Friday, Oct. 16, 2009

Wooden boat show popularity crests

GEORGETOWN -- Twenty years ago, the Wooden Boat Show was really more of an exhibit in the park space beside the River Room. Now, the event draws over 100 vendors and exhibitors and shuts down three blocks of the historic Front Street one Saturday every October.

This year's show will feature about 100 vendors and exhibitors and will air live for the first time on Southern Coastal Cable at 5 p.m. Saturday on channel 3 in the Georgetown area.

"The number of our exhibitors has increased dramatically," said Sally Swineford, one of the event's organizers. "One year we had 40 exhibitors and we thought that was huge. Now we have over 100. We've gotten so big we've had to build our own temporary docks."

She said the show has grown mostly through word-of-mouth. It began in 1989 as an exhibit for Georgetown County's Bayfest, which was originally designed to celebrate Georgetown County's maritime heritage. The port of Georgetown opened in the 1730's and continues to operate today.

Soon however, the Bayfest turned into more of a carnival, said Lyn Anderson, one of the Wooden Boat Show's founders.

When the county's recreation department, which ran the Bayfest, decided to move the event to a warmer month during the summer, Wooden Boat show volunteers decided to keep their show in October and develop it into an event that celebrated boats, Anderson said.

In 1995, the Wooden Boat show began to operate as a free-standing festival and drew in about 10 vendors and exhibitors.

Proceeds contribute to the creation and development of a new maritime museum. Since the show's inception, Goat Island Yacht Club has helped to put on the show in partnership with the Harbor Historical Association. The HHA has taken on the fundraising task for the maritime museum. And, in 2006, the historical association partnered with the Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce to share space in their building at 531 Front St. in Georgetown.

The museum shares the first floor of the building with the chamber's visitor center. In the museum, there are replicas of the Harvest Moon, City of Georgetown vessel and a ferry boat that used to take people from Georgetown to Pawleys Island before a bridge was built.

The HHA is still seeking records, photographs and other objects dealing with the maritime history of the area

During Saturday's show more than 100 vessels ranging in size from kayaks to yachts, will be on display.

The National Boat Building Challenge will begin at noon under the big tent on Broad Street. Two-member teams will race to build a rowing skiff within a four-hour time limit. There are 17 teams in this year's competition, including three female builders, Swineford said.

The boat building competition began in Georgetown in 1996 with 10 teams. Last year, the competition became a part of the national boat building circuit.

At 5 p.m. competitors will test their completed skiffs in a rowing relay across the Sampit River. The teams will be judged on speed of construction, quality of work and rowing ability. Cash prizes will be awarded to first, second and third place winners. Prizes for the top teams range from $100 to $500. The three highest-scoring teams will be eligible to compete in the 2010 National Boat Building Championship. There will be an award ceremony and banquet at 7 p.m.

"It's fun," said Swineford about organizing the boat show. "Some of our closest friendships have been made through this boat show. It's a great event for the town."