First hand and indepth – festival seminar program promises deep knowledge

The Seminar and Speaker program for the 2026 Auckland Wooden Boat Festival has been announced and offers a range of topics for those who seek deep knowledge and first-hand conversation about our maritime heritage - and entry is free!  

Across the weekend, expert talks and film screenings will take place at the New Zealand Maritime Museum, with free sessions exploring everything from boat design and restoration to voyaging traditions, maritime archaeology and ocean adventure. 

Highlights include internationally respected designer John Welsford sharing insights into his influential small-craft designs, and Australian Wooden Boat Festival director Paul Stephanus reflecting on how one of the world’s great wooden boat gatherings has evolved and grown. 

Traditional sailing heritage is another theme. Sessions on indigenous dhow sailing communities and Pacific voyaging knowledge explore how ancient maritime practices continue to shape identity, culture and environmental understanding. A special screening of Whetū Mārama honours master navigator Sir Hekenukumai Busby and the revival of Māori voyaging traditions. 

Personal stories bring the programme closer to home. Four generations from one family connected to the classic yacht Katrina II will share their family’s ongoing relationship with the boat, while restoration projects, steamship preservation and ocean-adventure tales highlight the passion sustaining maritime heritage in Aotearoa New Zealand. 

The programme wraps up with discussions on maritime archaeology and heritage protection - a reminder that preserving historic boats and knowledge is about more than nostalgia; it helps us to understand who we are and where we are heading. 

Entry is free but bookings are required.