Belfast Harborfest - Cardboard Boat Race

This weekend was Belfast Harborfest- which included a Pilot Gig Rigatta, a small boat display, the boat building challenge, (where teams were given three hours to build a boat), a 5K Road Race, and much more.  Sunday was the cardboard boat race. 

   There were two main styles of boats, canoe-like and row-boat like.   The full rules are here, but a summary we were given was:  Cardboard with water soluble glue and water soluble paint.  Duct tape is allowed only at the seams.

  Style mattered, as there was a People's Choice Award.  Three boats were decorated in Viking style.  But heart mattered too.  Apparently the Rollie's Bar and Grill teams began work at 9AM and were able to make the 10:00AM start with two entries!

   It was a moist morning, those who brought tarps used them frequently.  After the boat parade the vessels rested on the beach.  Most of the first heats were two boat races; one was three.  Waiting contestants lifted their boats, rested them on paddles, or in some cases cardboard.  There were three Viking themed boats, this shows two- Angry Dragon and Valhalla.  In front is an international competitor- the Rondy-Turcotte family from Quebec, Canada.

 Like a Rock 2.0  the Dutch Chevrolet entry paddled with confidence.  Their heat was against Rollie Red, which barely left the starting point.

  But Rollie Pink did better; here they are battling against Coburn Shoes' Boat Shoe.

    Unfortunately, the unfinished boat did not hold up.  But the race was held in shallow water at low tide, so after the back paddler rolled out, he was able to push his boat to shore.

  The Waldo County YMCA set the fastest time in any heat, finishing the course in just under 2 minutes.

   Size matters, originally  Barque Ahoy, built by the Penobscot Marine Museum was going to be paddled by three people.  But Archimede's displacement theories held, and after a quick sinking, a second attempt was made with just one paddler.  (She has a life jacket under her shirt)

   Yellow Submarine, sponsored by Searsport High was built at a Penobscot Marine Museum Cardboard Boat Camp in June.  It won its heat and placed fourth overall.

  The Norseman Nightmare, by the Vanderhoof Family, also suffered a quick roll at the start.  But they quickly got back into the race.

  Perhaps because the boats were fading fast, one final heat was done for the winners of all previous races.  There had been six heats, but only four opted to participate in the final race.  

   The Angry Dragon wound up with the overall prize.   (This picture is from their first heat.)

Rowing a Cornish Pilot Gig - National Maritime Day Belfast Maine

   So what is a Cornish Pilot Gig?

   It's a narrow  6 person rowing boat, traditionally made of elm, 32 feet long and almost 5 feet wide.  Cornish Pilot Gigs got their start off Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.  It was as a general work boat, but was particularly used to race pilots out to vessels off the Atlantic.  The piloting job would often go to the first pilot to get to the vessel. 

   But if it looks familiar, it probably because these boats were also the design used for land-based life rescue craft.  When I see the Belle Fast  or Selkie race by, I can't help but recall the song, Grace Darling, and imagine Grace Darling and her father heading out in a similar craft to rescue sailors off the Farne Islands in 1838.

   The Selkie and Belle Fast are boats used by Come Boating in Belfast.  In 2012, Come Boating commissioned a third boat for the organization, the Malcolm G. , which was built in nearby Searsport and named for the man who started the rowing organization.

    That Belfast should have a rowing association is remarkable for many reasons.  Belfast is a small city, with a population in 2011 of only 6,671.  Despite that they have one of the few curling rinks in the area.  Secondly, if you've ever tried to put together a kayaking activity, you know how hard that it is to coordinate the schedules of just a few people.  Now imagine putting together an organization which needs seven people, six of whom will be sitting backwards.  Imagine further that you do this not once, but 22 times a week!  And you convince seven dedicated people to compete in races like the 20 mile Blackburn Challenge!   Impressive!

