A few reflections on our first Georgetown Wooden Boat Show

Alan and Cheryl Cooper
Publishers of Who’s On The Move in South Carolina

We attended our first-ever Wooden Boat Show this past weekend in Georgetown, SC. Here are a few observations. See the photo galleries below!

We had invited our daughter to join us, and she quickly commented on how surprised she was by Georgetown’s charm. The beautiful homes, the live oaks draped in Spanish moss, the historic streets. It really is a special place.

The weather, however, was a little strange. The day before, it had been 85 degrees and sunny. By Saturday, the temperature had dropped to 65 degrees, with a light drizzle coming and going throughout the day. Not exactly ideal weather for a boat show.

We wandered down Front Street, past the vendors and the strategically placed wooden boats. I particularly loved a long, sleek wooden kayak. I don’t think I had ever seen a wooden kayak before. We chatted with several boat owners who were more than happy to share a few stories about their boats.

Next, we headed into the boat-building tent, where teams of two were in the early stages of constructing their boats. There must have been 10 or 12 teams, all laser-focused on measuring and cutting pieces of wood. Very few of the boats had actually taken shape at this point. I think the teams were only about 45 minutes into the competition. I was fascinated by the whole idea. How exactly does one build a boat from scratch? And, perhaps more importantly, how does one build a boat that will actually float?

After about 15 minutes watching the boatbuilders, we wandered a little farther down Front Street before making our way into the sponsors’ tent, located just off the docks along the Harborwalk on the Sampit River, which flows into nearby Winyah Bay.

The sponsors’ tent was impressive! A great selection of drinks and an incredible variety of food. Everything from pulled pork and corn dogs to, surprisingly, a huge assortment of delicious sushi. It was here that I had a chance to catch up with Johnny Weaver, one of the people who helped start the Wooden Boat Show 37 years ago. I complimented Johnny on the event.

“Look at what you’ve created! You should be proud of this. This is such a fun event!”

In typical Johnny fashion, he humbly deflected the compliment, saying it was a team effort. He also mentioned that in years when it wasn’t raining and 65 degrees, the crowds were usually much bigger.

You certainly couldn’t tell that from the number of people enjoying themselves in the sponsors’ tent!

And that conversation got me thinking. Thirty-seven years. That’s a remarkable run for any community event. Not many events survive that long, let alone continue to attract people year after year. So what makes the Wooden Boat Show so special? What has allowed it to thrive for nearly four decades? I think part of the answer is that the Wooden Boat Show is a reflection of the people who created it. And, in particular, I think it reflects Johnny Weaver.

Unpretentious. Unassuming. Authentic. Fun.

There is nothing particularly fancy or exclusive about the Wooden Boat Show. It doesn’t try too hard to impress anyone. It’s open to everyone, and much of it is free. People are friendly, conversations come easily, and the whole event has a wonderful sense of community about it. It’s a celebration of craftsmanship, history, boats and the people who love them. But it’s also simply a great excuse to get together and enjoy a beautiful South Carolina town.

Click on the images below to get a better view! Then keep scrolling – there’s another gallery at the end.

 

And maybe that’s one of the secrets to its longevity. The best community events aren’t necessarily the biggest or the flashiest. They’re the ones that feel genuine. The ones that people look forward to because they know they’re going to have a good time, run into old friends and probably make a few new ones. That’s what I felt at the Wooden Boat Show.

After our conversation with Johnny, we wandered down the docks along the Harborwalk to check out more of the beautiful wooden boats. There were boats of all shapes and sizes, and I loved that each one had information about its history and the year it was built. Some were more than 100 years old!

We walked to the end of the docks to see the Spirit of South Carolina up close and had an opportunity to chat with the captain. He spoke with great pride and affection about the ship.

“We are really making an effort to sail her as much as possible in South Carolina. She loves to be out on the water with all her sails hoisted!”

I loved that comment, the personification of the sailing vessel.

On our way out, we decided to stop by the boat-building tent one more time. And unbelievably, they were done! Only one team was still working. The rest had finished, and we were looking at about nine completed wooden boats. I couldn’t believe it. Just a couple of hours earlier, we had watched these teams measuring and cutting pieces of wood, with hardly anything resembling a boat in sight. And now, there they were. Actual wooden boats!

Unbelievable! I was impressed.

By the time we left Georgetown, we had already decided that we wanted to come back next year. In fact, we enjoyed the Wooden Boat Show so much that we’re planning to bring our other children along next time. After 37 years, the Wooden Boat Show clearly has figured out how to keep people coming back. It took us a while to discover it, but I’m glad we finally did.

Put it on your calendar for next year. And bring your family. It is a beautiful slice of South Carolina.

Check out the Photo Gallery below.