Last weekend (time flies, it was about a month ago now 🙂 ) they had the Cardboard Boat Races just down the road from us.  Seeing as one of our friends was going to be participating, we thought we’d go and watch and then take some pictures if he landed in the water.  Us old people get our enjoyment in what ever form we can find :).

So we headed off to the park.  The park was located on Bimini Bay and this is where the boat races were going to happen.  The Bimini Bay is a pretty popular spot for boaters to come in and anchor.  It is well protected from all sides and makes for a perfect anchorage. One of the condos we looked at was located on Bimini Bay but we passed on it because of its close proximity to a very busy street.

Anyway, back to the races.  You wouldn’t believe some of the boats that these people built. You could tell they put in a lot of time and effort into the boats.  Most you would never know they were made out of cardboard.  Some people had themes, like this boat that was the S. S. Minnow.  There was Gilligan, the Skipper too, a Millionaire and his wife, a movie star, the professor and MaryAnn….plus someone else who must have landed on their island who shall remained unnamed :). Unlike their TV show, they made it all the way to the finish line and didn’t end up on a deserted island.

There was another boat that was dedicated to the wounded warriors of the Armed Forces and it had a motorcycle on it   It was called Wheels on Waters and you can see they didn’t have much free-board, but they made it to the finish line and didn’t sink.

There was also a boat that was built by the Engineering Department of the SW Florida University.  It was the biggest boat in the race and held the most people, like about 24!

SWFU

They, being college students, were the loudest group, chanting, “biggest boat, biggest boat!”  Someone next to me mumbled under his breath, “But will it float?”.  It did and it also made it to the finish line.

Of course we all know that the only reason people go to any of these spectator sports is to watch someone crash and burn.  This race was no exception.  There was a boat with 3 young boys on it.  It was a barge type boat that had a flat area the boys sat on and rowed from.  On top of the flat area they had what looked like a dingy turned upside down.  Half way thru the “M” obstacle everyone maneuver thru, two boys, who were hiding under the dingy, jumped up and flung the dingy into the water, then all the boys leaped from the bigger boat to the dingy, well, with that much weight in it the dingy sunk almost immediately so as the boys were standing in their boat that was at the bottom of the water, they jumped off it and tried to get on the bigger boat, but alas, that too started to sink.  Luckily, there were spotters out there and they helped the boys to shore.  Naturally the crowd went wild when the boys sunk.  What did I tell ya?

There was one boat that comes every year.  It is shaped after a speed kayak and looks like a professionally built boat.  When the guy rowed in it, he made a wake!  Needless to say, he wins the speed section of the race every year.

It was a great day, in the low 80’s but with a nice breeze.  Unfortunately our friend never got the chance to row his boat so we didn’t get any good pictures of him all wet.  But hey, there is always next year :).

BTW,  Happy Mothers day to all you women out there.  And to you guys, be nice to the women in your life.