Yes, you read that title correctly. Tug boat races is an oxymoron if ever there was one. Just enough top speed to maybe ruffle your hair a bit. But…tug boats make the best wake I’ve ever seen. Here is the story.
First off, I grew up in Southeast Alaska where the tug boats that plied those waters were usually pushing big rafts of logs to deliver to the saw mills. I’ve also wasted the better part of the day in Paducah, Ky watching the big river tugs on the Ohio River. (combining quilting and tug watching) I had no idea tug boats were for anything but working. I was wrong.
My sister in-law, Tana, and her husband, Rex, have a tug boat. The R W Confer. This is a river tug boat. Retired and now providing hours of enjoyment to Rex as he fixes this and that, making it quite a cool tug boat. Once he tweaked everything and made it seaworthy again they started participating in Olympia, Washington’s Harbor Days Festival http://www.harbordays.com which is every Labor Day Weekend. The harbor is one big open house of tug boats. Little ones and big ones. Guides tours from the owners. Some were pretty fancy to say the least. Festivities culminate in the race.
This is Rex and Tana’s tug.
Boats lining up to race.
This is the boat that ultimately beat us. Bigger, faster…but we had so much fun!
Seals on a log raft.
A few tall ships where also there.
And a super view.
What a great weekend it was.
Thanks for the fun post. Except, now you’ve given me another place to want to visit, I already had California (northern and southern) to visit friends and family on the list. Recently I’d added Houston for the Houston Quilt Market, Oregon, for the Spring Market, Kentucky, for THAT quilt show, a quilt cruise. Are you seeing a theme here? So, now I’m adding Seattle for the Tug Boat races. Thanks. 🙂 ~Nita
LikeLike
Tug boats are a welcome break from quilting, Nita. I will pass on the quilt cruise but THAT quilt show is on my list also. Don’t forget MQX West in Portland, this October. So many quilting things we can do
Jean
LikeLike
Aw, come on, join me on the cruise. It sounds like fun. I’ll have to put the Portland MQX on the list for next year (with everything else). October is in 2 weeks, don’t think my finances will receive an infusion of funds by then. Plus, all the hotels are probably booked. Let’s see, I only need about a million dollars to do everything. Guess it won’t all be done in one year. sigh
LikeLike