John Gardner Small Craft Workshop

The John Gardner Small Craft Workshop, which reignited the traditional small craft movement in this country and started the Traditional Small Craft Association (TSCA) more than 40 years ago, will be revitalized this year.

This year's workshop will be jointly sponsored by the TSCA, Mystic Seaport, and WoodenBoat, and will be held in conjunction with the WoodenBoat Show at Mystic Seaport from June 29 through July 1. This joint sponsorship will provide attendees with both new workshop activities and also attendance to all of the WoodenBoat Show displays, demonstrations, and vendors.

The workshop will include the usual gathering of small boat enthusiasts who bring their boats to use and share with others, but this year will also include a display of various types of traditional boats of both traditional and modern construction with volunteers available to talk about their characteristics. There will also be demonstrations of how to use traditional boats and a boat parade along the Show's waterfront. The workshop will be focused at the Australia Beach near the boat livery right in the midst of the Show! This will be a great opportunity for those of us in the TSCA to get together and share our love of traditional small craft but also to expose WoodenBoat Show attendees to the joys of traditional small craft. Volunteers will be needed to staff the workshop and give demonstrations.