Between Wood & Water: the Dorothy Story

This is a film about a special little boat, a lovely, lucky sailboat who has graced BC's waters for over a century. Produced, shot and edited by Kate Bradford and Tobi Elliott, for Arise Enterprises. dorothysails.com

BETWEEN WOOD AND WATER takes an intimate look at Dorothy, the oldest still-sailing vessel in Canada, who has fired the hearts and imaginations of British Columbians for over a century. From the moment she slipped into the waters of Victoria's inner harbour in 1897, the 30-ft wooden sloop excited attention wherever she went with her beautiful shape and heartbreakingly pure lines.

This one-hour doc hinges on Dorothy's restoration by Tony Grove, a local boatbuilder and artist whose experience and intimate knowledge of wooden boats led the Maritime Museum to commission him to restore Dorothy. They are now in a race against time to prepare Dorothy for her launch next fall at the 2013 Victoria Classic Boat Festival and Race -- a fitting and dramatic finale for the film, as the 115-year old boat contends for her title as the oldest and fastest little wooden ship in the west!

Piano Music courtesy of Linda Shumas: Voices from the Cloisters.

Stills courtesy of Klint Burton; Maritime Museum of BC archives