Festival floats model idea

MODEL boats have been around for centuries, with their uses varying from shipbuilding guides, collector’s items and even children’s toys.

So it’s fair to say that for most of the 200,000 people expected to attend next year’s Australian Wooden Boat Festival, size doesn’t always matter.

While visitors to the biennial festival will be there to marvel at the craftsmanship used on the hundreds of boats on display, the model boats display is expected to be a key drawcard.

The featured model boats — built to scale — will come from all types of nautical activities, including naval vessels, sailboats, cargo ships and ships sailed by explorers.

People are urged to register for a spot in the display before spaces run out.

Festival entertainment coordinator Daryl Peebles said model boats had been around for centuries.

Archaeologists used models uncovered in ancient Greece and Egypt to study seafaring hundreds of years ago.

“Other reasons for building models ranged from their use as children’s toys to providing visual guidance for the construction of the ‘real thing’,” Mr Peebles said.

There is no cost to enter boats but there may be a limit to the numbers accepted.

The festival will be held from February 8-11.