Off to the races!!! It turns out that lobster boat racing is comprised of many "heats" (23 in this event) of drag-strip type racing. The crowd was there, lined up on both sides of the strip, anchored, floating, rafted up together. This is only a few of the 100 or so spectator boats. We were - surprise - the only sailboat, obviously "from away's", the Mainer term for non-natives.
It all started out the same - boats lined up at the start line and ready to rumble! A "pace boat" started with the boats on each heat, dropping the start flag when they were all underway and lined up. Heats consisted of between 2-8 boats
And the duels heat up!
Oh, and the joy of winning!
This fellow won every time he ran - look at that exhaust pipe shooting out black smoke! Needless to say, he was loud and fast! This is NOT your working lobster boat.
Not everyone was concerned with winning - these guys liked eating better.
Even Fred the Dock Master took his boat out on a run, but, loaded with friends, it was just for the thrill of the chase.
After the races were done, all of the boats congregated at the harbor. The small harbor was packed, awaiting the awards!
We took the dinghy to the harbor, but opted to walk to town to see the craft booths, get a little ice cream, and watch the parade. It was local and cute, full of area fire engines, candy tossing to the crowd, and Masons in "lobster boats".
And, of course, you have to have the few restored cars.
All in all, it was a nice "small town" day. We enjoyed it. The next plan is to head for Buckle Harbor and explore the uninhabited island there. A big change from lobster boat racing!
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