Manipulating wood, clay, paper and thread, Jim Goodwin of Charlotte, N.C., creates one-of-a-kind ships and lighthouses complete with intricate details and designs inside glass bottles.When people ask him how he does what he does, he is always willing to share his secrets.""Like so many things in life, the secret is knowing how."" says Goodwin.Goodwin, who began building ships in bottles (SIBs) in 2000, will be exhibiting a variety of Carolinas-themed SIBs from the year 1585 to present at the 18th Annual Wooden Boat Show held Saturday, Oct. 20, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. along Front Street in Georgetown.This festival, which is presented by the Harbor Historical Association of Georgetown, features nearly 100 classic wooden boats, ranging in size from kayaks to yachts, exhibited in eight categories row and paddle, sail, inboard power, outboard power, classic sail (built prior to 1960), classic power (built prior to 1960), owner designed and built, and century class (100 years or older). The festival also includes a wooden boat building competition, children's model boat building activities, maritime arts displays, craft stations, and food vendors.SEE BUILDING, PAGE 4AEarlier this year, Goodwin was sought out and selected by the props manager of Dreamworks Productions to make and supply SIBs for the company's upcoming production of ""The Lovely Bones.""About 25 of Goodwin's works will be used in a variety of the movie's scenes. Several will be built in ""sugar glass"" bottles to accommodate a scene where many of the SIBs are smashed by one of the movie's characters.Part of Goodwin's signature SIB design is to partner ships with lighthouses.""I like to place a lighthouse with each ship because the two have a valuable relationship with each other,"" explains Goodwin.His work can be purchased at the Village Craftsmen in Ocracoke, N.C., and several other galleries along the North Carolina coast. You can also learn more about SIBs by visiting Goodwin's Web site at www.carolinasib.com.Sally Swineford, owner of the River Room Restaurant on Front Street, has been one of the volunteers who put on the festival each year since the beginning. She says that having Goodwin, a long-time supporter of the event, as an exhibitor again this year is wonderful.""Jim gathers all the children around and talks about how he builds these model ships,"" Swineford said. ""When he ties it all together, it is all flat. Then he puts in bottle, pulls the string and the mast and all of the sails go up. I would not be able to sit there and do what he does because it requires such patience.""Six Knot ChallengeDan Machowski, another big supporter of the Wooden Boat Show for many years, is a member of the International Knot Tyers Guild. He will be on hand again this year, offering knot-tying demonstrations and braiding demonstrations with a rope machine throughout the day.He also organizes a competition called the Six Knot Challenge, where Machowski demonstrates the skills involved to tie the knots and then gives people the opportunity to show their stuff. An award is presented to the person who can tie six knots the fastest.Boat building competitionThe wooden boat challenge involves up to 20 two-person teams which compete during the Wooden Boat Show to build a 12-foot Monhegan Skiff in less than four hours from noon to 4 p.m.""We have retired the Georgetown Bateau,"" said Swineford. ""The new design this year will be more of a challenge.""Following the construction of the boats, teams must carry their vessels across Front Street and launch them in the Sampit River for a rowing relay race to determine their ""seaworthiness."" Teams are judged on the speed of construction, quality of work and rowing ability.This is the first year that the boat building competition, which has become one of the most popular activities during the festival, will be considered part of the National Boat Building Circuit. The first three teams who are judged the best in this competition will qualify for the National Boat Building Competition to be held in 2008.Swineford says that anyone who is interested in boats or learning more about boats should not miss this event.""The Wooden Boat Show is one of my favorite days of the year in Georgetown because of the relaxed atmosphere and the neighborhood feel of it,"" she said. ""People take such pride in their wooden boats, and they are real works of art.""For more information about the Wooden Boat Show, call 877-285-3888 or visit www.woodenboatshow.com.