July 5, 2026
Dear Friend,
Summer is fully underway at The Center for Wooden Boats, and the docks are full of the best kind of energy: boats heading out, summer campers learning new skills, visitors exploring, volunteers welcoming guests, and people finding their way onto Lake Union.
This month, I’m especially excited for Dinner on the Docks with Sugartime Trio on Thursday, July 23. It will be a relaxed 21+ waterfront evening with live music, a Mediterranean buffet by Ravishing Radish Catering, drinks included with your ticket, and plenty of summer views from the docks. Bring a friend and join us for a festive evening in CWB’s 50th year.
We are also looking ahead to our 50th Anniversary Reunion on Saturday, August 22. This is not a fundraiser. It is a chance to celebrate the people, stories, and shared history that have shaped CWB across five decades. We hope everyone who has been part of CWB’s story will come back to the waterfront and celebrate with us.
And of course, summer is the perfect time to get back on the water. CWB is open Wednesday through Sunday, 12:30 to 8:00 PM, and we are making a special invitation for weekday and after-work sailing this season. Trade your commute home for an evening sail, bring a friend, row the lake, or come back after a class and keep building your confidence on the water.
Finally, this month we are launching our summer fundraising campaign in honor of CWB’s 50th anniversary. More people are discovering CWB than ever before, and as participation grows, so does our responsibility to preserve this remarkable place and expand access to hands-on experiences on the water. I hope you will consider making a gift this summer and joining us in this vital effort to keep CWB vibrant, welcoming, and accessible for the next generation.
Thank you for being part of this community and this milestone season. I hope to see you on the docks, in a boat, or at one of our summer gatherings very soon.
With gratitude,
Corey McDaniel
Development Director
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Events and Updates
- Upcoming Events
- Construction, Restoration, and Repair
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Programs
- Summer Racing Series
- Youth Summer Camps
- Adult Classes
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Fuel the Mission
This July, CWB is asking for a contribution to hit our yearly goal. Today, more people are discovering CWB than at any point in our history. As participation continues to grow, so does our responsibility to preserve this remarkable place while expanding opportunities for people of every age and background to experience life on the water. This year, we have a minimum goal of $850,000 with a stretch goal of $1million to provide the increased access our programs and growth demands. In this milestone 50th year for the Center, we hope you will consider a contribution in support of that access.
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Dinner on the Docks with Sugartime Trio
Sunday July 23rd 6:00pm - 9:00pm
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In the month of July, CWB is also happy to welcome live music to the docks! Join us Thursday, July 23rd from 6 pm to 9 pm, for a special performance by The Sugartime Trio, with a Mediterranean buffet by Ravishing Radish Catering and drinks included with your ticket. This will be a 21+ waterfront gathering meant to celebrate our community in our 50th year, so to help make this event accessible to more guests, we are offering tiered ticket pricing.
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Sunday Public Sail
Sunday July 26th 1:00pm - 5:00pm
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Our next Sunday Public Sail is slated for July 26th and this month we are happy to announce the return of The Virginia 5 to our Public Sail fleet! With Lavengro also participating, July will be the largest fleet we’ve had this year so make sure to come down and grab a spot on one of these historic vessels.
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Sunset Yoga on the Docks
July 14th 6:30 - 8:00pm
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CWB members are invited to join us Tuesday, July 14th at 6:30 p.m. for an evening blending yoga and sound healing, set against the serene backdrop of Seattle’s historic South Lake Union waterfront. DRIFT Yoga and Center for Wooden Boats come together to bring you a one-of-a-kind experience on the docks.
Led by DRIFT’s owner/founder, Vivian Duelli and assisted by Sam Scire, this complimentary, 90 minute event invites you to slow down and sink into stillness with long-held yin postures as you immerse yourself in a relaxing sound bath. Post yoga, enjoy snacks and beverages on our docks as well.
Space is limited, so reserve your spot by emailing, and make sure to bring your own mat, layers, and any props.
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TWSBA Conference
Looking for a new perspective on the water? Want a deeper understanding of maritime stewardship? Do you just want to hear from some of the smartest people in our small boat community? Save the date for this year’s TWSBA conference, October 15–17. CWB has the unique opportunity and distinct honor to be hosting The Teaching With Small Boats Alliance (TWSBA) for their conference this year, so it will never be easier than now to attend.
