Tour Seattle's historic wooden yachts this weekend
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Visitors will get a rare chance this weekend to step aboard floating pieces of Pacific Northwest history — including several 100-year-old wooden yachts.
Driving the news: The Classic Yacht Association's 29th annual Bell Harbor Classic Weekend is offering free public tours of about 40 historic wooden yachts moored along Seattle's waterfront.
- The event's marquee attraction is the Centennial Fleet, a collection of yachts celebrating their 100th birthdays in 2026.
If you go: The event runs Saturday through Sunday from 10am to 4pm at Bell Harbor Marina on Pier 66.
- Admission is free.
Details: Here are some of the highlights:
- Malibu (100 feet, built in 1926) is one of the largest and most famous vessels in the show. Built in Seattle, the yacht sank in the San Juan Islands in 2002 before being raised and restored. It is now a Seattle Historic Landmark.
- Winifred (46 feet, built in 1926) was constructed on Lake Union for the son of Olympia Brewing founder Leopold Schmidt.
- Corsair II (50 feet, built in 1926) was commissioned for Alaska mapping expeditions and is rumored to have served as a rum-running vessel during Prohibition.
- Faun (36 feet, built in 1926) patrolled Lake Union during World War II as part of a Coast Guard Auxiliary flotilla.
The bottom line: Whether you're celebrating Father's Day weekend, entertaining out-of-town visitors or simply curious about Seattle's maritime heritage, the event offers a chance to walk through a century of Northwest history — one yacht at a time.