Boat-building contest family affair

For some, it would seem like a recipe for disaster. For others, it is a bonding experience.

The Charleston Maritime Festival once again will present its family boat-building contest as part of an array of events this weekend. It starts at 9 a.m. Saturday on the lawn of the Charleston Maritime Center and concludes with a launching of the boats in the Cooper River at 1 p.m.

Festival officials say one or two of the 20 spaces may be available today. Kits cost $350 ($300 less than last year, thanks to sponsors who helped underwrite the experience). Professionals are on hand to help provide guidance in constructing the rowboats.

"Family boat-building is an exciting way to spend time with your family, making memories that will last forever," said Sherry Bayne, who heads the wooden boat exhibits at the Maritime Festival this year.

"If you can put together an entertainment center with instructions, you can build this boat, and the best thing about it is that your children can be involved at any level whether it be drilling holes, handing you the screws or sanding. What a wonderful way to introduce your children to the water and learn how to work together as a family."

Tom Hardy, who has a fair amount of experience with carpentry, participated with his family last year and can attest to the quality of the experience.

His sons, 11-year-old Nathaniel and 9-year-old Cole, "love to tinker" and stayed focused. He admits his 7-year-old daughter, McKenna, tended to wander off.

"I think it's good for them to know that they can build something on their own," says Hardy, who still uses the rowboat in a pond near their house.

"I highly recommend it to anybody."