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50th Anniversary Reunion
As August grows closer, our excitement grows too! Our 50th anniversary year has been all about celebrating what The Center for Wooden Boats has achieved and getting excited about what’s to come. On August 22nd, from 5:00 - 8:00 PM, we welcome you to celebrate with us at our 50th Anniversary Reunion. RSVP and get your best CWB story ready because we want to hear them all. This reunion is a chance for people from all the different eras of CWB to connect and propel us forward into the next 50 years with even more energy!
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Constructions, Restorations, and Repairs
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Late last month, our volunteers at the NLU boat shop finished the first of a few new El Toros for our fleet. The bright red “Mario” for starters, soon to be followed by its green brother “Luigi”. These boats will go into immediate use for our Youth Summer Programming, providing plenty of joyful memories for our young sailors.
There’s something else that makes these El Toros special as well. In the process of making this batch of boats, John, our boatwright at NLU, has been meticulously documenting and creating jigs for every step of the process. Ensuring that CWBs production of El toros in the future is repeatable and done to a high standard. This marriage of function for our programs and high quality boat construction represents much of what CWB does best, and we’re all very happy to see this project well under way.
Visit our Donation Page HERE to support more of our projects! |
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Youth Summer Camps
June - August
Youth Camps have officially started! New friendships have been formed, hard-won knowledge has been earned, and the first slapdash boats of the season have been lau nched. Summer is our favorite time of the year at CWB, in no small part due to how many young minds we get to enrich and inspire, and this year, we’re off to a blazing start. We've also still got room in some of our camps so don’t worry if you are still looking to sign up. Follow the link to check our availability.
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2026 Summer Racing Series
The first edition of our 2026 Summer Racing Series is less than a week away which means if you’ve got a hankering for some competition, you won’t have to wait long!
Prizes will be awarded to the top 3 sailors overall for the series. Teams and boats will be assigned randomly on the night of the race to level the playing field (no killer teams) so everyone has a chance to do well in the standings each night.
Dates are up now on the website so if you’re interested, follow the link for some good, clean racing fun.
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Safe Powerboat Handling
Third Weekend of Each Month
Engines are mysterious and we can teach you how to use them. CWB’s 16-hour Safe Powerboat Handling course is a great, quick way to up your skills or get your start learning how to handle a powerboat.
This class combines classroom instruction with extensive on-the-water practice covering maneuvering, docking, navigation rules, and trip planning. The course is approved by the U.S. Coast Guard and NASBLA, and may meet state requirements for a Boating Education Certificate.
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Perfomance Sailing
Third Weekend of Each Month
If you’ve completed your Basic Keelboat class and you’re looking for that next challenge, try our Performance Sailing Course. Students will get the chance to go into far more detail on their technique and application on the water. Also, if you have passed the US Sailing Basic Keelboat course you can receive the Performance Sailing certification through this course.
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Become a Volunteer
Consider Volunteering with CWB to help support the mission. On June 14th of last month CWB hosted our free boating day. One of our busiest days of the year. We had a total of 71 volunteers show up, nearly 4 times the usual for a Sunday, each of whom we're instrumental in helping to get nearly 500 people on the water. Days like this are extremely important for us at the Center because they represent some of our biggest opportunities to provide unobstructed access to the water and our boats.
This free boating day was a huge success, but it’s very important to note that this kind of undertaking doesn’t just happen. It requires coordination, knowledge, and many, many passionate hands. If you want to support the mission of access and stewardship, there’s no better way than through volunteering.
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Host Your Event on the Water
Want to plan your next event on the water? Event rentals at The Center for Wooden Boats are available and make for one-of-a-kind memories. Set against Lake Union, and brimming with history, personality, and style, our historic boathouse and waterfront campus always brings something special to an occasion. Whether you’re planning a wedding, a holiday party, a corporate gathering, or a family celebration, we’ll help you create an experience your guests will truly enjoy and remember.
As a thank you to our closest supporters, Fleet Keeper members receive 10% off facility rentals.
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Boats for Sale
Support the Center and your own marine habits! With the purchase of a vessel from CWB. Now is a great time to buy as the Center recently reduced the purchase price of several of its boats for sale. We have some truly lovely boats available at the moment, including this 2020 Elf Gaff Sloop, “Solace”
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