BELFAST — There was a gray, cool start to the 10th annual Belfast Harbor Fest’s weekend activities, Aug. 19, although it proved to be no hindrance to the upbeat crowds in attendance.

The first major event of the day was Come Boating!’s 17th annual Rowing Regatta, which took place in the calm waters of Belfast Bay. They were far different waters than the choppy waves that met rowers last year.

With a row of people lining the Boathouse fence, the race began with the first blow of an air horn, a sound that repeated every three minutes until the last heat.

Though the race is typically six miles long, this year it was shortened to four to make the event slightly less time consuming, according to the event’s volunteer staff.

Several of the boats are familiar to some Belfast residents, as teams row throughout the year, including the Selkie, Belle Fast, and the Malcolm G. All three boats belong to Come Boating! and are used regularly. They are also all the same type of boat; each is a 31-foot, six-oar, wooden Cornish pilot gig, according to the group.

The event is open to four and six oared boats, in addition to all other rowed and paddled vessels.  

Come Boating! rowing activities are free for anyone to participate in, and rowers stressed that you don’t need to know the first thing about boats or rowing to participate. All that’s required is a willing attitude, and some good old fashioned elbow grease.

“It’s a full body workout, and great for stamina,” 21 year old Rowan Walauski said.

She rowed as a part of the Belle Fast team, and said members of Come Boating! will teach you everything you need to know, and while it’s free to participate, she said they hope those who discover a lasting interest will become members.

Rowan said she got into rowing around eight, after a friend started the activity and didn’t want to go alone.

She said she knew right away she’d found a potentially lasting hobby, saying “the very first time I was on a boat I loved it.”  

Younger sister Qwynn, who is now 18, also got her start around 8, and said she too loved rowing right away. She is currently rowing her final year in the youth division of the group, which includes two younger Walauski siblings, after which she’ll move to the adult groups.

This year’s regatta was the first to feature a juvenile race, which took place later in the afternoon between two boats. The ages for the Come Boating! youth regatta team ranged from 12-18, though children as young as 7 or 8 can join, depending on size of the child.

Rowan and Qwynn were in agreement that the toughest part of rowing is probably making sure the rowers are all paddling together.

“It’s really hard to stay rowing in sync, that’s the most important thing in rowing is rowing as a team,” Rowan said.

The larger rowing teams were helped by their team’s respective coxswain, the teammate who sits near the stern, steering the boat and coordinating the rhythm and power of their rowers through verbal commands. Their calls could be heard as the teams traveled past the Boathouse crowd on their way toward the finish line.

While there are certainly many challenging aspects of rowing, especially competitively, there are an even greater number of gifts that the sport provides its participants.

“There’s so many great people you get to meet through rowing,” Rowan said. “I love being out on the water, it’s so beautiful out there Even when it’s windy and wavy it’s still beautiful.”

Qwynn and Rowan say they've seen seals in the harbor, with three spotted just that day. Rowan said she’s also seen porpoises she thinks live outside the mooring field.

Come Boating!’s mission is to create educational, boating related activities, “that preserve and broaden the maritime heritage shared by the Belfast area community and strengthen our connection to the sea.”

The organization is run by volunteers who work to bring the community together to appreciate the beauty of  Belfast Harbor and the Passagassawakeag River.

Additional photos here. 

Erica Thoms can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com