Whether you’re a boating enthusiast or prefer to keep your feet on dry land, the Annual Wooden Boat Show has activities for all ages. This free event, held each year on the first Saturday in May, celebrates the art of North Carolina traditional wooden boatbuilding and the sport of boat racing. Dozens of handcrafted wooden boats will be on display, along with nautical demonstrations, and activities for children.
#BeaufortBoatShow.
Schedule Of Events
The Annual Wooden Boat Show’s schedule of events will be packed full of exciting things to do. Set sail in a traditional wooden boat, or practice your boating skills in the Virtual Trainer. Don’t forget to stop by our vendors and, of course, visit all of our wooden boat exhibits. Wooden boat owners come from all over to be a part of the Beaufort Wooden Boat Show. And you can help pick the winners by voting for your favorite entry.
May 4, 2024
8 a.m.–10 a.m.
BOAT CHECK-IN and SETUP – Harvey W. Smith Watercraft Center
10 a.m.–5 p.m.
MUSEUM OPEN – Free admission
BOATING SKILLS VIRTUAL TRAINER – N.C. Maritime Museum Library
10 a.m.–4 p.m.
EXHIBIT OF WOODEN BOATS – Front Street and Parking Lot
IN-WATER BOAT SHOW – Beaufort Waterfront Docks
WOODEN BOAT KIDS – N.C. Maritime Museum Front Patio & Breezeway
NAUTICAL BOOK SALE – N.C. Maritime Museum Front Patio
CAROLINA MARITIME MODEL EXPO – Be sure to vote for your favorite model boat – N.C. Maritime Museum Auditorium
PLEIN AIR ARTISTS – Throughout the showgrounds
KNOT TYING BY DON VAN HOY – Harvey W. Smith Watercraft Center
DAVE MAHONEY VINTAGE TOY OUTBOARDS – Harvey W. Smith Watercraft Center
BEAUFORT PIRATE INVASION
Pirate encampment – N.C. Maritime Museum back patio
Pirate demonstrations – N.C. Maritime Museum front patio
BOB ZENTZ – Sea shanties and maritime-themed music – Harvey W. Smith Watercraft Center
10:30 a.m.
ALL COMERS SAILBOAT RACE – Taylor’s Creek
1–3 p.m.
GO SAILING IN A TRADITIONAL WOODEN BOAT – Free, $5 per person donation suggested – Harvey W. Smith Watercraft Center
4 p.m.
WOODEN BOAT SHOW AWARDS RECEPTION – Harvey W. Smith Watercraft Center
The History of the Annual Wooden Boat Show
It was 1975 and Mr. Charles R. McNeill and friend Michael Alford were talking about their love for traditional wooden boats when they decided to hold an event for the community that would inspire others to foster similar feelings about something handcrafted, something worthwhile, something beautiful: wooden boats.
Register Your Boat
Registration for the 48th Annual Wooden Boat Show, the longest ongoing wooden boat show in the Southeast, is now open.