49th Annual Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival Sept 11-13

"10 Secrets to Navigating Your Wooden Sailboat Restoration”

Friday, September 11, 2026, 12:30 - 1:30pm, Discovery Stage

• Finding the Right Girl

• What to Look For – What to Look Out For

• The Importance of a Good Survey

• Listen to What She Says

• Boatyard Survival

• Shipwrights and Ship Wrongs

• Keeping Your Mate on Board

• Don't Lose the Dream

• The Difference is in the Details

• What We Do For Love

“Dream vs. Reality: Owning and Restoring a Classic Wooden Motor Yacht”
Sunday, September 13, 2026, 12:30 - 1:30pm, Discovery Stage

• Restoring a Classic: Your Dream: Romance, Fascination and Nostalgia of a Unique Classic Yacht

• What to Look For and What to Look Out For

• Hand Craftsmanship, Quality Materials and Beautiful Lines

• Value: Collectability, Rare, Name Recognition, Reputation, Previous Ownership

• Harsh Realities: Maritime Rules and Legalities

• The Value of a Good Survey

• Restoration Process: The Good the Bad, the Ugly and the True Costs Involved

• Preserving an Era: Your Role as a Steward

Learn more at Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival site.

Custom details and fabrications, exterior and Interiors

Sea Sensations featured in Port Townsend Leader

Sea Sensations appeared in this Port Townsend, WA news story in October 2021:

Michael Effler and his partner Erin Leader met 35 years ago, and they’ve been creating beauty in boats ever since.

Effler was at the first-ever Wooden Boat Festival in Port Townsend 45 years ago, and worked on traditional wooden boats.

“The character and feel and romance,” and “classical lines of traditional boats,” were what mesmerized Effler, and soon seduced Leader too.

Together, they are Sea Sensations, a custom design and restoration duo who’ve worked on traditional sailing and classic motor yachts for the past quarter-century.

Read More >

Sea Sensations featured in Bainbridge Island Magazine

Sea Sensations’ Erin Leader and Michael Effler and their beloved award-winning ‘family’ of wooden boats were featured in the Summer 2019 article, “Always in Style: the Intrigue and Romance of Wooden Boats.”

“The first five years of (Leader and Effler’s) relationship they walked docks, looked at various types of boats and considered what they like best. Design has long been a thread in their lives. Shortly before they met, Effler started their main business, International Design Concepts, with clients including medical spas, wellness centers, day spas, and hotels. In 2001, the couple parlayed their passion for wooden boats into Sea Sensations, a business that specializes in design and renovation of classic sailing and vintage motor yachts.”

"Effler and Leader have seen up close how people react to the beauty of wooden boats. When they took Sea Dream to the Lake Union Wooden boat festival in 2015, more than 320 people came on board,” Leader said. "Having these beautiful things in your life, sharing them with other people, that’s why we like festivals.”

Thank you Bainbridge Island Magazine!

Sea Dream Wins People’s Choice Award 

2018 marked Sea Dream's 50th birthday

In our 26th year with Sea Dream, a Hugh Angleman “Sea Spirit” Auxiliary Gaff Rigged Ketch, Sea Sensations was featured at 2018 Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival: Jewel in the Rough or Wrecking Yard? How to Decide

You see her potential and are drawn to her lines, the romance of the sea, and the adventures you will share. The price is right, but you will quickly learn it’s not what you buy them for. What will she take in both time & money? Will you enjoy the process or will she cost too much? How do you make a decision that’s right for you? What are your boating goals? Is she the right rig for you? Is someone sharing this voyage? What’s the boat’s history - does she have good bones? Where will the work be done? How do you find the team with the expertise required, that will listen to you and the boat – working at a pace you can afford. We’ll help steer your course through these uncharted waters - so you too can have your ship of dreams. 

Our Sea Dream Story

We discovered Sea Dream at the Chula Vista marina in 1992, after years of walking docks searching for a boat to explore the beautiful Northwest waters. Sea Dream was suffering from severe neglect, but she had good bones – Apitone framing, iron bark stem, mahogany planking, bronze screws and copper rivets...

“Sea Dream truly is a dream come true. Thank you for an inspiring experience on board!”