Registration is open for the 2023 Door County Classic and Wooden Boat Show!

It’s going to be a great weekend full of classic boats, displays, food, music and more. So if you are a classic boat owner, now is the time to register.

Watch, too, for more Newsflashes highlighting this year’s special events. We’re featuring a famous Wisconsin marque- Thompson Boats, the Peninsula Symphonic Band, an illustrated seminar on the history of Thompson Boats, the wild Sikaflex Boatbuilding Challenge, Sturgeon Bay’s Bloodies, Brew, and Bacon Social, the best Whitefish sandwiches in Wisconsin and all the new displays in the Jim Kress Maritime Lighthouse Tower. Oh, and did we mention gorgeous classic boats?

There’s not a moment to lose! Plan to attend and register now.

This year, you can explore the world of classic and wooden boating throughout the Museum’s grounds. Look for trailered boats and shore displays in front of the Museum, near concessions, family activities, our Boathouse Sale, the Sikaflex Boatbuilding Challenge and more.

You will also discover boats displayed on the beautiful new Westside Promenade along the waterfront between the Museum and our famous tug, the John Purves.

Want to see even more? Check out the boats in the water. Immediately next to the Museum, you’ll find boat rides and several wooden beauties at the dock, but you’ll lose out if you don’t visit the Harbor Club Marina next door to see the majority of our classics afloat!

Cross the street carefully!

Lyman, Streblow, Cruisers Inc, ChrisCraft, Alden, SeaStar, Permacraft, Century, Thompson, Wagemaker, T&T- names boats enthusiasts all know.

We’ve got dozens of classic boats for you this year at the 2022 Door County Classic and Wooden Boat Show. There is more, too. Home-built beauties, gorgeous models, a one-man shipwreck-finding submarine, historic 100+ year-old vessels. Even an ancient ship in a bottle.

Join the fun. Plan to visit, or bring a boat. You can register right up to showtime Saturday.

This year’s show is going to be one of the best, ever. There is a lot to do and more to see. Fun for the whole family.

Check out these highlights:

Friday- Bay to Lake Lighthouse Cruise pre-event for registered boats followed by Docktails and Delights pizza party and drinks. Cruise meets at 1pm at the museum! Register by August 1st.

Safe and Secure Dock space provided yet again by Skipperbud’s Harbor Club Marina for registered boats. Thanks, Skipperbud’s!

Saturday- Show opens. Lots of boats to see in the water, on shore, models too. Then at 5pm on the Promenade A Salute to the US Coast Guard concert by the Door County Peninsula Symphonic Band!

Saturday- Door County Whitefish Sandwiches– the best in Wisconsin- at the museum. And the Sikaflex Challenge boatbuilding competition begins.

Saturday- Kids activities brought to you by the Door County Maritime Museum and Green Bay’s Hands on Deck. Boatbuilding, crafts, fun for kids of all ages.

6:30pm Saturday, Classic Boat and Fireworks Parade led by the US Coast Guard. A slow cruise through Sturgeon Bay. The public gets to see classic boats underway.

8:30 Saturday, Sturgeon Bay’s rain-delayed Fourth of July Fireworks over Dunlap Reef. Watch from your boats, the docks, or on shore. There are no bad views!

Sunday, 10am Destination Sturgeon Bay’s Bloody Mary Social at Sonny’s Pizza (Harbor Club Marina). Enjoy your favorite beverage, listen and dance to live music. Tickets required.

Sunday, 1pm The Sikaflex Challenge on the water race. Who will sink, who will finish? No one knows!

Sunday, 3pm Sikaflex and Boat Show Awards presentation.

And there is much more! Have you registered yet? Don’t wait!

Spring is just about here, and registration for our 2022 Door County Classic and Wooden Boat Show is now open. You can register on line or via the US Mail. Take your pick. Remember to register early, and if you are coming in from out of town, don’t wait too long to find lodging. Door County is very popular in August!

Enjoy the spring. Get that boat ready. We’ll see you soon here in beautiful Sturgeon Bay!

Just a few days to go. The weather report for the weekend is fantastic- mid 70’s and sunny. Perfect weather for the Festival.

