Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival 2026

There is an increasing interest in powering boats with electricity but the technology of electric power is quite different from that of gas or diesel. Most boat builders and manufacturers are not yet capable of providing an “off the shelf” electric boat or do the conversion.  This presentation provides a framework for the planning that needs to be done for a conversion when doing it yourself.  The main topics are:Power and Energy NeedsSpace Needed Voltage, BatteriesMotors  and Motor ControllersSwitches and MonitoringRecharging

Not all marine first aid kits are created equal. Case in point- take a look at a $50.00 "Offshore" kit. This lecture breaks down what belongs in a practical onboard medical kit — how to build them from scratch or customize a commercial kit. Learn how to match your kit to your cruising style, crew experience, and distance from help, with guidance on organization, essential supplies, and common gaps seen in commercially available kits.

How might we best support and provide long-term stewardship to our wonderfully disparate wooden boats and the skills it takes to preserve and maintain them?  The Dolphin Swimming & Boating Foundation has a way with the renowned Dolphin wooden rowboat fleet that plies the San Francisco Bay waters daily; San Francisco Master Mariners  is an organization whose members are the boats, individually-owned wooden sailboats ,largely built before December 1941  and whose main events are the annual Memorial Day Regatta and the mid-June Wooden Boat Show at the Corinthian Yacht Club.  Diane, who serves as President of the Dolphin Foundation and Membership Director of the Master Mariners,  will regale us with how they're doing what they do and the challenges they are facing, and asks that you bring what you're doing so we can get better, together,  at this extraordinary, complex, time-sensitive, quirky, highly-rewarding  work.

A voyage through the process of designing a small long range micro-cruiser.

When emergencies happen on the water, simple principles often matter more than complicated techniques. This session focuses on five key concepts that improve outcomes during onboard medical situations, including patient assessment, early recognition of serious problems, stabilization, communication, and decision-making under pressure.

Copper-based bottom paint is facing increasing regulation—but what does that mean for boaters? Get up to date on current laws, emerging alternatives, and what’s really changing in the world of marine coatings.Non-copper - it's the law! Or is it? Let's get up to date on the latest history, regulations, and developments as we march forward to a cleaner, more innovative future in controlling marine fouling.

The presentation will feature ideas on keeping your boat dry, as well as other tricks we have learned living aboard our boat. You will learn fun facts and easy logical ways to keep your boat clean and dry as well as other fun facts.