Wooden Boat activities on Orcas Island
There is a good deal of interest and activity surrounding wooden boats on Orcas Island. Folks from business, non-profits, schools and recreation boating are active with their wooden boats. Many of the wooden boat activities within community have been carried out through as collaborative efforts involving several groups and individuals.

WOODEN BOAT SOCIETY OF THE SAN JUAN ISLANDS located in Deer Harbor
The Wooden Boat Society of the San Juan Islands was formed in 2002 to perpetuate the craftsmanship, artistry and knowledge of the maritime traditions through education, public display, restoration and construction, and entertainment. The society is a 501(c)3 nonprofit with a strong commitment to the care and feeding of wooden boats, their owners and those who appreciate them. It has worked with island business and individuals to expanding opportunities to meet these goals.

ANNUAL DEER HARBOR WOODEN BOAT RENDEZVOUS
The Rendezvous is held each year Tuesday - Thursday of the first week of September in Deer Harbor. There are rowing and sailing races, pot lucks music and a BBQ for owners of and those interested in wooden boats form the region and San Juans. It is sponsored by Wooden Boat Society of the San Juan Islands, The Boat Works and the Deer Harbor Business Association.

INTERNATIONAL SCHOONER RACE
The annual schooner race starts from Deer Harbor on a Sunday mid-July and continues on a six day series of races into Canada. It is sponsored by The Northwest Schooner Association, the Schooner Martha Foundation, Deer Harbor Marina with the help of the Wooden Boat Society of the San Juan Islands.

BOUNDARY CUP: 6 METER REGATTA
6 Meters sailboats from Canada and the US meet at Four Winds Camp on West Sound the second weekend of September to sail a series of races for the Boundary Cup. The fleet for the three day event is a mixture of traditional and modern wooden 6 Meters. It is sponsored by the Puget Sound 6 Meter Fleet, Four Winds Camp, The BoatWorks and the Wooden Boat Society of the San Juan Islands.

ORCAS ISLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT
The Orcas Middle and High School has provided a variety of boat building and sailing experiences for students over the years. The shop classes built several 14’ Pelican class sail boats which were sailed around a portion of Vancouver Island and later down the Sea of Cortes as the culmination of a multidisciplinary course. The middle school students sail a fleet of wooden El Toro class dinghies maintained by the school. Another class built an Alaskan design umiak one of which is now under construction at the school.

FOUR WINDS CAMP
Historically the camp has offered a sail training program on wooden boats: the yawl Dorade; Martha, Red Jacket, Westward Ho and today the Carlyn. The Carlyn is a 63 foot wooden yawl build in 1996 to US Coast Guard sail training ship regulations. Four Winds is a 79 year old 501-C-3 nonprofit summer camp with an enrollment of 320 with youngsters from a variety of different backgrounds, 20% of the youngsters are on scholarship. Four Winds joined forces with SALISH SEAS EXPEDITIONS, another 501(c)3 educational group which uses the boat spring and fall seasons. They work with school middle and high school groups to design and carry out marine research projects under sailing conditions.

Four Winds also maintains a group of 70 year old wooden Old Town canoes which they use each summer in their trip program in the San Juans. Ten cedar rowboats of older design serve as the transportation within the camp bay. Many of these boats are the original boats many times rebuild the design of a noted Pacific Northwest boat builder. The NORTHWEST SCHOOL OF BOAT BUILDING from the Port Townsend area works with the camp on boat repairs and maintenance each summer involving the youngsters in the process. The camp jointly maintained the fleet of wooden El Toro dinghies used by the camp and Orcas Schools.

NORTHWEST SEAPORT
The Yakutat, a classic Pacific Northwest halibut schooner owned by Northwest Seaport is moored in Deer Harbor and under going a planned restoration. Some of the local wooden boat folks have met to survey the needs of the project. The planned use for the boat is educational activities in the areas of history and marine sciences.

Orcas Island Wooden Boat Businesses:

THE DEER HARBOR BOATWORKS has operated for years as a local yard specializing in wood boat maintenance and care under the ownership of Michael Durland. The yard is one of the few remaining yards where boat owners can work on their own boats. Michael often works with boat owners on restoration and maintenance projects. During the coming year there are plans to offer small wood boat construction work shops at the Boatworks. Michael and Kat Fennell are two of the founders of WBFSJI.

LEBER HAVEN MARINA is a small yard owned by Dave Baxter and is often the site of work on wooden boats.

NORTHWEST CLASSIC CHARTERS operating out of Deer Harbor is a classic wood sloop built in Seattle owned and operated by Ward Fay. Arua has been sailing skippered charters out of Deer Harbor for 5 years. Ward manages the sail races for the rendezvous.

MORNING STAR CHARTERS run by Tony Lee works out of Rosario Resort aboard his schooner. It is a true wood boat classic east coast design. Tony regularly involves himself with the running of the rendezvous.

SHARON L CHARTERS operated by Miles McCoy from West Sound is an island fixture. Sharon L is a cat boat built in 1932 in Seattle. Miles is a true wood boat veteran and an informal historian on local and regional wood boats.

OSPREY KAYAKS builds fabric covers wood frame kayaks, leads tours and outings from Orcas. They help individuals build and out fit their own wood frame kayaks.

LOCAL MARINE SURVEYOR Tom Averna is available to help with questions related to wooden boats. He has owned wooden boats and writes a column for the sailing monthly publication 48 Degrees North.

Wooden boat Construction & restoration projects:

Michael Durland and Kat Fennell have begun work on restoration of their 6 Meter at the Boatworks. There’s a steady stream of small wooden boat repairs moving through their shop.

Craig Webster is spearheading the work on the Yakatut with Northwest Seaport.

Bill Koral’s shop is the site of a number of wood boat building and restoration projects. Currently a small cat boat built for the Chicago World’s Fair is being reframed, a lap strake dinghy is under construction and a classic 1937 International One Design is being restored. The construction of a 6 Meter and restoration of two more IODs are planned.

Dave Shore is nearing completion of the rebuild of a wood ketch which he and his father first worked together many years ago on Decatur Island.

App Applegate is building the schooner which after many years is headed for the water.

Chris Smart brought a schooner up from the SF Bay area which he is restoring in Deer Harbor.

Josh Brown works in his shop on several restoration projects, a wood power boat and a centerboard sloop.