It is not too often sailors build boats they know will sink, but for Hobart’s Lakefront Festival, they did just that.
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The Cardboard Boat & Dam Duct Tape Regatta encouraged determined designers to build, as the name implies, cardboard-and-duct-tape flotation devices that could last just long enough to get them across Lake George.
According to Hobart Event Director Nikki Lopez, this is the third year the city has hosted the event.
“It’s something unique to Hobart,” Lopez said. “You don’t see a lot of cardboard regattas in the area.”
Lopez said that the first year, there were only a couple boats. Last year saw six and this year brought in 10 teams.
“It’s something that’s really been growing, it’s been great for the city,” Lopez said.
Awards were given for first and second place, a “Titanic” (or best sinker) and most creative. The most creative boat award went to the team of Richard Boshoven, Carl Bailey and Doug Wainwright for their cardboard version of the Flintstones’ stone car.
The three explained that they began construction about a month ago after working on a Vacation Bible School Project for Trinity Memorial Lutheran Church, of which Boshoven is the pastor.
“There was no real plans or designs we just did it as we went,” Bailey said.
It was not until after deciding they wanted to use cardboard tubing to build their boat that they came up with the Stone-Aged design to fit their materials.
“We could’ve put anything on top of that, we didn’t realize that. Once we built the raft, the [boat] could have been any design, but the idea – well, we decided, what was the least likely thing to float? ‘A big stone car.’ Well, alright,” Boshoven said.
The Yabba Dabba duo of Boshoven and Bailey then dressed as Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble, respectively.
Their goal was to win the best of show, which they achieved, and not necessarily to win the race. “We are the tortoise, and we’re going to win the race,” Wainwright said before the boats took off. “Not number one, but we are going to be in the top ten – since there’s ten entries.”
The official winner was the father-son team of Dan and Adam Silich, the Corngetters who raced for Steel Union 1066 to publicize their desire for a fair contract at the mills.
“Our very first year, they blew the whistle before we even got in the boat and we came in last place. That wasn’t happening,” Dan Silich said. “We’re not for failure, so the next two years, we got ‘er done.”
He belies that practice and teamwork lead them to victory.
“It was a great time and we’re glad people came out,” Dan Silich said. “It was awesome.”
The Yellow Submarine took second, and the Wood Splitters won the Titanic award. Joel D. Edington, 84, was given the special “Old Geezer” award for his stellar representation of the Class of ’48. “It’s a great teambuilding exercise," Lopez said. "We do have a lot of churches that do it, as well as like, Boy Scout troops, so it’s a great thing to get your friends and family together and do something a lot of fun.