Today was Royal Hobart Regatta Day, another public holiday (at least as far north as Oatlands 80km away). Over the long weekend parallel to the regatta is the Wooden Boat Festival. This year for the first time they held a community boat-building workshop. Elf, Imp, Ed and Fred put in an application and were accepted, so for the last three days they have been sawing, bending, glueing and stapling like its going out of style. They are shambling wrecks now, but they have a two-thirds finished and moderately sea-worthy little 10 foot plywood dinghy. I have been looking after the four kids and am also a bit of a wreck. We went down the festival yesterday and again today to witness the launching. Six or seven dinghies and two or three canoes cast off and paddled around gingerly.
I took the boys off to see the timbery maritime sights yesterday and left the girls 'helping' - sanding random bits of boat. A strolling journalist and photographer saw the kids and their eyes lit up - I suppose the family angle made a good story.
Imp and Ed (in orange lifejackets) take
The Tub on her maiden voyage, across Constitution Dock.
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