We at The Wooden Boat Rescue Foundation are clearly "into" all levels of wooden boats.  Well there is no place more dream like and appealing in which to satisfy this fascination that the Brest Maritime Festival in Brest France.  This is the biggest, most incredible event dedicated to wooden boats and all its related aspects.   The Brest event  occurs once every four years . You could say its the Woodstock of wooden boats.  Well we thought, "man wouldn't it be a blast to get there this time"?  Of course that said and Bruce is off organizing it and making it happen as he has done a thousand times with his business Overland Experts.

 

If you think you want to experience boats at their best, a sometimes off the wall celebration of maritime life, and a bit of a party atmosphere then you can jump in now.  Bruce's experience and connections will make it possible to attend this sometime eclectic event, but have a place to say, get on boats as crew, and in general go back in time with a safety net inherent in traveling with a group of friends.  The trip will be limited to 16 people and will be led by Bruce Elfstrom and the crew of Constantia.

 

 

"We can all go together, get a place to bunk up and meet up or spread out as we like.  It just makes too much sense to wait another four years wishing we had gone.   Life is way too short for that......    Oh and they might have some passable food and wine....... You think?"

 

Dates: July 11 - 17

Number of people: Max 16

Sign up list: Click here

 

Basic Itinerary:

Trip to Brest July 2008:
The Brest trip is ironed out and ready for booking.  I had a chance to see the beautiful Constantia, 100% all wood 1903 Baltic Trader, just a couple of days ago in her home port Stockholm..  She is great and you can see her at this website.  www.pilotcutter.org

She will sleep over 16 and sails very fast (winner of some good races last year).  We have 6 people on board right now, besides crew, and welcome more.  Please contact me at bioelf@mindspring.com if you want to see Breast at its best ...in a true wooden sailing vessel.

 

Start of Charter: July 9th in Morlaix
End of Charter July 16th in Brest

This is still 8 days, but we skip the Douarnenez part, but sail there during our stay weather dependent.

The Brest Festival starts the 11th and ends the 17th. We might arrive 
in Brest the 11th or 12th, and could do a two-day sail for example 
14th-15th to Douarnenez or some other place.

 

 

Cost:

$150 a night!!!!! 

Includes stay and food on board.  Travel to and from Brest is not included.

Maybe one or two glasses of wine thrown in for extra measure.

WBRF is offering this as a club or member like event.  Money will be paid directly to the ship owners in Sweden via one of our group.  WBRF will make no money from this trip in anyway.  We just want to go with a good group!.

 

How to get to Morliax:

We will all meet at the rail station in Paris and take the TGV speed train to the closest station to then pick up the local rail to Morliax.  These detail will be firmed up as we get closer to the festival date since at this time the train schedule and fares are not accurate.

 

Registration Date and payment:

 

20% deposit is needed by February 20.  We are taking a maximum of 16 people and if this number is reached before March 15 2008 the registration will be closed at that time.  Currently we have 6 people signed up (11/07).

sign up

 

Early boarding or extending your trip:

You can choose to join 1 or 2 weeks early or stay 1-3 weeks longer on board Constantia.  This would cost $800 a week and you would be acting as paying crew, i.e expected to crew and work hard.  Or just stay on as $150 a day.

 

Join up before Brest along almost any harbor between Stockholm and Morlaix. Constantia will leave Brest on the 16th to sail to Liverpool to 
participate in the Tall ships Races. The Race to Maloy in Norway 
starts July 21st.

 

 

 

 

Please look at the official website where the from which the logo and details below where borrowed.  Read as much as possible about the Brest Festivals; Wooden Boat Magazine (great article by Tom Jackson) and Classic Boat Magazine has dedicated many articles to the previous 5 Brest events.  These colorful and honest articles are great reading.

 

(  Small print: Borrowed from the official site--hope they do not mind!  )

Brest 2008 invites sailors, crews and all seafarers

The unique meeting place for sailors and those who love the sea

More than ever, we want to pay tribute to the French and international maritime communities and their cultures, gather a large fleet of traditional and classic boats of all types and sizes, and offer them six full days of a varied and fun-filled nautical programme, made up of vire-vire tacking sessions, outings in the bay, regattas, night-time parades, and more.

But we also want to present living maritime heritage with its yards, builders, craftsmen, associations and projects... beginning, of course with the maritime heritage of Brittany.

Official Brest 2008 Website