Teams compete to craft best boat in four hours... or less
Clocks are strategically positioned to allow all builders time-checks at their leisure. (Photo by Erica Thoms)
The D Team, consisting of Daniel Mercuro of Jefferson and George Davis of Belfast.
The We Knees team.
The First Mates, including Joseph Berube and Steve Wickendon.
Team No Problem.
Last year’s runners-up, the Bile Builders, returned with Nick Nissen and David Magliato.
Team Masterbeaders includes Timothy Wry and Forrest Hagerman.
Clare and Thomas Studwell of Team Stud-Well Built.
Volunteers receive judging instructions and paperwork.
Volunteers and builders move the finished boats to the water’s edge.
Competitors take off at the start of the relay race.
Part two of the relay race.
The Bile Builders emerge from the relay race victorious.
A crowd gathers to watch Saturday's race.
The First Mates pose for a picture as the final scores are tallied.
Top honors (and top picture placement) went to The D Team, followed by Bile Builders with The First Mates coming in third.
The Broken Oar Award went to team Stud-Well Built.
Belfast Area Rotary Club raffles a handmade boat, though winner Lars Carlson isn't in the crowd.
Clocks are strategically positioned to allow all builders time-checks at their leisure. (Photo by Erica Thoms)
The D Team, consisting of Daniel Mercuro of Jefferson and George Davis of Belfast.
The We Knees team.
The First Mates, including Joseph Berube and Steve Wickendon.
Team No Problem.
Last year’s runners-up, the Bile Builders, returned with Nick Nissen and David Magliato.
Team Masterbeaders includes Timothy Wry and Forrest Hagerman.
Clare and Thomas Studwell of Team Stud-Well Built.
Volunteers receive judging instructions and paperwork.
Volunteers and builders move the finished boats to the water’s edge.
Competitors take off at the start of the relay race.
Part two of the relay race.
The Bile Builders emerge from the relay race victorious.
A crowd gathers to watch Saturday's race.
The First Mates pose for a picture as the final scores are tallied.
Top honors (and top picture placement) went to The D Team, followed by Bile Builders with The First Mates coming in third.
The Broken Oar Award went to team Stud-Well Built.
Belfast Area Rotary Club raffles a handmade boat, though winner Lars Carlson isn't in the crowd.
BELFAST — Under the main tent at the Belfast Harbor Fest, held over the weekend Aug. 16-19, the sound of power tools and smell of sawdust combined with an atmosphere of determined excitement as seven teams paced within their cordoned areas, moving among boat skeletons with few words and unwavering focus.
The teams included the D Team, First Mates, We Knees, Masterbeaders, No Problem, Stud-Well Built, and the Bile Builders, last year’s runners-up. While the Bile Builders failed to ultimately nab the No. 1 spot (that honor went to The D Team), they did set a new record for fastest boat built, completing theirs in one hour, 59 minutes.
As the time wound down to nothing, builders took breaks while their boats were getting judged by nominated members of the crowd, who scored quality, which would later be combined with the results of the race. Once the judges completed their tasks, volunteers were requested to assist builders in getting their boats down to the water’s edge, which included a hill of large rocks.
“If you get glue on you, it’ll come off in a year or so,” joked Emcee Dave Crabiel.
Despite the peril, operations went off without issue and soon the builders found themselves manning their creations, racing to get back to shore first. Each member of the two-person teams was required to take a “lap” and their partners allowed to push them, “as far out as you want to,” said Crabiel.
Joseph Berube took Crabiel’s words to heart, cutting his hands on barnacles as he gave his teammate a boost.
Berube is one half of The First Mates, accompanied by friend Steve Wickenden, who said he was surprised.
“Coming in, I thought, since you’ve got the shipyard right over there, it was going to be a bunch of first-rate cracker-jack boat builders,” he said, alluding to the fact that the competition was close. When asked what part of the day was the most challenging he smiled widely: “Building the boat. Definitely.”
After the awards were handed out, there was just one thing left on Saturday’s agenda: the boat raffle. A woman from the crowd dug deep into the bowl of entries before pulling the name Lars Carlson, who, although not at the event, has a brand new handmade boat waiting for him.
Erica Thoms can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com.
Event Date
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Belfast, ME 04915
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