  I went to National Maritime Day, not only because I can't resist checking out big boats, but because I wanted to try a Cornish Pilot Gig.  And I wasn't alone.  Four other ladies were quick to sign up.

   We were led on our adventure by Jonathan, with Terry serving as rower 1.  We all know Durhamblogger is dedicated to kayak safety and wearing PFD's. I think he may have a kindred spirit in Terry, who has a life ring tattooed on her leg.

 

     Our Cornish Gig was the Selkie, otherwise known as the green boat.



     This is the Selkie at the Come Boating berth.  Note two of the seats have cushioning on them.
     This is the boat from another angle:

  Cornish Pilot Gigs are built based on the measurements of a 1838 gig, called the Teffry, which still races.  I'm a tall woman, the height of an average American male.  I suspect the original rowers may have been a bit smaller than me.  I don't know if the supports in the middle are part of the original design, or something added later.  I'm pretty sure the foam padding is not from the original design.
  Our first lessons were vocabulary.  The first term we learned was "laying on."  Before climbing aboard, one calls out "laying on."  Before getting off one calls out "laying off."  This allows the others on the boat to brace for rocking.

 

 

 

     Rower 5 is preparing to help Rower 6 (Terry) lay on.  I like this photo because it also shows the foot braces we'd use when rowing.

 

     Once we'd all laid on, the oars were distributed.  Oars are fiberglass shafts with wooden handles.  The oars are numbered. 



  Oarlock and rowers all faced the stern, only the coxswain faced forward.  We reviewed who were starboard and port rowers.  The boat side is determined by where the blade of the oar was, not which side the rower sat on.  And quite a bit of time was spent talking about crabbing.  Crabbing occurs when the angle of the blade is wrong.  Sometimes its because its been twisted, other times a wave hits it wrong.  If you've ever paddled a tandem with a child or handicapped individual, you probably know how much bracing you need if they get the blade angle wrong.  (that's why I recommend using Greenland style paddles in those cases.)  But on a Pilot Gig, if the blade angle is wrong the oar handle will knock you off your seat and throw the boat off rhythm.  Jonathan recommended yelling "Crab!" should that happen, and Terry confessed that should she crab, she might cry out a different four letter word.  In any case, we'd be forewarned.

   We put paddles up (held between our knees) while moving away from the dock, and got paddles ready, or in their oarlock once ready to paddle.  I don't remember the precise instruction to begin rowing, but it was something like "Begin rowing together."  Of that command, "together" was the important part, because on "together"  Rower 6 was supposed to get her blade in the water and begin an even stroke, starting with her hands over her toes and pulling back, using core muscles, until the oar handle was near her chest.  Everyone else was supposed to match Rower 6.  That was easy for me, as Rower 4,  all I needed to do was watch her blade and keep in time.  However it was a challenge for Rower 5, who needed to watch Terry's back and work from that information.  Brave Naily (sp?)  was selected to be Rower 5 based on her confession that she had rowed before.  That it was when she was thirteen gave her no mercy.

  The coxswain does not call out each stroke, he just told us when to start, and we were to continue until directed otherwise.  Rowing is a full body exercise, and at least for this beginner, took all my concentration as well.  As long as the oars are, as close as the seats are, it's very important to keep in precise rhythm.  There was no time for breaks, and as Mark was in Cambridge, MA (population: 105,162, Cornish Pilot Gigs: 0) there was no way to take pictures.  The group in action in the top photo was caught on a paddle in December 2012.

   I have this photo from when we took a break mid harbor.  Our oars are stored at rest beneath the gunnel and Jonathan is demonstrating good rowing technique.

      It was an beautiful day, and a wonderful time.  Belfast is an amazing city, and always a great place to visit.   On our run we went part way across the harbor and then back to shore.  Come Boating runs are for an hour, with about 40 minutes rowing.  Sometimes a rowing session might go out to the monument, or if the tide was right, up the Passy.  There are three levels, Community Boating for beginners and Exercise and Power rows for more advanced rowers.  Jonathan told us to check out Gig Races on youtube, and mentioned that racers aim for forty strokes a minute.  I think we may have done ten strokes per minute, which was exercise enough for me.  but here's a link to a short youtube video of the 2008 Championship, held off the Isles of Scilly.

