Expanded Wooden Boat Festival is planned

Planning is underway for the 2016 Cathlamet Wooden Boat Festival to be held September 3 and 4 at the Elochoman Slough Marina.

Organizers have chosen to expand the festival to two days this year.

To entice exhibitors with their boats, invitations are being forwarded to a substantial and growing potential exhibitors list. Organizers say they are going to extend a hardy welcome and present each exhibitor with an attractive participation collector's plaque as well as their own event T-shirt.

Each year, viewers are invited to vote for their favorite boat in the show. This year, Cathlamet artist Mitzie Christensen has created a graphic design based on last year's winner; the design is being used on publicity and other promotional material.

Organizers say that for each forthcoming year, the graphics design will be based on the prior year's "Best in Show" winner.

Events over the two days will include:

--There will be booths selling food and arts, crafts and interest items.

--On Sunday morning, there will be a swap sale in the covered area, free tables, nautical items only. Space is limited. For details send an e-mail to seajeanb@gmail.com.

--On both Saturday and Sunday, there will be kids model boat building, including the shingle sailboat introduced at the last show.

There will also be a kids shingle boat race in the afternoon right after the ever popular "rubber ducky" race for all ages. There is a prize awarded for each race, the rubber ducky race "haul" being one half of ticket sale proceeds.

--On Saturday only between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., there will be a speakers forum entailing a series of talks which will be presented in the covered area on such predictable topics as boat building, repairs and restoration, tales of the sea, personal experiences, and so forth.

--On Saturday, organizers hope to arrange with the U.S. Coast Guard a helicopter search and rescue demonstration and then having the chopper land to be on static display.

--New this year on both days will be "blind dingy" races. This event is one of the Cathlamet Yacht Club's favorites for fun participation. Two individuals attempt to proceed over a set course with the rower blindfolded. No voice communication is allowed. Only a tap of some manner is allowed for indicating course change.

--Also on both days, organizers are hosting a search and rescue boat raffle in support of the Wahkiakum County Search & Rescue organization. The raffle is for a 7-foot boat specifically designed and built by Michael Baccellieri of Welcome Slough Boatworks. Drawing will take place on Sunday at 2 p.m.

--Organizers are planning a rowboat race on Saturday afternoon and an opportunity for those who might wish to experience going out on the river in a rowboat on Sunday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Program details will be available during the festival and may be found at the Welcome Tent.

Even before the start of the activities at the Marina, on Friday evening, the Tsuga Gallery will hold a reception from 5-7 p.m.

The River Mile 38 Brewing Company, on their recent WBF event focused poster, makes note of "special beer brewed just for this event" and a suggested "stroll the Marina while listening to live music complements of the RM 38 Brewing Company."