The Boat Race

     One of the interesting events in Belfast's summer "Harborfest" is a boat building/racing contest. The rules are fairly simple. You and your partner build a wooden dinghy in the morning and row it around a designated course in the afternoon. Up until a few years ago the builders were provided with a stack of lumber and tools and told to, "Go to it." A lot of boats sank. Now they are provided with a boat building kit with pre-cut parts. "Some assembly required". With the judicious use of the one tube of caulk, most of the boats stayed pretty dry.

     If you should lose an oar, desperate measures are required.

     In the end it was unclear who had won. It was clear, however, that no one seemed to care.