BELFAST — While there were many sights to see during Saturday’s Harbor Fest, the largest tent was reserved for those tough (and talented) enough to build a boat from scratch in a matter of hours.

Belfast’s ninth annual National Boat Building Challenge was listed as the headline event in the program guide. Perhaps unsurprisingly the near-constant sound of saws did little to dissuade the many visitors who came to watch the builders work up close.

With cash prizes at stake, 10 two-person teams competed in the challenge, which featured three separate events.

The first part of the competition results in each of the teams building a 12-foot skiff in four hours or less.

While all the materials and plans are included with the $100 entry fee, teams are responsible for bringing their own tools, work tables and tenacity. The experience level of team members varied from professional boat builders to those testing their nautical know-how for the first time.

The second portion of the event involved judges evaluating each of the boats based on completeness and craftsmanship when the four hours was up at 4 pm.

The final challenge of the day for the boat builders was to test the seaworthiness of their freshly minted skiffs. One member of each team was tasked with racing their respective vessels, which varied with regard to completion, in a 50 yard relay.

Erica Thoms can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com