Wooden Boat Festival presentations announced

Kaci Cronkhite will present Finding Pax, the story of her Danish spidsgatter. Kaci bought the boat from a young Canadian artist with a tangled, undocumented history of importation to LA, a sketchy mastless arrival in Sausalito, a fire, a night journey with a woman shipwright to a remote bay on Vancouver Island and without proof of birth. In June 2009, Kaci will travel to Denmark and Sweden to interview people who own boats with similar design detail, hull shape, and access to the microfilm where her mystery may be revealed. As those who own wooden boats know, the journey is much more than just sailing. It's a tale of love, passions, adventure and skills. Visit Kaci onboard the boat during Festival or year round at Center Dock, in Point Hudson. Finding Pax will be presented during the Wooden Boat Festival, September 11-13, 2009 at Point Hudson Marina. For more information about the Festival and for the latest on all the presentations, go to www.woodenboat.org/festival.

Main Street Working Together with NWMC

On Friday, May 22, 2009... Kaci Cronkhite, Managing Director of Northwest Maritime Center & Wooden Boat Foundation, the "new" kid on the Main Street block this summer, will present "Working Together", a discussion and question/answer session with Main Street member businesses. The free presentation starts at 8:30am at The Public House restaurant on Water Street. Light breakfast is served. At noon, May 22, from 12-12:30, Kaci will guide free public "hard hat" tours of the new NWMC facilities at Water Street & Point Hudson. For more information, contact Mari Mullen, Executive Director of Port Townsend Main Street.

Seattle Women's Sailing Association welcomes Kaci Cronkhite

Monday, April 13, 2009  Seattle Women's Sailing Association monthly meeting presentation

Shilshole Marina, condo meeting room A

For time and directions, contact Laura Dangel, SWSA President at 1-866-769-7972.

Finding Pax: Women in the Wooden Boat World  by Kaci Cronkhite

As the only woman on her first ocean passage, then the lone all-woman crews on two different boats crossing oceans (one was Seattle-based Tethys, circumnavigating) from 1993-2001, Kaci's fifteen-year journey aboard boats and into the wooden boat world is full of insights, some hilarious experiences, a harrowing incident or 5 and an inspiring end result.  In August 2007, after a decade avoiding boat ownership, she was smitten with a 1936 Danish double ender named PAX.  The lessons learned on this 28 foot boat in a town world famous for wooden boat restoration and still with few women in the hands-on trades, adds another layer to her journey into the rich history and growing modern network of women sailors, owners and boatworkers she's met in the wooden boat world.  In addition to her role as Managing Director of the Northwest Maritime Center & Wooden Boat Foundation, she is an advocate, a mentor, a passionate collaborator for women and men who support women's pursuit of their bluewater and wooden boat dreams. 

American Schooner Association Award

Rear Commodore Sam Hoyt delivered the 2008 American Schooner Association Award to Kaci Cronkhite (Wooden Boat Festival & Foundation) and Stan Cummings (Northwest Maritime Center) in recognition of the organizations role as the "center for maritime heritage on the west coast".  For three decades, the Wooden Boat Festival has consistently drawn international attention to wooden boat heritage and skills, hosted the NW Schooner Cup regatta during festival and promoted wooden boat and maritime heritage year round.  With the opening of the Northwest Maritime Center facilities summer 2009, the NWMC will exponentially expand year round programming, including conference facilities, an expanded Wooden Boat Chandlery and deep water dock space for historic vessels.  

To find out more about the American Schooner Association, visit their website. 

First Woman of the Wind video created

The first video that could be used in 2009 presentations was posted today on youtube. The video features photos and short video shot while on vacation on Heron Island, Australia. Green turtles lay their eggs on this tiny island, a combination of marine research staff and resort guests and staff are the only people allowed on the island. Take a look. Video of Pax projects will follow.