Preview: A Busy Day at the Victoria Classic Boat Festival

December 27, 2013

Avatar Ellen Leonard

This August I passed through Victoria, British Columbia just as the Victoria Classic Boat Festival began.  How much fun to be there among such a variety of beautiful vessels!  The event drew some 80 boats, split almost evenly between power and sail, and comprising a number of working vessels including four fish boats and a former cannery tender, David B, that won the Best Work Boat Award.  Two days of thick fog prior to the festival unfortunately prevented even more boats from attending, but sunshine graced the whole Labor Day weekend for the craft that did.  There were sailing races, a sail-past, and even dory rowing races sponsored by SALTS, a sail-training program that takes kids voyaging aboard the two wooden schooners Pacific Grace and Pacific Swift.  And of course there was opportunity all weekend long to stroll the docks and chat with the owners and crew of these marvelous craft.

In fact there were so many spectators that it was sometimes hard to move!  But I pushed my way along the waterfront, past the Neo-baroque British Columbia Parliament buildings, past the ivy-covered Empress Hotel, and onto the floats.  Here are a few images of the beauties tied up there…

Victoria Classic Boat Festival - Deerleap, motoryacht built 1929

Deerleap, motor yacht built 1929 – Victoria Classic Boat Festival

Bow of HMCS Oriole - Victoria Classic Boat Festival

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