Have you ever heard of these boats? Wizard Boats, Inc? Permacraft? A Marsh Cat? How about a Warren Cole or a Delta? The Rice Brothers or Higgins or Burger? They will all be represented at our Festival this weekend. Come and learn about the history of recreational boating and experience the boats yourself.

Have you visited the museum lately? It’s a real treat for the entire family. Learn about the Door Peninsula and its fascinating history with Lake Michigan, Green Bay, shipbuilding, and more. Visit the new Jim Kress Maritime Lighthouse Tower and see Sturgeon Bay as only the lucky seagulls can!

Check out Our Museum!

After checking out all of the wonderful classic boats at this year’s Festival, you need to find a little something to take home with you. So, the best idea is to visit our annual Boatyard Sale. Look for the big tent in front of the museum and there you’ll find all kinds of nautical treasures. The proceeds support the Museum and it’s mission, so you can feel really good about making a purchase.

What will you find? Try this!

This lighthouse was built by Leroy Liebe and Mike Maltby and donated for The Boathouse Sale by a couple in Jacksonport. It is 7ft 3in tall and 27in at the base. The lens is wired and it’s ready to shine! Just what you need! It is all steel and very well built. The price? Only $500! See this unique gem at the Boathouse Sale or, right now, at 1205 N. 3rd Street in Sturgeon Bay.

When you visit our Festival, you get to see great classics, but you also get to experience life with the Great Lakes’ really big boats. They are classics, too! Whether it’s the Coast Guard, working tugs, or Great Lakes freighters, Sturgeon Bay has it all.

And don’t forget that ashore, adjacent to the Museum, the new pedestrian Promenade is open for your enjoyment. It will be a great place to watch Saturday evening’s Classic Boat Parade.

Built right across the bay, Thompson boats are some of the most popular classics in Wisconsin and their owners put them in the water and have fun. Andreas Rhude is bringing this terrific example to the Festival this year. Come and see her.

She is a 1959 Thompson 17’-0” Sea Lancer wooden lapstrake boat powered by a 1958 Johnson 50 HP Super Seahorse outboard motor. The motor is original to the boat. The rig was sold at Krueger’s Boats and Motors on Harper at Nine Mile Road in Detroit. She spent most of her life in the greater Detroit area. The boat was restored in Peshtigo, WI about 500 feet from where she was born in 1959. She is a typical plywood lapstrake by Thompson, one of the tens of thousands the company made as the world’s largest builder of outboard boats.

Yes, there will be classic fiberglass boats at the Festival! And, as always, there will also be beautiful wooden boats for you to enjoy. Here are three. A 1929 Port Carling Seabird, seen here in the shop prepping for the event. A rare (1 of 16) 18′ 1939 Century Deluxe Utility Sedan named Relic. She’s a beauty. And last, but certainly not least, The Jeffery Dave, a gorgeous 23′ 1949 Higgins. Jeffery Dave is making her second appearance at our Festival. Don’t miss her. Photos just don’t do justice to these boats, by the way.

1987 Switzer SS20-C 

Here’s a great fiberglass classic you may not have seen before. Born in Crystal Lake, Illinois this Switzer is a blast on the water. Come visit her at our Festival next month!

After a long search for a Switzer, her owner tells us a bit about finally finding the boat,

“Wow! A complete 1987 rig including original trailer, boat, and motor.  Motor has an hour meter, reads 325 hours – in 33 years!  Owned by the original family, an uncle had purchased it new in 1987.  It had been stored by him for 15 years, and then second owner, a nephew had also stored it several years.

Along with the boat, the owner package contains the original SCI (the group that bought the Switzer operation in 1982), build sheet, the transfer sheet from SCI to the dealer, the temporary warranty card from Mercury, the Owners and Warranty Manual for the motor, boat and trailer titles, 3 registration cards from the 1990’s, and other accessory literature.

I had a friend at Mercury run the Serial Number through their system. Motor was recalled in 1987 for a intake leak problem, repaired, and they haven’t seen it since.

Not original to the boat is the CD player and sound system.  There had been a radio in the same location, and the boat has a power antenna!

I did pull the fuel tank out and refinish it in the original cream paint, added a transom mounted trim switch, and recently pulled the axle and springs and rebuilt the suspension system with all new bushings, paint, and grease.

