CWB and the Community
Museums are places that collect, preserve and interpret for public benefit. There is no scientific description of "Public Benefit." The Center for Wooden Boats takes it to mean we shall encourage people of all ages, abilities and cultures to expand their understanding of our maritime heritage in a warm, welcoming and attractive environment.
Let us list the ways:
CWB has built Seattle's newest and only waterfront park that extends beyond the shoreline onto Lake Union.
Admission: The cost is zero, because everyone deserves to visit Seattle's internal waterways. It can't be any cheaper.
SailNOW!: This program provides basic sailing instructions on traditional boats at affordable rates. The volunteer instructors simply enjoy teaching . . . and don't yell!
All Aboard is our sailing and boatshop skills program for disadvantaged youth. Several days a week, year-round, homeless teenagers participate in All Aboard. From June to August, additional teenagers facing difficult life situations also come for academic and boatbuilding instruction. All the students receive full scholarships. Many of these programs have been run in partnership with Seattle Mental Health and the Orion Center.
Sail Away Challenge: These sailing clinics are done in cooperation with Footloose Sailing Association for people with developmental and physical disabilities.
Bailey-Boushay House is a clinic and hospice for people with AIDS. Every Thursday afternoon, year-round, their van brings Bailey-Boushay clients for a sail outing at CWB. If the weather is bad, we do marlinspike work or just hang out in the Boathouse and talk about boats and sailing. We offer this as a free public service to Bailey-Boushay.
Sailing in the City: This is a week-long, all-day program in sailing and marlinspike skills, offered in July and August, for middle-school youths. At the week's end, the kids have mastered catboats and sloops and made their own canvas ditty bags. The class is affordably priced. Scholarships also are available.
Toy Boat Building: We wish we had acquired a patent on this one. It began at our first Wooden Boat Festival, July 1977. Since then, it has become a ritual at the Festival, as well as the rest of the year 'round. This is probably the entry level in hand tools, woodworking, and naval architecture for thousands of kids each year. The law of averages indicates that someday someone will come to CWB with their degree from MIT and say: "It all started here!".
Cast Off gives the public free rides on summer weekends in our larger sailboats and in our more exotic row, paddle, and steam powered vessels. Year-round rides on our larger sailboats are offered (weather permitting) on Sunday afternoons.
AS#1, a K-8 public school, is a long time partner with CWB. Kids as young as kindergarten age get a yearly sail in our Bristol Bay Gillnetter. A fleet (6) of 9½' Clancy sailing skiffs was built by AS#1 7th and 8th graders several years ago. The kids learn to sail the Clancys. They have even formed their own yacht club!
School Field Trips: Every museum marches the kids around the exhibits. In our case, the tour is around Lake Union in one of our classic boats.
The Library: Many of our library visitors first envisioned CWB as simply a place to get sweaty in a traditional pulling boat, or wet with spray in a sailboat. Not only can they do that, but they can also learn the joy of thumbing through a 1930's Rudder magazine or the latest issue of WoodenBoat.
The Coffeepot is the place to come and hear true confessions about maritime adventures. We don't put anything illegal in the coffee . . . but you'd never guess it hearing the tales told at the Boathouse.
Third Friday Speaker Series goes back to February 1976, in a funky old houseboat under the Aurora Bridge. Every month (except December), someone of wit and wisdom talks about maritime technologies or adventure. And it's always free.
Cheap dates: We created one of Seattle's most unique cultural, recreational and social environments. And we are listed in the guides to cheap dates and best places to kiss. And it is cheap. Sometimes free.
Such a deal! - Dick Wagner, Founding Director
