08/04/2010

August is Regatta Month in Downeast Maine

A quiet celebration of small sail and rowing boats took place at Lamoine State Park on July 28- Aug 1. This fifth annual Small Reach Regatta has grown too big for it’s former hosts and so moved a few more miles downeast to our spacious State Park on Frenchman Bay. Sponsored by The Small Reach Regatta Club and Traditional Small Craft Association Downeast Chapter, the well organized event drew small boat enthusiasts from at least (by casual count) eight states. The typical craft was of wooden construction, traditional design and about 15 to 20 feet in length.

The Regatta was not advertised as a spectator event, but kept quiet; for the benefit of the participants. I had no idea it was happening until it was well under way. Next year I’ll know better. Most boats were trailered in and by the time I got there most were back on their trailers for the evening. Still, it was a nice opportunity to feast the eyes on the craftsmanship afforded by close inspection. The boat below for example, is actually two halves bolted together along a bulkhead so that it can stow in a smaller space. Other boats were just like fine furniture or works of art. My pictures don’t do them justice.

There are more Regattas this month. The Eggemoggen Reach Regatta, about an hour away from Bar Harbor, will happen on the 7th. It is a serious race among sailing wooden boats at least 26 feet in length. The wooden boat culture of the Maine coast is due in no small part to the presence of Woodenboat Magazine and the Woodenboat School, located at the finish line of the Regatta, near Brooklin Maine.

Nearby Castine is hosting the Castine Classic Yacht Regatta on August 5th in cooperation with the Eggemoggen Reach Regatta. Boats will race from Castine to Camden. When it’s time to get to Brooklin, the fleet will engage in the Camden Classic Yacht Race on August 6. At the end of August (27-29) the Shipyard Cup will take place in Boothbay and will not be limited to wooden craft.