The Maritime Heritage Centre’s 6th Annual Discovery Passage Boat Rodeo takes place this Sunday at the Robert Ostler Foreshore Park.
The fun starts at 11 a.m. and runs until 4 p.m., with a wide variety of events and displays that will interest everyone in the family and, as always, it’s totally free to attend.
Watch as two-person teams of intrepid boat builders attempt to construct a boat in under four hours from materials costing no more than $90, then paddling it in a race around a set course, changing positions in the boat at the halfway mark, and trying not to sink into the Passage. This year, at least six teams have signed on to test their skills in the Build Bail and Paddle and this is shaping up to be a great spectator event!
The Blind Rowboat Races are great fun too – two people in the boat, the rower is blindfolded, the other person gives directions to the rower to (hopefully) navigate the course.
Sounds easy, but it never seems to work out that way. If you think you’re up to it, you can sign up before the event and give it a try.
Kayakers are sure to enjoy the demonstrations of traditional Greenland kayaking techniques by Maine residents Cheri Perry and Turner Wilson, who have both competed in the Greenland National Kayaking Championships, bringing home many gold medals. They have both taught at many Kayak Symposia around the world, and Cheri is widely regarded as the world’s best women Greenland roller.
The Loyal Nanaimo Bathtub Society will be there once again, racing in a sanctioned World Championship event. This year the course will be set up so the tubbers will never be out of sight and you’ll see all the action.
There will be heats for stock and modified tubs. The Tubbers race for points and at the end of the season the winners in each class are presented with the World Championship trophies.
Between the events, the always popular Boom Boats (or Sidewinders) will be performing their “Ballet”, you can tour the Coast Guard’s new vessel, the 47-foot Cape Palmerston with it’s twin 450 hp engines, grab a burger or hot dog in support of the Head Injury Support Society and visit the displays by the Boat Modelling Club, Bill Howich RV, CR Boatland, the CR Dragon Boat Society, Outdoors Addictions and the Kayak Club.
The Discovery Passage Boat Rodeo is presented by the Maritime Heritage Society in celebration of our link to the sea. Major sponsors include the Campbell River Mirror, Grieg Seafood, 99.7 the River, Az-Tec Freight and Seymour Pacific Developments.