns, which are given over to the best children’s participatory event in the country, the Little Sailors Village.

Another is the activities in and around Constitution Dock: take your friends or family for a row and watch the internationally famous Quick and Dirty Race as a finale on Monday afternoon. Better yet, lend your dinghy to the Festival so that more people can go for a row. There is also brilliant music and theatre, as well as seafood and cooking demonstrations; everything is free.

"The most rewarding part of the Festival is being one of the 400 volunteers; there's a role for anyone who wants to be part of the family."

Volunteers are very well treated by the Festival organisers and the grateful public. It is a friendly and enjoyable way to get the most out of the weekend. Without our volunteers, there would be no celebration of our cultural heritage or our Festival; please become a volunteer.

And if you have got a boat, bring it, put in an EOI. It does not have to be a varnished work of art; we want boats with character that carry their patina with pride. Yes, clean her up a bit and slap on some paint, and join in the fun and excitement of having your boat at the biggest and best boating Festival south of the Equator.

See you at AWBF 2027!

Ian Johnston
AWBF Co-founder

21/08/2026

Submit your Boat EOI! ⚓🧜
There is nothing quite like looking out across a packed Hobart waterfront during the festival, is there?

The magic of the AWBF comes from the incredible variety of boats that tie up at our docks, and we want your boat to be a part of that story!

If you’ve been thinking about submitting your Boats Afloat Expression of Interest, consider this your friendly nudge to get your application moving! From grand historic vessels to small family runabouts, every boat brings its own piece of maritime heritage to life.

Head over to our website, submit your details, and tell us about your boat and her story.

✨ Visit this link to submit your Expression of Interest today!
https://australianwoodenboatfestival.com.au/registration/boats-afloat-2027/

BOATS AFLOAT EOIs CLOSE 31 AUGUST 2026.

Australian Wooden Boat Festival, Hobart, Tasmania | 5–8 February 2027

Photo Credit: Mark Chew

08/08/2026

Great work by everyone! It will be such a joy to see the Little blue boat back on the water! 🩵🌊

Sea Breeze, better known as the the Little Blue Boat is ready to get her feet wet. This Wednesday coming, the 12th of August, with the assistance of Elliot's cranes, we will be putting her back in the water sometime around 10.30 in the morning. You are all most welcome to attend.
Celebrating the great work of our volunteers, students and staff we will have a small ceremony to thank them for their time over the last 2 years, and what a great job they have done!
Her cabin still requires a little bit of TLC , and her mast has yet to be repaired, but she is ready for a splash so that we can make space in the shed for the next project to be undertaken by the one year students. This will be the restoration of the Alan Wilson yacht, "Astra".
I look forward to seeing you at the launch of the Little Blue Boat.

08/08/2026

So excited to see these beautiful D's back on the water at the AWBF! Go team! Amazing job ⛵❤️💛🩵

06/08/2026

Join the Crew for AWBF 2027 💪⛵
Volunteer Expressions of Interest for the 2027 Australian Wooden Boat Festival are now open!

The festival is something our community creates together, and our volunteers play an essential role in making it all happen.

There are opportunities for all across the festival, from docks and on-water operations to front of house, visitor information, artist liaison, children’s activities, administration, construction, setup and pack-down and more.

Whether you have skills to share, would like to learn something new or simply want to meet people and be part of a remarkable community event, there is a place for you.

For AWBF 2027, we’re especially keen to hear from experienced amateur photographers and people interested in joining our on-water crew.

Know someone who would make a great addition to the crew? Invite your friends to volunteer alongside you and share in the fun!

https://australianwoodenboatfestival.com.au/volunteer/

Photo credits, clockwise from top left: Alex Nicholson, Heather Bird, Alex Nicholson, Wilkography, Ben Cunningham, Heather Bird, Darren Scott, Darren Scott and Ben Cunningham.

27/07/2026

Have you got your Boat EOI in yet? ⚓⛵
For boats afloat, boats ashore and model boats!

Since EOI's openend, the response from the wooden boat community has been incredible. Applications are rolling in, and the docks are already shaping up to look spectacular for 2027.

If you haven’t lodged your Expression of Interest yet, there’s still time, but don't wait too long, registrations close at the end of August!

Whether your boat belongs in the water or showcased on land, full size or model, we want to see it there! Submit your application soon to ensure your boat is part of this living, breathing showcase of maritime culture. 🫶🚣

22/07/2026

See you at the AWBF! 🩵❤️💛