  

On the Wanderbird - Belfast Maine, National Maritime Day.

Looking for a little glamor from the Gatsby era?   You might find it on the Wanderbird.

     The Wanderbird is an expedition vessel, set with classic amenities.

     How about this delivery truck to set the mood?

     Or this deckhand to welcome you on board?

    Once you're onboard the Wanderbird, whisks you and up to eleven other guests away on adventure; along the Maine coast, off to Labrador, and even further afield.  There are even Mothership Kayaking Adventures, with kayak tours led by Karen Franceour of Castine Kayaks.

    Wanderbird started life as a fishing trawler, but you'd never guess that.  She feels more like a well appointed yacht.  
     There are six passenger cabins, each with a private bath.  Here are a couple cabin shots.  Wouldn't it be great to be choosing between them?

Notice the logbooks on the pillows!

And on voyage, there's seating in the galley, the salon, or outside on the deck.

I wasn't able to get any great pictures of the whole ship, too many other boats were in the way.  But it was wonderful to have the opportunity, even for just a few minutes, to go aboard.  Of course there are more photos of the ship at their website.

Signs of Spring on the Passagassawakeag

When does Spring arrive?
        March 21?
        The first Robin in the yard?
        The first Merganser on the Penobscot River?
        Or when every street and side road is being torn up for repair?

   By any definition, spring had arrived in Belfast.  Main Street had just been paved and the dock area was filled with construction equipment, ready to trench, pave, and redo ramps.   A load of  telephone pole-like pilings lay across our normal beach access, a trench was being dug before a side beach.  But the access to the paved ramp was available.  So, after checking with some workers to make sure our car wasn't in the way, we loaded our kayaks onto our handy carts and headed to the ramp.

   Good news!  It turns out the launch fees posted at the ramp don't apply to kayaks!  (Though I would still normally use the beach so the paved ramp is available for motorized boaters.)

   Belfast Harbor was filled with patchy fog and bright blue skies beyond.  And there was so much to see on the water:  new pilings;  a new Cornish pilot gig, the Malcolm G,set for action;

  the tugboat, Fornier under repair;

  and a busy Front Street Shipyard launching vessels.

  Once under Route One, the scenery was decidedly more rural.  To the south, a mostly abandoned railroad snakes through trees, while to the north, neighborhoods of varying eras line the shores.  This is one of my favorite neighborhoods.

   The wires above the river, and almost visible to the left, are thick enough to accommodate cormorants. 
    Further down is this lovely cupola-ed colonial with its massive rock companion.  That stretch of river also seems to be the new anchorage for the Shanty.

   We followed the river up further, below a railroad bridge, until it ended, as many streams do, in shallow water and fyke nets (for catching baby eels.)

   Our ride upriver and downwind had been nearly effortless, it would be more work going back to the parking lot.  I'm not a huge fan of wind, but I have to admit, I paddle faster and more constantly when going up wind.  We arrived back at noon, thinking the construction crew might be taking a break.  They weren't.

 In front of the shovel on the ground is a trench which crosses the dock, and I'm not sure where the little house is going.  

Summary:  Launch 9:40AM, finish noon.  One short break.  High 9:40AM.  About 6 miles.  Restrooms beside the dock parking lot (behind the tree on the right of the photo)

Junk in Maine Waters??

 What's this???  Where did it come from, and why was it being launched now???

One minute we were merrily sitting there, scouting Belfast (ME) harbor for ducks and admiring the friendly seagulls, and the next, a crowd had gathered and a colorful vessel was being backed down the ramp.

