The Water is Wide

A multi-disciplinary celebration of the rich heritage of boat building on the West Coast of Florida.


 

 

Program Overview

The Water is Wide is a multi-disciplinary celebration of the rich heritage of boat building on the West Coast of Florida. The Water is Wide project aims to generate awareness of the heritage of boats and art of boat building among audiences of all ages while enriching our community’s understanding of the boat industry’s impact upon our local history and culture.

This month-long event will include an exhibit with special guest curator Charley Morgan; demonstrations of both historic wooden boat building and contemporary boat design; model building events; lectures; children’s programming including hands-on demonstrations; a theatrical event; performances of “music of the seas”; Opportunity Prize Drawings; and much more.

Featured artists, performers and experts include: Sea Quest Kids; the Main Hatch Motley Crew of Cortez, Florida; renowned Boat Builders Bob Pitt and Roger Allen; artist Joe Richards; Lea Pearson, the nation’s first female Marine Surveyor; the team of internationally known artists Robert Stackhouse and Carol Mickett; St. Petersburg’s own Bob Devin Jones; and many more to be announced.

Win Prizes

Kids Win!
Toy Boat Give-Away

Balloon-Powered boat

A classic wooden toy that will bring enjoyment to “children” of all ages, this fun wooden boat is balloon-powered! By simply filling the balloon with air you can send your boat off into the open seas or even your bath tub! The first one hundred children under 16 to attend Water is Wide events will receive their very own Balloon-Powered boat to take home and enjoy (and maybe even share with their parents)!

Sailors Win!
Sailing Vacation Drawing

The Moorings

Enjoy a 6-day bareboat sailing vacation on a Moorings Club Line 403 yacht in the British Virgin Islands. This yacht is a three cabin and two head yacht that sleeps 6 comfortably and up to 8 people through a conversion of the salon table. The yacht is built by the world class builder Beneteau to the custom specifications of The Moorings. This includes the yacht only.

The winner will captain the yacht or may hire a skipper through The Moorings at an additional cost. The British Virgin Islands are an ideal location for a sailing vacation. The waters are easily navigated offering deep-water passages, line of sight navigation and countless scenic anchorages. This is the ideal destination for both novice charterers as well as seasoned sailors.

Drawing is $10 for 1 ticket, $20 for 2 tickets, and $25 for three tickets. Drawing winner is announced at the end of the exhibit.

Restrictions: The winner will be responsible for security insurance, cruising taxes, skipper fee if necessary, provisioning and airfare. Black out periods will be Christmas, New Years, Thanksgiving and Easter. Certificate valid until December 15, 2008. Retail Price: $5,000.

Everyone Wins!
Free Drawing for Dinners and Weekend Stays

Enter a free drawing to win either a weekend stay at a local hotel or dinner out at a local resturant.

Prizes include a weekend stay at the Trade Winds Island Resorts; a weekend stay at the Renaissance Vinoy Resort; a gift certificate for dinner from Bella Brava; and a gift certificate for dinner from the Central Avenue Oyster Bar. Prizes will be awarded at the end of exhibit.

 

Collaboration

The Water is Wide is presented in collaboration with:

Florida Maritime Museum of Cortez

 

Sponsors

Project Funding

This project is funded in part with the support of the Pinellas County Cultural Affairs Department, the Cultural Council, and the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners.

Cultural Affairs Pinellas County

floridasbeach.com
877.352.3224

St. Petersburg / Clearwater Convention and Visitors Bureau

Sembler

 

Media Sponsor

St. Petersburg Times

 

Additional Support

WUSF

WUSF

Renanssance Vinoy

Renaissance Vinoy

Tradewinds

Tradewinds

Bella Brava

Bella Brava

Central Avenue Oyster Bar

Central Avenue Oyster Bar

 

 








   

Program Dates & Times

Exhibit
11/15/07 - 12/15/07

12:00 - 4:00 pm
Tuesday - Saturday

Opening Party
11/15/07
6:00 - 9:00 pm

For evening events, doors open at 7:00 pm, programs begin at 7:30 pm.

Admission

Many Water is Wide events are free; for other events there is a charge. The average admission fee per person is $5, consistent with the Studio's mission of keeping its programs accessible to people of all income levels.

Schedule

Please note that changes may occur.

11/15/07 - Thursday

6:00 - 9:00 pm

Opening Night Party


6:45 pm

Sea Shanty’s
The St. Petersburg College Madrigals chorus will provide Sea Shanty’s.

7:00 pm

Welcome
Exhibition Curator Charley Morgan will welcome guests.

11/16/07 - Friday

7:00 pm

Dugout Canoes & Kayaks

Terry Tomlin, George Stovall and friends will talk about the experiences they have
had on trips with the dugout canoes and kayaks around and through Florida.

11/17/07 - Saturday

12:00 pm

Children’s
Exploration Area


Demonstrations of wooden boat building and restoration by boat builder. Bob Pitt and friends from the Florida Maritime Museum of Cortez, Florida.

Sea Quest Kids program will build a small boat to give away to a young person.

1:00 pm

Demonstrations of the burn and scrape methods used to create dugout canoes.  Presenter is Terry Powell of Dunedin Nature Reserve.

Model boat display and demonstrations by Bay Area Electric Boaters.

2:00 pm

Sea Shanteys performed by the Main Hatch Motley Crew of Cortez, FL.

Evening Event

The Influence of Bahamian Design and Construction Methods
Lecture by Kendall Butler of the Bahamas. The influence of Bahamian design and construction methods on the early wooden boats used to settle Florida in the 1800’s and early 1900’s.

