Wooden Boat Show -- Pirate's Cove

A few weeks ago I happened to be in just the right place at the right time to go to a wooden boat show. Every year on the first weekend in May there is a wooden boat show at Pirate's Cove in Josephine, Alabama. I was visiting relatives in Fairhope on that weekend which is just a stone's throw away, and my brother-in-law told me about the show. We went to the show on May 2nd, 2009, and it was a pretty good time. Admission was only $5. Probably would have been more fun if we had our own boat to take, but it was certainly worth the short drive. Here are a few pics of some of the nice woodwork that I saw at the show. I'll be posting more pictures in this thread also.

After seeing all of these boats, I'm even more certain that I will eventually build some sort of wooden boat. I have a lot of projects lined up in front of that, but someday... I really have no excuse not to. The current president of my woodworking guild has built 11 boats and presented his most recent project at our April guild meeting. It was a 2-person rowboat that he built in about 4 days over the Christmas holiday. Of course, I'm sure it would take me a lot longer than 4 days to build something similar, but it sure would be fun. (Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera at the guild meeting so I don't have any pictures of his boat.)

Some more pictures from the show. I liked the boat with the pistols on the bow. Nice woodwork inside and out and the restored motor on the back was pretty sharp also.

There were all kinds of boats at the show. This powerboat was very nice, and I liked the quirky sailboat. I don't think you can tell from the photo, but the seat for the sailboat was done up in purple velvet upholstery with gold braid trim. Very pirate looking. We actually saw the owners sailing it later on. There was a good breeze blowing that day and this little boat did quite well in it. Final shot is of a comfortably sized cabin cruiser that would be fun for camping out in calm waters.

There were several very large wooden sailboats at the show, and most of them were for sale. Prices were not posted. I guess if you have to ask, you can't afford it. :) The rowboat picture is a shot of the winner of an impromptu race. He had the fastest boat, but he was also the most sober competitor and I think that gave him the edge in this contest. The fourth picture is of a 65-foot sailboat. I couldn't quite get a clear shot of the whole boat.

(I can upload some more pictures if anybody is interested, but I don't want to just spam the site. )

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Originally Posted by Tim Thomas

Some more pictures from the show. I liked the boat with the pistols on the bow. Nice woodwork inside and out and the restored motor on the back was pretty sharp also.

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Tim,

Thanks for pics. I'm sure this supplies encouragement for the prospective & current builders in our little group. Do you have any info on the boat to far left in the 2nd set of pictures? Nice!

Mac

Mac, I don't know anything about that particular boat. All of the owners were really great about answering questions about their boats, but I didn't talk to the owner of that particular vessel. Some of the boats were home built, some were factory-built and restored (like the Chris Craft), and some were just outright bought. That one (and I reattached the picture to make sure it is the one you were asking about) definitely looked homemade, and it was very well done. I wish I had gotten a little bit wider shot of it because you can't really tell that it comes to a nice point in the front. A very simple boat, but all of the details were right and the wood was beautiful.

The second picture in the second set is also of that boat. I was pretty impressed with the solid slab of wood that was used for the transom. It looks like it might be made of southern yellow pine, judging from the grain and color. The builder could have just used marine plywood for the transom (maybe a double lamination if they intend to mount a motor) but I think the big slab of wood really makes the boat.

Tim,
Well thanks regardless, It definitely looks the part, robust and well constructed. Perhaps it a "Lumberyard Skiff". It has that same form follows function look.....you're right about that transom, BEEFY.

Maybe someone else will give us the heads-up on this.;)

Mac