Ahoy! Canberra Classic Boatfest on Lake Burley Griffin next weekend

Historic boats and faithful reconstructions – century-old hire-boats, 1930s speedboats, sailboats, and Thames pleasure boats – will take to the waters of Lake Burley Griffin next weekend, in the biennial Canberra Classic Boatfest, held for the first time since 2018.

“I might be biased,” says organiser Robyn Thorne, “but old boats look really special. They’ve got a beauty and an elegance about them that I feel is lacking in some modern vessels at least. They have a style about them that is no longer available, unless you build one yourself or restore one.”

The two-day event is hosted by the Traditional Boat Squadron of Australia, a Canberra-based group of boating enthusiasts.

The festivities begin on Saturday 9 April with a 9am cruise from Lotus Bay, on the foreshore of the Canberra Yacht Club, to the central and eastern basins, mooring at Commonwealth Place.

At lunchtime, the boats will be on public display at the Canberra Yacht Club (11am to 2pm), then will travel in the afternoon to Yarralumla (2pm).

On Sunday morning, there will be a grand parade from Lotus Bay to Kingston Harbour (10am to noon).

“We don’t go far from the shore, so people can see the boats at any point along the shoreline,” Ms Thorne said.

Entry to the public is free. You can also view the boats at close quarters while they are tied up at the Yacht Club jetty or pulled into the shingle at the beach.

“People won’t be disappointed if they come and have a good look,” Ms Thorne said. We’re all happy to chat to the public.”

Each boat will have a placard detailing its history and construction, and how they were restored.

John Kemister, a former conservator at the War Memorial, rescued his putt putt boat, KRMRN, from a pile of firewood and recreated it plank by plank.

“He’s got a very good eye for authenticity, and the boat is absolutely as original as you could possibly make it,” Ms Thorne said. “The engine and all the fittings are spot-on.”

Ms Thorne owns the oldest historical boat, Noosa, a former hire boat on the Noosa River, and which turns 100 years old sometime this decade. Ms Thorne has had her boat since the early 1980s, and says it took her many years to restore.

A number of members have built their own boats based on old designs, Ms Thorne said. One boat, Elektra, is based on the design for a Thames slipper launch. Another is a recreation of a 1930s American-style speedboat, powered by a V8 Chevy engine. There will also be a New Zealand-built sailing boat.

“It’s a bit of history, maritime history on a small scale. The boats look different, they sound different, they’re not like anything you’ll see down at Jervis Bay. Really, they’re a bit of the past, but operating in today’s waters.”

Altogether, 18 boats are entered: two steam boats, two putt putt boats, seven sail / oar boats, and seven electric boats – the first time there have been so many electrically driven boats. Last time, the majority of boats were either putt putts or steam.

“Maybe it reflects the current state of affairs that boats are becoming electric, like cars and other things,” Ms Thorne said.

The Traditional Boat Squadron sails on the Lake on the third Sundays of every month – even through winter, unless the weather is absolutely appalling, Ms Thorne said. Anyone interested can come along then and look at the boats (and maybe even wrangle a ride on one), or even join the Squadron.