The 12th annual Narooma Boats Afloat Festival is just around the corner and is definitely not to be missed.
It will be held on Wagonga Inlet between November 17-19 , providing everyone with an ideal opportunity to see traditional wooden boats of all shapes and sizes, from clinkers and putt putts to launches, cruises and yachts.
Boating enthusiasts from around the region will be participating with about 50 boats expected and last year’s event proved a success as always.
“This year’s festival builds on the very successful previous events and is now a major highlight of the boating calendar,” said committee president, Graham Peachey. “We have boats registered from up and down the NSW coast as well as from nearby inland centres.”
The festival program starts on Saturday with the morning tea run across the inlet as well as the “navigator’s challenge” that will test the navigation skills of all the participants.
There is also the opportunity to have a “sticky beak” at all the boats when moored at the marina as well as enjoying the Montague Arts and Crafts Society Art Show and live jazz while there.
The “grand parade of boats” will be held on the Sunday morning. It will be an early start compared with previous years with the parade beginning at 9.30am.
The boats will leave the Narooma Marina and cross the Inlet, heading for the Narooma Bridge, then following the boardwalk to the boat ramp returning for a lap or two.
“The grand parade will be the highlight of the festival celebrating all the hard work that has gone into restoring the traditional boats,” Mr Peachey said.
“It will also provide locals and visitors an ideal opportunity to see close up all the boats on the water at one time. The best viewing spots for the parade will be from the board walk, the pathway under the northern part bridge, or on the bridge itself.”
The Narooma community has always supported the Boats Afloat Festival demonstrating our usual warm welcome and friendship to these boating enthusiasts, he said.
All of this has been helped along by the generous support of the Boats Afloat sponsors and all of the hard working volunteers and committee members, he said.
