West Cork is a State of Mind as much as anything else. But the programme on 22nd to 24th May for the annual Baltimore Woodenboat & Seafood Festivals suggests that “easygoing” is not the adjective that would immediately spring to mind for the mental state required if you’re going to savour every aspect of activity as the participants work their way through a busy schedule afloat and ashore.
History re-created: the West Cork built Saoirse II of Conor O’Brien fame in Baltimore Harbour, flanked by Cara (left) and Guillemot. Photo: Robbie Murphy
Apart from a variety of sailing craft so extensive that it’s a living maritime museum which will need AI-assisted observation to do it full justice, we can’t help but wonder how the steady spread of Wegovy and the like is going to impair your typical gourmands’ delight in throwing themselves into wild consumption of seafoood of such quality that leaving any of it unconsumed borders on the sacrilegious.
But as we said, West Cork is a State of Mind. They do things differently there. They’ll cope.
BALTIMORE WOODEN BOAT PROGRAMME
| Day | Time | Venue | Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday 22nd May | |||
| Friday | 19.00hrs | The Square, Baltimore | Opening of Seafood Festival; Mussel Eating Competition. Entries at Bushes Bar. |
| Friday | 20.00hrs | Baltimore Sailing Club | Wooden Boat Festival Launch: The St. Anthony, a Contextual History by Cormac Levis. |
| Friday | 20.00hrs | The Square, Baltimore | Seafood Festival Music on The Square - TBA. |
| Saturday 23rd May | |||
| Saturday | 9.00-12.00hrs | Baltimore Sailing Club | Boat Registration. |
| Saturday | 10.00hrs | Tent on Pier | Seafood Festival ‘Boat Building Challenge’ competition start. |
| Saturday | 10.00hrs | Baltimore Sailing Club | Registration and briefing for ‘All-In Rally’ for currachs, sailing dinghies, traditional timber punts and launches. |
| Saturday | 10.30hrs | Baltimore North Pier | Start of All-In Rally. |
| Saturday | 12.30hrs | North Pier | ‘All-In’ boats returning. |
| Saturday | 13.30hrs | Baltimore Sailing Club | Wooden Boat Festival Race Briefing. |
| Saturday | 14.30hrs | Baltimore Harbour Committee Boat | Wooden Boat Festival Race Start. |
| Saturday | 16.00-18.00hrs | Casey’s of Baltimore | Seafood Festival Seafood BBQ and music on the patio overlooking Church Strand Bay. |
| Saturday | 17.00hrs | North Pier | Rafting Up - all boats. |
| Saturday | 17.30hrs | Baltimore Sailing Club | BWBF BBQ. |
| Saturday | 18.00-18.30hrs | Baltimore Sailing Club | Seafood Festival finish of ‘Boat Building Challenge’. |
| Saturday | 20.00hrs | Baltimore Sailing Club | Wooden Boat Festival Prize Giving. |
| Saturday | 20.00hrs | The Square, Baltimore | Seafood Festival Music on The Square. |
| Saturday | 21.00hrs | Casey’s of Baltimore | Seafood Festival Live Music. |
| Sunday 24th May | |||
| Sunday | 10.00hrs | Baltimore Sailing Club | Pilot Race Briefing. |
| Sunday | 10.45hrs | Baltimore Harbour Committee Boat | Start Pilot Race. |
| Sunday | 11.00hrs | Food & Craft Fair on the Pier | Seafood Festival exhibitors selling the best from West Cork, including local crafts, smoked and fresh fish, fresh veg and home baking. |
| Sunday | 12.00hrs | Baltimore Harbour | Seafood Festival ‘Boat Building Challenge’ Row and Sail Race. |
| Sunday | 12.15hrs | Baltimore Harbour | Demonstration by Baltimore Lifeboat. |
| Sunday | 13.30hrs | Baltimore Sailing Club | Wooden Boat Festival Race Briefing. |
| Sunday | 14.00-16.00hrs | The Square, Baltimore | Seafood Festival ‘Baltimore 2000’, seafood taster on The Square and children’s entertainment. |
| Sunday | 14.30hrs | Baltimore Harbour Committee Boat | Wooden Boat Festival Race Start. |
| Sunday | 16.00hrs | Baltimore Harbour | Parade of Sail, to pass North Pier. |
| Sunday | 16.00hrs | The Square, Baltimore | Seafood Festival Live Music on The Square with TBA. |
| Sunday | 17.00hrs | The Square, Baltimore | Seafood Festival Prize Giving. |
| Sunday | 17.30hrs | Baltimore Sailing Club | Wooden Boat Festival Prize Giving. |
| Sunday | 18.30hrs | The Square, Baltimore | Seafood Festival Music on The Square with TBA. |
