The Center for Wooden Boats is not only a place that preserves the history of local maritime culture and hand-crafted vessels, but exists to remember the people who made these boats, their stories, and their contribution to South Lake Union's rich boating history.
Through a collection of unique boats, an exhibit on boat designs, boat building workshops and sailing courses, the Center for Wooden Boats is an interactive look at a pastime that shaped Seattle's maritime culture. A stroll along the docks allows a scenic view of boats out on the water and an opportunity to imagine the boat houses that used to line the lake.
The museum's story doesn't start with a boat. It doesn't start with an historic event. A place. A time. It starts with two people: Dick and Colleen Wagner.
The couple had a growing collection of small boats tied to their houseboat under the Aurora Bridge in the summer of 1967. And Colleen began to wonder what they were going to do about it.
The Wagners decided to start renting their boats out the following summer, right from their floating home. It became so popular over the next decade, the Wagners decided to start a “living museum,” which included a collection of traditional wooden boats. They felt that the best way for people to learn more about sailing and building boats was through hands-on experiences.
The Center for Wooden Boats stands by viewpoint to this day.
"The CWB promotes participation by making maritime craft and skills education available as a lifelong experience." [Photo/CWB]
People don't just stare at boats. They don't just read factoids in a museum. Visitors learn to build a boat from start to finish. And then they take it out on the South Lake Union waters.
According to Jess Testa, Communications & Development Coordinator, this experience is not just about knowledge. It's about getting away. It's about relaxing out on the water. It's about enjoying a project with friends. It's not about learning dates and names. It's about experiencing what it's like to be a part of the living museum.
The boats that line the dock aren't just vessels to study, construction to ponder. They're physical storytellers. They are the result of someone's adventure. Their story. Their work and labor. The boats carry these personal stories with them as they sail the open waters.
A pair of the volunteers at the museum has worked on a number of boats, repairing them and building them. Then they got married at the Center as well. Going out into the lake on the Kitten Boat they worked on is a way to immediately feel another person's love for boating. For building. It's an instant connection to another person, floating out on something they created.
The Center for Wooden Boats continues the old tradition of boating in Seattle. It allows visitors to envision the boat houses that once lined the lake. To picture the Wagners strolling the docks. A second location of the CWB is located in Camano Island, Washington at 1880 SW Camano Drive.
“One of my favorite boats is the Steam Launch Puffin,” said Testa. “It was donated to us, and then some of the volunteers worked on Him. It's a cute little vessel that puffs around on South Lake Union. It's so cool to see it go around the lake. It's a little different from all the other boats.”
Even though she's a bit new to the Center, Testa has already warmed up to the atmosphere and the people. And visitors feel the same way. They call it a “step back in time” and “a great place to get back to the roots of boating”, as written in reviews on TripAdvisor. They marvel at the classic boats that can be taken out on the lake, and the guides that seem to have all the stories that go along with it.