The Narooma Centre for Wooden Boats last week launched its latest renovation project just in time for the upcoming BoatsAfloat Festival.
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Eight members spent eight months breathing new life into the 15-foot wooden rowing skiff that once was used for a daily commute across the Parramatta River.
The clinker-style skiff belonged to Clive Woodward whose great grandfather Albert George Jackson used it to cross from Henly to Drummoyne each day.
It was in the boat shed on the family’s riverside property purchased in 1911, and so it is at least 100 years old.
Mr Woodward, now of Mollymook, wanted the family heirloom restored, so he decided to donate it to the Narooma Centre for Wooden Boats.
“I wanted it be on the salt water and this is the best place for it,” he said. “These guys have done an absolutely fabulous job and to have back on the water is just marvellous.”
This was the fourth restoration project for the wooden boat enthusiasts who work with mentor and boat builder Jim Taylor in the boat shed next to his slipway on Forsters Bay.
The rowing skiff came to them a terrible, stinking mess, literally, with a dead possum in the bottom, almost split in two at the stern and missing ribs.
“She was nearly fit for firewood,” Mr Taylor said.
Working just one day a week, centre members fully restored the skiff to its originally glory and it slid into the water smoothly and gracefully at its relaunch last week.
Mr Woodward was there to take our out for a row onto Forsters Bay and she handled magnificently.
In fact, she and another traditional rowing boat will be available for a paddle at the 10th annual Narooma BoatsAfloat Festival on November 14-15.
“People will be able to come down and have a row if they want,” festival organiser Smilie McGill said.
Festivities kick off in Forsters Bay at 9.30am Saturday when an anticipated 55 boats head off for their picnic cruise of Wagonga Inlet.
Boats putt-putt back around 12.30pm. Chat to the boat owners, enjoy MACS-organised art exhibition - “Art in the Boatsheds” and live “Jazz on the Water”.
Sunday features the now famous and much anticipated “Grand Parade of Boats” with boats arriving at the boardwalk around 11am.
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