August 19, 2026
Friday at 4 PM, the Wooden Boat Festival’s 40 Years on the Waterfront series brings two of Port Townsend’s most respected tradespeople together for a conversation shaped by decades of hands-on knowledge.
Joni Blanchard has spent her career as a yacht finisher, restoring and protecting wooden boats including the historic Westward, Catalyst and Nevermore. She has also helped train the next generation of finishers through apprenticeships and hands-on workshops.
Bruce Tipton has been building spars in Port Townsend for 50 years. He was at the very first Wooden Boat Festival and has returned almost every year since, giving presentations and workshops along the way. His expertise reaches well beyond the Festival grounds. He is also a regular presenter for the U.S. Coast Guard, helping train crews on rig integrity.
Longtime Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader editor and publisher Scott Wilson will lead the conversation. Wilson is also the author of Working Port: 100 Years of the Port of Port Townsend, written for the Port’s centennial.
The 40 Years on the Waterfront series was inspired by Diana Talley, a local boat builder and founder of WOW (Women of the Waterfront), a movement honoring the women who have shaped Port Townsend’s working waterfront.
Come hear two people who have spent decades making, maintaining and passing on the skills that keep this waterfront working.
Friday at 4 PM
Boat Yard Stage
Wooden Boat Festival
Barb, Festival Director
