We’re thrilled to welcome Women & the Wind as a headlining feature at this year’s Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival—a story-driven, sea-soaked celebration of bold women, hand-built boats, and the power of the wind.
This isn’t just a film—it’s a movement. Watch and hear how fearless women cross the North Atlantic on a 50-year-old Polynesian canoe, chasing freedom, tradition, and a call from the sea. Over the weekend, make sure to check out the movie and Q&A, plus all the individual presentations about the movie, the boats, and the builders.
Joining us at Festival this year are three remarkable women connected to the story in different ways:
- Kiana Weltzien, solo sailor and filmmaker, shares the story of a transatlantic expedition with an all-women crew aboard Mara Noka, her 50-year-old Wharram double canoe. Her foundation and film invite us to reimagine our relationship with the sea and each other.
- Hanneke Boon, co-designer of Wharram catamarans and lead of James Wharram Designs, has been shaping Polynesian-inspired vessels for over 50 years. Her design legacy has spanned oceans, generations, and global voyages—and it all started with a passion for building at age 14.
- Angie Richard, producer and co-founder of the Floating Stories Lab, is currently building her own Narai Mk IV in France. She leads environmental storytelling and citizen science work focused on abandoned boats and marine pollution.
Alive, evolving, and deeply human—Women & the Wind honors the legacy of women who have long shaped maritime traditions while forging new paths for future generations of sailors, builders, and ocean stewards. Together, their presence at this year’s festival brings depth, beauty, and bold inspiration to our docks and our conversations. Come for the boats. Stay for the stories.
Friday, September 5
- 11:00 AM – My Life with Wharram Catamarans – Hanneke Boon
- 12:30 PM – Creating a Floating Stories Lab – Angie Richard
- 1:30 PM – Yacht Designer Panel – Including Hanneke Boon
Saturday, September 6
- 2:00 PM – Wharram Panel – With Hanneke Boon, Kiana Weltzien, Angie Richard
- 6:00 PM – Women & the Wind – Film Screening + Live Q&A
Sunday, September 7
- 2:30 PM – The Boat That Time Gave Me: Stories of the Wind, Wood, and Wild Women – Kiana Weltzien
Festival Spotlight sponsored by Good Man Sanitation
