Australian Wooden Boat Festival Sets Sail To Pacific

Tasmania's largest free event and the largest celebration of wooden boats and maritime culture in the Southern Hemisphere will set sail this weekend, from Friday, February 7, to Monday, February 10, 2025. Over four days, Hobart's waterfront will reach its fullest potential and become a place of pilgrimage for wooden boat enthusiasts and tens of thousands of visitors from across Australia and the world.

The festival’s 2025 theme, "The Pacific," will explore the deep seafaring traditions of the region, featuring vessels, navigators, and artisans from New Zealand, Hawaii, Tahiti, New Caledonia, Japan, the US West Coast, and the Marshall Islands. The Pacific Seafarers Precinct will showcase traditional navigation, displays, workshops and cultural storytelling, while a festival standout will be the historic rematch between Nagataki and Te Rapunga, two classic yachts that last raced across the Tasman in 1934.

Launching at noon on Friday with the spectacular Parade of Sail, a magnificent fleet of 11 tall ships and 250+ wooden boats will sail up the River Derwent into Sullivans Cove. Visitors can watch from prime spots along the river before heading to the waterfront to witness the controlled chaos as vessels manoeuvre into their berths. A special festival welcome will follow at 4.45 pm, featuring foremost Tasmanian Indigenous boatbuilder Sheldon Thomas launching watercraft Truganini in Constitution Dock, joined by New Zealand guests demonstrating waka ama with the Hobart Outrigger Club.

Friday evening will see the festivities continue with a special forum at the Theatre Royal “We are the Ocean: Voyaging and the Pacific” where, in conversation with Professor Kate Fullagar, historian Dame Anne Salmond, artist Michel Tuffery and waka Captain Hoturoa Barclay-Kerr will investigate the epic stories of the original Pacific explorers and the powerful connection between people and the ocean, featuring a performance by the Māori cultural troupe Ngā Mātai Pūrua.

AWBF General Manager and Festival Director Paul Stephanus said, "The AWBF celebrates our shared maritime history, and the 2025 theme offers a chance to connect with the Pacific in a way we never have before. It’s an opportunity for visitors to engage with iconic vessels and extraordinary people from across the ocean. Our aim is to craft a festival that is as grand in its spectacle as it is meaningful in its community spirit."

Festival favourites return with a Pacific twist. The popular Wooden Boat Symposium will dive deep into stories of (mis)adventure and tackle hot-button issues, the Shipwrights Village and Noisy Boatyard will deliver demonstrations and workshops, and the bustling Maritime Marketplace will offer unique wares. The Little Sailors Village and Constitution Dock will enthral young hearts and minds with activities for all ages, culminating in the thrilling Quick & Dirty Boatbuilding Challenge and Race.

Alex Heroys, CEO of Destination Southern Tasmania, stated, "The Australian Wooden Boat Festival is a cornerstone event for both locals and visitors, providing a significant boost to Tasmania’s tourism industry and celebrating our maritime legacy. This year, we are especially excited to welcome our Pacific guests, strengthening our connections to the broader Pacific region.”

The full 2025 AWBF program and schedule is available online now at awbf2025.org.au/.

Festival Launch: Speeches at 1.30 pm Pacific Seafarers Precinct, Head of Kings Pier, Hobart
Festival Welcome: Ceremony & Speeches at 4.45 pm Constitution Dock, Hobart

© Scoop Media