Afternoon Cruise on LaDrone - AWBF

Experience the stunning Derwent river, with views from the water of the all the Tall ships visiting the Festival, the Tasman Bridge, Wrest point casino, and the rest of the beautiful city of Hobart. See the afternoon's many on water events in style, including the 'Lady Nelson Safety Demonstration' , ' Te Rapunga and Ngataki Rally',  'Ketch Review' and the finishes of the 'Derwent World Championships' races. See below for the AWBF timings, to choose which day you might want to head out.

• A snack of Crackers and Huon Valley produced tapenade and sweet paste.
  
• Comfortable enclosed cabin with cushioned seating and 1950's décor, perfect for any weather.
• Spacious Aft Deck, perfect for viewing the gorgeous scenery and on water events while relaxing and enjoying a drink in the sun.
• Knowledgeable Skippers and crew to provide excellent service for your cruise.
• Licenced bar of local Wine, Beer and Cider.  With apple juice, non-alcoholic cider and still or sparkling water also available.
• Locally sourced apple chips and biltong available for purchase, along with other produce and merchandise.

For our purposes children's prices are for 1-16 year old's or, Infants are under 1 at the time of the cruise.

Which day should you choose? Well, that depends what you want to see. 

On the Saturday the 8th Feb, you will see the conclusion to the Derwent World Championships day 1, the Lady Nelson Safety Demonstration including a helicopter and the start of the Te Rapunga and Ngataki Rally.

On the Sunday the 9th Feb, you will see the conclusion to the Derwent World Championships day 2 and the beginning of the Ketch Review.

Derwent Class Yachts

Derwent Class yachts, unique in design and local heritage, have recently enjoyed a surge in restoration and interest, with every other boat yard in southern Tasmania currently in the midst of restoring one (most notably the Wooden Boat Centre in Franklin, having restored at least 2 at this point, with more in the works). Their "World Championships," held at each AWBF, highlight their historical charm and the competitive spirit of modern sailors, celebrating a seamless blend of tradition and contemporary sailing excellence.

Lady Nelson Safety Demo

The Lady Nelson in conjunction with Tas Police will be conducting a safety demonstration including deployment of a life raft, people in the water, flares firing and helicopter winching. AWBF will have 2 x support Ribs on site.

Te Rapunga and Ngataki Rally

Built in the early 1930’s by John Wray in Auckland, the Ngataki and crew had many adventures in the South Pacific and competed against Te Rapunga in the inaugural Trans-Tasman Race. Te Rapunga has recently been restored by Denman Marine in Kettering Tasmania and resides in Hobart. An informal race between these two vessels would be a highlight of the Festival.

Ketch Review

AWBF is bringing the tradition of the ketches back to life with a “Ketch Review” An opportunity to showcase their sailing prowess and place in the maritime industry in Tasmania. A Ketch is a 2 masted sailing vessel, with the mizzen mast being smaller than the main and forward of the rudder stock. These vessels were commonly used as fishing or merchant vessels in Tasmania, however many have now been converted to cruising vessels.