The motor came with a Mercury 24” pitch Chopper propeller, great top end prop, but nothing for cruising.  I had a 23” pitch round hub Laser that I had hammered a bunch of cup into for my son to run on his 1989 Checkmate Starflite/Merc 200.  That prop worked good on his boat but he is now running a newer 23” Tempest, which I am going to try yet this year.

The Switzer loves the hammered up Laser!  From 35 mph through 45, the prop and tachometer mimic each other – 3500 RPM is 35 MPH, 4000 is 40, and so on.  We cruise at 42 MPH/ 4200 RPM, the boat and motor have a sweet spot there. It does top out at almost 65 mph!”

How’s this for a unique opportunity. Jeff and Renee Davies are bringing a 1949 Garform- one of the first “fiberglass” inboards to our festival in Sturgeon Bay. Here’s your chance to inspect what the future looked like in the middle of the 20th Century. This is special. Don’t miss it!

“This was a barn find!  After sitting for 50 years, we completely restored her back to original condition!  Built by Garwood jr. and designed by his father Garfield Wood, Garform was the first fiberglass inboard boat line built.  Actually at that time the fiberglass substance was called Nautolite.  This boat has aluminum frames, western red cedar inside and weighs less than 800 lbs.   Only a few exist with most being in museums.  We named her Garfield Jr. after the man who looked into the future and designed a boat unlike anything like it at that time.”

Thanks to Renee for the photos! What a beautiful boat.

Watch for more Sneak Peeks to come.

Don’t forget that Door County is a very, very popular resort destination, so if you plan to find great accommodations for our Festival, you need to act fast. Don’t delay. Click here for lodging.

The Museum staff and Festival volunteers have been hard at work, and the 30th Anniversary Door County Classic and Wooden Boat Festival is going to be lots of fun for the whole family. It will be great to be together again!

You’ll get to explore the museum’s newly renovated exhibits, view Sturgeon Bay from the peninsula’s tallest building- the Museum’s Jim Kress Maritime Lighthouse Tower, take a classic boat ride, marvel at a fine collection of great boats, talk to the boats’ owners/builders, and much more. The Sikaflex boatbuilding competition- an annual wonder- will thrill the crowds on Sunday with its on-the-water race. There will be Wisconsin’s best fresh Whitefish sandwiches on Saturday, kids’ activities, and our traditional Boathouse sale of slightly used nautical treasures.

So don’t delay. Remember, we love all classic boats- wooden, fiberglass, aluminum, home-built, sail, outboard, inboard, show-perfect classics and user boats, too. Canoes, kayaks, and model boats fit right in. So joint the fun.

Register now.

And here’s something new-

To celebrate our 30th anniversary, we’re offering a special 30th anniversary pennant that you can purchase when you register. They are unique, limited in number, and are sure to be a great addition to your own collection of maritime treasures. They look great even when the boat is still on shore. Get yours today.

We’ll see you in August!

Ahoy! It may be hard to believe, but it’s time to start thinking about classic boating again!

The Bay may be frozen, the Lake may be cold, but now is the time to plan to attend the 30th annual Door County Classic and Wooden Boat Festival. August 14 and 15, 2021. You might plan to come early for the pre-event cruise on Friday, August 13th. The ten-mile afternoon cruise for registered boaters is a great opportunity to take those classics out on the water, and it’s followed by our traditional pizza and cocktail party at the museum. The Festival itself runs Saturday and Sunday and there are lots of great new attractions for you to enjoy as we wrap up Maritime Week in Sturgeon Bay. There’s a parade honoring the men and women of the US Coast Guard through the city on Saturday morning, the amazing new 10 story Jim Kress Maritime Lighthouse Tower at the Museum, boat rides, a classic boat parade on Saturday evening, a waterside market, live music, a Bloody Mary Social, the Sikaflex Boatbuilding Challenge, classic boats to view, and much, much more.

So visit the Festival website at www.doorcountyclassicboatfestival.com to see all the exciting activities awaiting you in Sturgeon Bay this summer. You can register conveniently on-line through the website, or if you prefer, you can download a registration form and register in classic style via US Mail.

