The snowstorm of paperwork that follows the MyState Australian Wooden Boat Festival (invoices, accounts, reports and feedback) has begun to clear a little and we are all very happy with the results.  Numbers were as strong, or better than previous festivals, the volunteer force was out in strength, the weather was kind to us and […]

Whilst looking around the Festival site of the 2019 MyState Bank Australian Wooden Boat Festival, on numerous occasions I was spoken to by well-wishers: those to whom I spoke came from Hobart; they came from all other parts of Tasmania; they came from interstate; and a number to whom I spoke came from overseas. They all […]

They say it takes the average Hobartian a week or two to wipe the grin off their face after the MyState Bank Australian Wooden Boat Festival. We’re inclined to agree with that, considering the breadth of smiles you could see across the festival site over the whole four days.  Post-festival feedback, especially from interstate visitors, […]

If you hear someone on the Hobart waterfront talking about ‘Tzz-ikk’, they are probably not referring to mosquitos or a fly caught in the electric flycatcher.  It’s more likely to be TSIC, or the Tasmanian Seafood Industry Council.  This is a very active industry organisation that represents the full range of Tasmanian fishers and producers, […]

There’s no doubt that the MyState Australian Wooden Boat Festival is very photogenic – how could it not be, with around 500 beautiful wooden boats on display – but it’s also full of stories, characters and amazing tales of adventure.  No surprise, then, that the world’s media loves to talk about it.  And they do, […]

We were delighted (and OK, a little surprised) at the huge interest shown in the Ships in Bottles exhibition at the TasPorts Mac 02 Cruise Ship Terminal  during the 2019 MyState Bank Australian. Wooden Boat Festival.   The display was planned by Model Boats Coordinator Michael Stoddart, who is himself an enthusiast and collector of […]

Marine corrosion and electrolysis can be a confusing issue – which can cause considerable damage to your wooden boat. The solutions which may have been appropriate in the past, may not be suitable now, says marine corrosion specialist, Brian Gatt. Wooden boats can suffer from corrosion side-effects to the timber, as well as the running […]

In 2018, we marked the 70th anniversary of Muir’s Boatyard, one of the best-known names in Tasmanian boatbuilding in the period following the Second World War. Originally founded in 1948 by Ernest J ‘Jock’ Muir, the boatyard turned out some of Australia’s most celebrated yachts, including Sydney-Hobart race winners – Westward (1947, handicap), now maintained […]