About

a few words about us

pic_5Who we are...

The Wooden Boat Guild of Tasmania Incorporated is an incorporated association in Tasmania. That’s the formal bit. In truth, the Guild is its members. Each member brings to the Guild their skills and knowledge and along the way learns and mentors primarily around a conversation on boats. There is a governance structure but that aside the activities of the Guild are fully member directed. The Guild’s resources in timber stocks, boats, library and meeting spaces have expanded over the years.

However, we only exist through our member involvement that can extend to boat construction and restoration, being trip leaders, writing articles for the Skeg, making presentations to Guild monthly meetings and being elected office bearers and onto committees. But the core of who we are is our interest in using and enjoying boats.

Further, we are in Tasmania, an island state that is home to one of the world's finest boat building timbers, Huon Pine. So it's not surprising that we are enthusiasts for fine wooden boats. Our home base, Hobart, is the destination for one of the world's premier off-shore yacht races and host to Australia's premier wooden boat festival.

pic_6What we do...

What we do comes from the interests of members. Our Articles of Association provide the objects of the Guild. The objects provide a broad canvass to define activities that have changed their focus and will continue to change in focus as determined by members and as new opportunities arise.

Past activities have included the construction of the Piners' Punt Teepookana and the restoration of the Terra Linna. In fact the Guild’s early interest in punts continues, with the publication of major research on Piners' Punts funded by the Australian National Maritime Museum.

Learning about wooden boats, sharing the experiences of members and, importantly, enjoying using boats are the core of what we do.

The Guild's objectives

The objects for the Guild are stated in our Articles of Association. In brief, they cover:

  • Recognising and promoting wooden boatbuilding in all its forms
  • Preserving and recording of the craft of wooden boat building
  • Educating and developing skills for future generations
  • Developing new building methods for wooden boats
  • Researching and the recording of Tasmanian wooden boats
  • Maintaining a register of boats
  • Ensuring the continual supply of Tasmanian specialty timbers for wooden boats
  • Encouraging the use of wooden boats, particularly to young people
  • Facilitating discussion relating to the Guild objects
  • Supporting and liaising with other organisations with similar objects

 

The Articles of Association elaborate the objects to cover supporting activities including:

  • Activities relating to real or personal property and the buying, selling and supplying of goods
  • Activities relating to buildings or works
  • Activities relating to the accepting of any gift and raising and investing of funds
  • Activities relating to publishing documents

The Wooden Boat Guild of Tasmania Inc is a Tasmanian Incorporated Association, registration number TAS 03090C.

The Guild activities range over the objects allowing the Guild to pursue diverse interests and, likewise, for members to bring their diverse interests to the Guild.

The Guild from time to time may choose to pursue particular objects as resources allow and to further the interests of members.

Our history...

The Guild was formed in 1994 by a group wishing to keep and support wooden boat heritage and craft in Tasmania. Members of the Wooden Boat Guild of Tasmania see their role as being one of nurturing and educating in the art of wooden boat building and restoration.

(read more about our history here)

our projects

  • Terra Linna

    Terra Linna circa 1880 Terra Linna, the oldest surviving yacht built in Tasmania, was restored by the Wooden Boat Guild and re-launched in 2012. Since her restoration and…

  • Teepookana

    Teepookana is a replica of a traditional Tasmanian Piners' Punt. These punts were used by timber harvesters to carry goods and people up Tasmania's rocky rivers, in search…

  • Damar

    'Tamar' class dinghies were common in Tasmania in the mid 20th century. In 1947 the Tamar Yacht Club (TYC) established the specifications for a general-purpose, lightweight centreboard dinghy…

what we offer

  • 01Communication and information
    We offer regular meetings with guest speakers on a range of topics and a regular newsletter recording the events, activities and opinions of Guild members and in-depth articles on or related to wooden boats. There is an extensive library for members' use, and there's lots of opportunity to work with and learn from others.
  • 02Working, boating and social activities
    We have ongoing boat building and restoration  projects where you can use your skills or learn from others on everything from large vessels to models. But it's not all work. We get out on the water often, in big and small boats. And, of course, there are simply social occasions when we just relax and chat with those with common interests.
  • 03Major events and small venues
    The guild is a companion to sister wooden boat associations in other states and actively participates in larger events such as the biennial Australian Wooden Boat Festival, the Kettering Wooden Boat Rally and the Bellerive Seafarers' Festival.  Our meeting space in a heritage boating precinct is available to members and other like-minded organisations.