The vintage yachts that will gather on Seatttle’s waterfront for the Bell Street Pier Classic Rendezvous this weekend are not just lovely to look at — they’re living pieces of the region’s maritime history.

About 60 yachts belonging to the Pacific Northwest Fleet of the Classic Yacht Association are expected for the annual event, many of them built before World War II. The oldest boat in the show, Argonaut II, was built in 1922, and several others were also built in the 1920s.

Chip Kochel, one of the show’s organizers, said the boats’ owners see themselves as more than just as antique boat enthusiasts.

“Most of us, if not all of us, look at ourselves as stewards of these vessels,” said Kochel, whose 1955 34-foot Chris-Craft, Hi’Ilani, will be on display.

“They’re not really ours. We’re just taking care of them between the last person who had them and the next person who has them.”

As of yesterday there were 57 boats registered for the show, the same number as last year. Kochel said there are typically a few late entries, so this year’s rendezvous could be the largest since the event started in 1997.

Many of the boats participate year after year, but Kochel said this year’s show will also include some boats in the 80- and 90-foot range that haven’t been in the show for several years, as well as several from Canada. The U.S. Navy Region Northwest Admiral’s Barge Old Man IV, a 1957 wood-hulled vessel, will also be participating and open for boarding. Styles of boats on display range from cozy cabin cruisers to stately yachts.

“It’s just a great cross-section of styles and different types of boats,” he said.

The event kicks off Friday at 5 p.m. with a boat parade that starts at Elliott Bay Marina, runs south along the waterfront to the ferry terminal and heads back north to the marina around 6 or 6:30 (recommended viewing spots: Myrtle Edwards Park, the sidewalk along the waterfront or the pier just south of the marina).

Hosted by the Port of Seattle, which owns Bell Harbor Marina, the no-cost show is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Most boats are available for boarding, and the marina has children’s lifejackets available for loan at no cost. On the boardwalk above the marina there will be marine vendors, hydroplanes and a display of Nash Metropolitan classic cars.

Each year, the show highlights a marquee class of boats. This year’s focus is on classic bridgedeck cruisers, most strictly defined as boats with a classic vertical windshield, raised foredeck and lower aft living quarters. Built primarily in the 1920s and ‘30s, the style was a favorite of well-known local boatbuilder Ed Monk.

Organizers say the event is the largest gathering of classic wooden powerboats on the west coast and possibly, the world. Held each Father’s Day Weekend, it typically draws between 3,500 and 5,000 attendees.

The Classic Yacht Association, which comprises five fleets on the west coast of the U.S. and Canada, was formed in 1970 to preserve, restore and promote old wooden powerboats. To that end, the Pacific Northwest fleet donates money to the Virginia V Foundation and funds an annual shipwright scholarship.

“It’s not just about going down and having a show and looking at these nice vessels,” Kochel said. “It’s about being the stewards, helping keep other vessels alive and keeping the trade and craftsmanship of being a shipwright alive.”

Additional information about the show is available here.

Three Sheets Northwest attended last year’s show. Below is a slide show from the event.

About Deborah Bach

Deborah Bach is the editor and co-founder of Three Sheets Northwest. She is an avid sailor and long-time professional journalist. You can find Deborah aboard Three Sheets, an Island Packet 38, with her husband Marty and their cat Lily.

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