2009 Silva Bay 11th Annual Maritime Festival

Silva Bay, Gabriola Island, April 4th and 5th. Festival, Boat Launching, Wooden Boat Seminars

Silva Bay Shipyard School, at the historic Withey Shipyard in Silva Bay, Gabriola Island
Garden catboat Willow's mast
Paul Gartside bright-finished Skylark sailing, black sails
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Festival Information and Events

Festival news and information about food and drink, entertainment, and how to get here:

*If you would like to share your boatlaunch festival photos with the Shipyard School at our Flickr gallery (creative commons licence), please contact School Manager Les Jackson, 250 247 8809.

Raffle Baskets

The raffle raises funds for the Silva Bay Shipyard School.

Raffle items include:

  • 1. Silva Bay Kayak Expedition, Outing for Two with gourmet lunch

    • *With Picnic Basket

  • 2. Silva Bay Sail and Oar Boat Expedition, Outing for Two with gourmet lunch

    • *With Picnic Basket

  • 3. Flat-top Islands Eco-tour for Four

    • *With Picnic Basket

    • *Picnic Basket

      • --1 bottle of Gabriola Winery 2006 Merlot or 2006 Port
      • --Maranatha smoked salmon
      • --"Whale Watchers" tea selection, Salt Spring Tea Company
      • --Gabriola Gourmet Chocolate
      • --Gabriola Organic Coffee
      • --Harvest Thyme Gift certificate

  • 4. Sea Chandlery Basket

      • --Submersible Hand-held VHF Radio
      • --New Society Boat Green book
      • --Madd Art canvas bag

  • 5. Sea Chandlery Basket

      • --Satellite Personal Tracker/Messenger
      • --Tales from the Galley, Harbour Publishing

  • 6. Sea Chandlery Basket

      • --1 set of small boat plans, Tad Roberts 10' sailing dinghy
      • --Legacy in Wood, Harbour Publishing

  • More info about the Raffle

    The raffle draw will be held at the Maritime Festival, April 4th at 8pm 7pm at the Silva Bay Resort.

    Raffle tickets will be on sale in the Village, at the Silva Bay Resort, and the Shipyard School.

    If you would like to donate an item to the Raffle, please contact School Manager Les Jackson, 250 247 8809.

Welcome to the Boat Launch Festival

Please join us April 4th and 5th for the 11th annual Silva Bay Maritime Festival. The festival is a benefit for the Silva Bay Shipyard School, Canada's only full-time traditional wooden boatbuilding school, on Gabriola Island, British Columbia.

The festival celebrates the launching of the boats built over the winter by the School's Wooden Boatbuilding students.

During the festival, there will be seminars going on all day Saturday, with talks for wooden boat builders, small boat sailors, and anyone interested in traditional boats and maritime culture.

Down on the docks, there will be wooden boats from the West Coast Work Boat Association and the tallship Grail Dancer. On Sunday, there are small boat races around Silva Bay.

The festival is also a fundraising event for the School; we are raffling six baskets with a maritime theme--three baskets involve an outing in kayaks or a sail and oar boat with a gourmet lunch for two or an eco-tour for four, accompanied by a picnic basket filled with made on Gabriola goodies; the fourth, fifth and sixth are the "Sea Chandlery" baskets, with assorted boat plans, a hand-held VHF, satellite tracker/messenger, and some great nautical books.

Saturday night there is dinner and a dance and the raffle draw.

Many Thanks to Our Sponsors

Site Credits: telga web development in Silva Bay