The weekend is full of fun for the whole family. See you this August!

Here are the boats recognized by the public, the skippers, and crews as this year’s favorites.  Watch this site for more pictures from this year’s event.

2019  DCMM Classic and Wooden Boat Festival Awards

Skippers’ Choice 2019 – Classic Inboard

Jeff and Renee Davey, Berlin, WI. 1949 23’ Higgins Convertible “Jeffery Dave”

Skippers’ Choice 2019 – Classic Outboard

Jane Larson & Gary Berg, Mequon, WI  1959 17’ Cruisers, Inc Commander “Buster”

Skippers’ Choice 2019 – Sailboat

Rich and Sandra Dirks, Egg Harbor, WI 2013 15’ Home Built Marsh Cat “Li’l Boat”

Skippers’ Choice 2019 –Classic Fiberglass

Mark and Kimberly Porlier, Weston WI 1965 15’ Powercat 15T

Skippers’ Choice 2019 – Non-Powered

Lois and Bob Snyder, Green Bay, WI  2009 10’ Home Built Lawton Tender

Skippers’ Choice 2019– Model Boat

Michael and Julia Cosgrove, Sturgeon Bay, WI  26” Model Expo Skipjack “S.S. Rhodes”

Skippers’ Choice 2019 –Unique Craft

Paul and Janet Smith, Rapid River, MI 1941 Home Modified 22’ Lifeboat/Pocket Tug “Good News”

Skippers’ Choice 2019 – Best of Show

Jeff and Renee Davey, Berlin, WI. 1949 23’ Higgins Convertible “Jeffery Dave”

People’s Choice 2019 – Boat of the Year

Lew and Judy Juadis, Sturgeon Bay, WI 1957 19’ Cruisers Inc. 502 Vacationer “Connie”

It’s official, the weather for our Festival will be perfect.  Here’s the data from the National Weather Service.   Clearly, you should plan to attend either as a registered participant or a boating enthusiast.  Nothing beats a glorious Door County summer day especially when it’s paired with an exciting public event.  We’ll see you this weekend!

When you visit our festival this year, you’ll be treated to a fantastic variety of boats to explore.  They range from 9 inches to 25 feet long.  Some are models, others completely sea-worthy.  You’ll find classic fiberglass, cedar strip, plywood lapstrake, and classic varnished mahogany boats.  The oldest was launched in 1895 and others reflect the glorious 1950’s and 60’s.  With right around 50 hulls, this is going to be one of our best festivals yet.  So plan your visit now.

It’s not too late to register either.  If you have a boat or display to add, register on-line, or in person.  Check out our registration links here.

Tall ships visited Sturgeon Bay last weekend.

Beautiful Sturgeon Bay is waiting to greet classic boating enthusiasts for the 29th annual Door County Classic and Wooden Boat Festival.  If you have a boat and want to join the fun, you can register right up to the festival opening on Saturday morning.  It’s better to register earlier, of course, but last-minute registrations are welcome.  It looks like the weather will be great!

We’ve got 13 teams set to go for our Sikaflex boatbuilding competition and race and over 40 boats for you to enjoy including model boats.  You can take a ride on a classic, pedal a Swan Boat, try your hand at the Damage Control Simulator, watch a Kahlenberg engine fire up, tour a Coast Guard vessel, and much more.  Kids, on Saturday, can build their own sailboats or race miniature tugs.  There are fresh Whitefish sandwiches, cool beverages, the Maritime on Madison street fair, and all of downtown Sturgeon Bay’s merchants and restaurants to experience.  And don’t forget to visit the Museum itself and our 100-year-old tug, the John Purves.

We’ll see you in a week!

Every year, our Boathouse Sale offers unique marine treasures for your boat or home, with all the proceeds supporting the Museum.  This year is no exception.  Check out this terrific offering, just one of many wonderful items you’ll have a chance to own.

A 50 inch ship’s wheel and sundial!

Wood and brass 50 inch wheel with sundial on a cast aluminum stand – unique!  The pictures show it makes quite a statement!  The wheel will be at the Boathouse sale in August, or if you can’t wait, you can call Jerry at 920 746 0516 to see before.  (no history available  of the wheel)