2nd Annual Dutch WoodenBoat Festival

Welcome to the second annual Dutch WoodenBoat Festival in the Netherlands. We celebrate this festival because it should have been done long ago! The festival was initially conceived as a 90 year birthday party for the Hout en Meubilerings College in Amsterdam, which started a ‘boat builders training’ more than 25 years ago. Secondly, this festival is an ode to the centuries-old wooden boat tradition: the first boat was made of wood and we celebrate that we still build and enjoy wooden boats.

The event will take place on the site of Willemsoord, the old Navy shipyard in the city of Den Helder, one hour north of Amsterdam. There are many maritime institutions in this shipyard such as the Museum Harbour Foundation, a Navy Museum, and a SAR Museum. Many of the members of these foundations will be invited to the festival.

Do you own a wooden boat? Are you involved in an organization involved with wooden boats? Whether it is a 12-foot dinghy or a botter, if you have something to do with wood and water you will enjoy this event. Of course everyone is welcome at this festival with or without a wooden boat. Here you can indulge yourself seeing, talking about and, perhaps, sailing wooden boats. Come and meet your peers! Admission is free. Please visit our website for festival details.

Note from WoodenBoat Publications: Festival organizer Bert van Baar and De Bootbouwschool were featured in the May 2018 issue of Small Boats Monthly.