11/23/07 - Friday

7:00 pm

History of Boat Building
This is the first of a two part presentation by Charley Morgan.  It covers some of the history of boat building at Morgan Yachts.

11/24/07 - Saturday

12:00  pm

Children’s
Exploration Area


Sea Quest Kids program
will build a small boat to give away to a young person.

1:00 pm

Model boat display and demonstrations by Bay Area Electric Boaters.

2:00 pm

Music of the Seas by the USF St. Petersburg Singers.

7:00 pm

History of Boat Building
This is the second of two presentations by Charley Morgan.  This evening Charley focuses on the construction of, HERITAGE, the America’s Cup defender in 1970.

11/28/07 - Wednesday

Evening Event Canceled

11/29/07 - Thursday

7:00 pm

A Barge Journey
The speaker this evening is Melanie Ourbak an intern at The Studio@620 visiting from Paris, France. Melanie spent her first thirteen
years of life living on a barge just outside of Paris.
Following Melanie is Jeffrey James, noted Poet with friends presenting, Life is
Storm; Let Storm!  Selections from John Mari and other sailors.  Narrative and poems by Herman Melville.

11/30/07 - Friday

7:00 pm

Racing Triumphs
and Tribulations

Olympic Gold Medal winner Allison Jolly joins renown ocean racer Bill Hough for a discussion of their racing triumphs and tribulations.
(Ed Baird is unable to attend this event.)

12/01/07 - Saturday

9:00 am - 4:30 pm

Class for Half Model Boat
The class is taught by boat builder Roger Allen, Director of the FMM of Cortez, FL.  Maximum number of participants is 6. You must be 16 years of age or older. If you wish to register call the Studio@620 at 727-895-6620.

12:00 pm

Children’s
Exploration Area


1959 Chris Craft
Lou Ronca will show his restored 1959 Chris Craft.

Demonstrations in wooden boat building and restoration by boat builder Bob Pitt and friends from the Florida Maritime Museum of Cortez, FL.

Sea Quest Kids program will build a small boat to give away to a young person.

1:00 pm

Ship Figureheads Demo
A demonstration of techniques used to build Ship Figureheads of paper mache led by Patricia Hoover.

Model boat display and demonstrations by Irwin Schuster.

2:00 pm

Sea Shanteys
The St. Petersburg College Madrigals will sing Sea Shanteys.

7:00 pm

Stories of a Boat Builder
Jopie Helsen internationally known boat builder will entertain with stories and images of situations encountered as a boat builder.

12/02/07 - Sunday 

9:00 am - 4:30 pm

1/2 Model Class

12/05/07 - Wednesday

7:00 pm

Iron Men on Wooden Yachts; True tales of some of the first yachtsmen on Florida’s Gulf Coast. Join award winning author Robert Macomber for a discussion of those intrepid (or foolish) souls who voyaged along this coast for pleasure in the 19th century. Hear about the boats, the people, and the places they visited. A hilarious look at the Gulf Coast of Old FLorida.

12/06/07 - Thursday

7:00 pm

Ships Big & Small
Steve Cropper of Tampa Bay Area Pilots Association will speak this evening about ships big and small.

12/07/07 - Friday

7:00 pm

"C"
A staged reading of a new play by Bob Devin Jones,
commissioned for the exhibit: the Water is Wide. Featuring Bonnie Agan, Aleshea Harris, Bob Heitman, Julie Rowe. Sound Design by T. Scott Wooten. Directed by Bob Devin Jones.

12/08/07 - Saturday

12:00 pm

Children’s
Exploration Area


Demonstrations of wooden boat building by boat builder Bob Pitt and friends from the Florida Maritime Museum of Cortez, FL.

Sea Quest Kids program will build a small boat to give away to a young person.

1:00 pm

Model boat display and demonstrations by Bay Area Electric Boaters with a possible field trip to a local Lake.

2:00 pm

Songs of the sea by the Main Hatch Motley Crew of Cortez.


7:00 pm

"C"
A staged reading of a new play by Bob Devin Jones,
commissioned for the exhibit: the Water is Wide. Featuring Bonnie Agan, Aleshea Harris, Bob Heitman, Julie Rowe. Sound Design by T. Scott Wooten. Directed by Bob Devin Jones.

12/12/07 - Wednesday

7:00 pm

Optimist Pram
This boat designed by local boat builder\designer,
Clark Mills is the most popular sailing class in the world. Join us for a discussion about it's impact across the world.

12/14/07 - Friday

7:00 pm

Influence of
Boat Hull Forms

Internationally known artist Robert Stackhouse will be interviewed by Carol Mickett. The subject is the influence of boat hull forms on his art.

12/15/07 - Saturday

12:00 pm

Children’s
Exploration Area


Demonstrations of wooden boat building by boat builder Bob Pitt and friends from the Maritime Museum of Cortez, FL.

Sea Quest Kids program will build a small boat to give away to a young person.

1:00 pm

Model boat display and demonstrations by EC 12 Radio Controlled model sail boats.

2:00 pm

Songs of the Sea - Main Hatch Motley Crew of Cortez, FL.

7:00 pm

Round Table Discussion
A round table discussion by boat builders from the area.  Among those expected are Charley Morgan, Ted Irwin, Roger Allen, Bob Pitt, and Jopie Helsen. Questions will be taken from the audience.

This evening is the conclusion of the exhibition.