Maynard (??) had built his version of a junk in his backyard, and was shifting it to the Belfast Boatyard where he planned to finish work on it.  He's thinking of using it as a houseboat.

Unfortunately conditions at the ramp, kept the boat trailer from getting deep enough in the water to launch the boat.

So close to being launched!

Fortunately it was an incoming tide and his crew of admirer's strong and inventive.

It took about 40 minutes, but finally the boat was afloat.

 Soon a skiff arrived to guide it to its winter docking; the Shanty does not have a motor yet.

Where ever it winds up, it will be a colorful addition to Maine's waters!

Entertaining Sights in Belfast (Maine)

     I have to admit I didn't expect a lot of our short jaunt on Belfast Bay.  I just wanted to get out on salt water and be able to turn back easily if the wind was too rough.  But shortly after we headed out Sunday morning, we heard the rhythmic clattering of the Belle Fast. 

      Belle Fast is a Cornish pilot gig; 32 feet long, crew of 6. It was apparent from the cadence, that this was the race team; keeping their beat with a fierce "huh" before each pull.  As they flew by us the coxswain advised them: "One minute more." 

Another "ugh" and they were past.  It’s always impressive to see those boats in action.

    Later, while we loaded our kayaks on the roof, we chatted with one of the oarsman.  It was a bit of a mutual admiration society, he hoped one day to attempt more adventurous kayaking, we told him about our attempt to participate in ComeBoating. 

     Belfast has two race teams that practice year 'round.  In the summer, they open rowing positions on the pilot gigs to interested community members.  There's a sign-up sheet by their shed.  We'd thought about signing up, but the evening paddles are filled weeks in advance.  He suggested we sign up as a stand-by, because if there are enough additional people, they will run a second boat.

The second sight was toward the turnaround point. I'd set the outlet of the Little River as a goal.  The wind was warm, but paddling straight into the sun was wearing. Approaching near low tide, Little River was hosting a vast collection of gulls; great black-backed, herring, ring-billed and laughing gulls.  As we paddled closer distant puffs of white birds rose, dispersed, and settled on the tidal flats again.

Laughing gulls in winter plumage

     Our third sight was not on the water, but wandering through town.  Somewhere Belfast found a set of vintage Christmas Decorations, and put them up.  Some of the decorations are amazingly well-preserved, and I'm sure the little Santas were adorable when they used to peek around light poles.  But the light poles have changed, and now the little fellows just dangle on high.  And a few of the Santas, especially the one in front of the Co-op, are quite worn, their suits bleached to orange, their faces and hats to white.  The end result:  well check for yourself:

Paddle Summary:  Launched 9:30AM, Finish 11:15AM. Launch: beach beside the town ramp.  Much of the nearby parking is filled with docks.   Low about 11:30AM.  5.8 miles.

Winter Visit to Belfast (Me) Harbor

I'm afraid I've had no on-water adventures, the closest we've come was an afternoon visit to Belfast.
The day was relatively warm, in the 20s (F), but the west wind was wicked. It blew in down the Passy, numbing my fingers and toes.
To take this picture of the tugboat, I'd check through the viewfinder, realize my fingers were numb, turn around and wait for feeling to return, guess at a setting then repeat the process.
As my face grew numb taking a few steps closer to the edge, it was a great reminder of the power of the wind chill factor. All together I was probably outside for about five minutes, but rather than boosting my self esteem, it made me feel like I was unprepared for the conditions.
At the other end of the dock, seagulls huddled together for warmth. Note their heads are twisted away from the wind.

The snow was too deep (or my boots too shallow) to check on how The Long Breath was doing, but I did spot another face lurking in the harbor, and I saw the nun buoy was the same open cross hatch as had been there in the summer.

I like this photo of the abandoned lighthouse with Isleboro in the background. It is at once tantilizing close, but given the cold, too far to attempt.

Prior trips: a warm fall paddle in Belfast and a summer trip to the abandoned lighthouse.