The Center for Wooden Boats is a place where urban residents of Seattle and the greater Pacific Northwest can watch their sails instead of their cells. The public is invited to explore maritime history, by rowing, paddling or sailing a diverse collection of classic boats, participating in events from the annual Lake Union Wooden Boat Festival to regattas to boat shows, taking a free Sunday afternoon sail, attending a maritime skills workshop, volunteering, or simply by walking the docks. Admission is always free.
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The Center for Wooden Boats has its origins in architect Dick Wagner’s fascination with wooden boats. Dick, and his wife Colleen, first began a traditional boat rental out of their own houseboat in 1968. By 1976 the idea of a small craft museum was born and 1977 saw the first Lake Union Wooden Boat Festival. In 1981 the Center was formally established at Waterway #4 on South Lake Union in Seattle, Washington, USA, and building began. Boat livery (rentals) began in 1983, with the SailNOW! Sailing instruction program beginning in 1989.
CWB has had IRS non-profit 501(c)(3) status since 1978. In 2006, the Center’s operating revenue was $1 million. A 17 member elected board governs the Center, while operations are overseen by the Executive Director. Founding Director Dick Wagner remains active in decision making processes and sits on the board. CWB has around a dozen paid staff, a few Americorps volunteers, half a dozen full or half-time volunteer positions and several interns.
A second campus opened in June 2008 at Cama Beach State Park, 90 minutes north of Seattle, WA. Cama Beach offers visitors a chance to step back in time to a 1930s-era Puget Sound fishing resort complete with waterfront cedar cabins and bungalows. The Center for Wooden Boats is a tenant of Cama Beach State Park and operates year-round programs, events, and boat rentals.
Next door to the CWB is Northwest Seaport, which endeavors to restore several bigger historic ships, including the schooner Wawona.
To provide a gathering place where maritime history comes alive through direct experience and our small craft heritage is enjoyed, preserved, and passed along to future generations.
The Center’s many programs are made possible by a vast cadre of volunteers– more than 1000 people – who teach sailing, work in the boatshop, help with special events, run the livery (boat rentals), man the front desk, and provide docent interpretation to the public. CWB has continued to grow in its programs for the public and now annually has 1800 youth program participants, 160 adult sailing students and more than 200 people taking part in other workshops and classes. The various educational programs are a major part of CWB’s goals to preserve small craft heritage through direct experience, to provide comprehensive info on historic small craft, and to be an integral part of the community. They rent sailboats and rowboats from their large collection, and provide free public rides on Sunday afternoons.
The Center for Wooden Boats works with many different members of the local community, including various schools, provides internship opportunities to students from several schools and universities, has sailing programs for the disabled, people battling AIDS, and disadvantaged youth, and works with numerous other local maritime heritage organizations.
The CWB collection includes over 100 vessels, mostly small sailboats and rowboats.[1] The boats are divided into a number of sections. The livery fleet includes day sailers, rowboats, and one pedal boat.
The 20-foot (6.1 m) Blanchard Junior Knockabout is the mainstay of the CWB's rental fleet. They have five or six, which are used for teaching and rentals.[2]
The El Toro fleet is used mainly for youth programs.
The non-floating collection is composed of historical craft, many of which are less seaworthy. Some are on display in the main Boathouse, while others are currently in storage. The CWB also owns or has stewardship of a number of larger sailboats. Two steam launches are used for public rides.
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