One of the most well-attended and popular events in the area every October is the Georgetown Wooden Boat Show. Always held the third weekend in October this year’s show is Saturday, October 15 and Sunday, October 16 and admission is free. If you’re coming to the area specifically to attend the boat show, take a look at the luxurious accommodations we have in the Georgetown area at DeBordieu Rentals. You’re sure to find the perfect home-away-from-home for you and your traveling mates.
This year’s event takes place on the waterfront in historic downtown Georgetown and extends along Front Street. It features more than 140 classic wooden boats displayed on land and water, a wooden boatbuilding competition, children’s model boatbuilding, knot tying, maritime art and crafts, plenty of good food and great music. Don’t miss the Wooden Boat Challenge when teams of two race to build a rowing skiff within a 4 hour time limit followed by testing their vessels for seaworthiness in a Sampit River rowing relay.
6th Annual Goat Island Yacht Club Regatta
On Friday, October 14 beginning at 6:30 p.m. the Goat Island Yacht Club Regatta takes place at the SC Maritime Museum. There will be plenty of unique live and silent auction items, as well as first-class wardroom cuisine and imbibements. Tickets are $85 per person. Come meet with fellow seafarers and trade sea stories. Proceeds will benefit the SC Maritime Museum. Call 843-520-0111 for tickets or purchase online.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2016 Noon – 6 pm
The Wooden Boat Challenge will begin at noon on Broad Street under the big tent. Two-person teams will race to build a rowing skiff within a four-hour time limit. At 5 p.m. the competitors will test their completed skiffs for seaworthiness in a rowing relay across the Sampit River. The teams will be scored on speed of construction, quality of work and rowing speed. Cash prizes will be awarded to first, second and third place winners.
At 7 p.m. an awards ceremony and banquet will be held for boat exhibitors, boatbuilding competitors, sponsors and guests. Prizes will be presented to the winners in each of the exhibit categories as well as the People’s Choice Grand Award winner, to the Six Knot Challenge winner, and to the winning Wooden Boat Challenge competitors.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2016 10 am – 4 pm
In addition to the wooden boat show and commercial exhibits, family activities will include an Opti Pram regatta featuring the SC Youth Sailing program’s fleet of wooden Optis, knot tying with Dan the Knot Man and kid’s model boat building.
A new event for Sunday will be the First Annual Cardboard Boat Regatta. Visitors can preview the cardboard boats from 10 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. on Broad Street under the big tent. The Regatta will begin at 1:30 p.m. when the cardboard boats are launched on the Sampit River from the floating docks at Francis Marion Park. The Pride of the Fleet Award will be given to the boat that best combines innovative engineering with artistic design. The Team Pride Award will go to the team with the greatest spirit and crowd involvement. The Titanic Award will be presented to the boat with the most dramatic sinking.
The Georgetown Wooden Boat Show is produced by the Harbor Historical Association, a 501(c) (3) tax-exempt organization. For more information, to register a boat for exhibit or to sponsor this event contact Georgetown Wooden Boat Show, PO Box 2228, Georgetown, SC, 29442; or send an email to boats@woodenboatshow.com. Visit the website at www.woodenboatshow.com.