Yachts gleam, but wood hulls steal the show

The fleets came from as far as Victoria, B.C., with megayachts powered by diesel engines the size of pickups and steam whistles that echoed across the Montlake Cut.

Seattle's biggest float party returned yesterday, with hundreds of boats and thousands of spectators lining the banks to watch crew and dragon-boat races and the parade on water marking the opening day of boat season.

A record 303 vessels — from the four-cylinder cedar boat to the 100-foot sailboat — paraded through the Montlake Cut, the canal connecting Seattle's Portage Bay and Lake Washington.

The usual mega-yachts, some 160 feet long, appeared. But this was a day to pay homage to small boats, specifically antique boats, which drew the largest applause from old yachtsmen and boat craftsmen.

"It was a thrill. It was like going to a museum," said Edd Hajek, a boat dealer who has watched the past 20 Opening Day ceremonies. "Anybody can buy a new boat. But anyone that preserves an old boat is preserving our maritime heritage."

Two hours before the noon parade, hundreds of vessels, from charter and party ships to rowboats and kayaks, took their places along the water for a front-row view.

"I love Opening Day, the pageantry," said Jim Vaupell, 50, a volunteer who has attended every Opening Day since the Nixon administration. "It resonates in my soul."

The region's boating season, in a tradition dating back to 1920, begins on the first Saturday in May.

Like many boat lovers, Vaupell has noticed that yachts in the parade have been getting bigger over the years, "which is way too bad. As the boats have gotten bigger, there are fewer decorated boats because that's more work."

The shift was most noticeable in 2001, when the Northwest Marine Trade Association reported that the number of yachts measuring 50 feet or more had tripled in the past decade, to 1,585 in King County alone. And they continue to get bigger.

"The community is just more affluent, so you are seeing bigger boats," said Gary Ritner, 68, of Seattle, a spokesman for the Opening Day ceremony, sponsored by the Seattle Yacht Club.

Still, organizers made sure this year's event was not just about the high-end vessels. An award for "Best Classic Power Yacht Under 40 (feet)" was added.

A large number of small, wooden antique boats also participated this year because of the nostalgic parade theme, "Sentimental Journey."

Hajek couldn't recall ever seeing so many small boats, especially classic wooden vessels, on Opening Day.

Wooden boats "are exposed to the element of nature. The sun dries out the paint. The water rots the wood," he said. Still, those antique boats built in the 1910s and 1920s were in mint condition, which shows the city hasn't forgotten its roots, he said.

The nostalgic theme motivated about 40 boat owners to decorate their vessels, a high number compared with those seen on other recent Opening Days. One was decked out as a locomotive. Many had passengers attired in "Great Gatsby"-era costume.

One steam whistle roared so loudly it could be heard a half-mile away. "Gosh, what a great sound that is," said Bob McConnell, 55, of Kirkland.

Tan Vinh: 206-515-5656 or tvinh@seattletimes.com