Participants compete in multiple divisions, including team, individual, and youth categories. Some contests compete in traditional workboats, and others use charter vessels. “Since some of the boats competing were built especially for docking contests, this year we’ve decided to add a Working Watermen division for the contestants driving real workboats,” says Emely.
How does one get good enough at docking to back full throttle into a slip without wiping out the whole pier? “Most of these competitors have been driving boats since they were about five years old,” says Emely. “They know their boats well from being on them every day. But even though these guys have a lot of skill, many couldn’t dock as fast in somebody else’s boat. Every boat handles a little differently.”
Beyond bragging rights, which should not to be discounted, there’s some big prize money at stake. “Some of these competitions have a total purse in the $50,000 to $60,000 range,” Emely says. “We are grateful for the local business sponsorships that support us. We employ several people and have some expensive equipment—such as the sound system (Emely’s the MC) and stop watches. The watches and timers have got to be really accurate. Sometimes the times come down to a split second. Last week’s favorite at the Broomes Island contest lost by three tenths of a second.”
“We want to be a family event that supports the local business communities and towns,” continues Emely. Spectators will find many of the competitions are held in conjunction with locally sponsored watermen’s appreciation festival days. Examples include the Deal Island Skipjack Race and Festival, the Buyboat Reunion and Watermen’s Appreciation Day in St. Michaels, and the National Hard Crab Derby in Crisfield. See our calendar on page 30 for more listings. More event details can be foud at chesapeakecowboysboatdocking.com
Being a waterman is more than a job. It’s a way of life, but one that is disappearing on the Bay. The Watermen’s Heritage Tourism Training Program, developed by a group of Chesapeake non-profit organizations, trains watermen and provides them with skills for conducting heritage tours to supplement their incomes. Guests on the tours, especially younger generations, benefit from learning the history and ecology of the Bay and gaining an appreciation of the people who harvest our local seafood.
For more info and a full schedule of events, click to chesapeakecowboysboatdocking.com.
Friday, July 22, 2016 - 09:00
Summer’s in full swing, and it’s time for the best of the best to show off their pile wrangling and boat maneuvering skills at boat docking contests around the Bay. Sometimes called water rodeos, these events combine the roping skills of the Wild West cowboy with the docking expertise of a Chesapeake waterman.
“Boat docking contests have been going on for decades,” says Chesapeake Cowboys organizer Erik “Flea” Emely. “The first was held in Crisfield, MD, in 1972. Over the years more competitions have been added, growing to 16 events this year. The big news this season is that we’re coming to Baltimore (Nick’s Fish House, September 24) for the first time.”
Participants compete in multiple divisions, including team, individual, and youth categories. Some contests compete in traditional workboats, and others use charter vessels. “Since some of the boats competing were built especially for docking contests, this year we’ve decided to add a Working Watermen division for the contestants driving real workboats,” says Emely.
How does one get good enough at docking to back full throttle into a slip without wiping out the whole pier? “Most of these competitors have been driving boats since they were about five years old,” says Emely. “They know their boats well from being on them every day. But even though these guys have a lot of skill, many couldn’t dock as fast in somebody else’s boat. Every boat handles a little differently.”
Beyond bragging rights, which should not to be discounted, there’s some big prize money at stake. “Some of these competitions have a total purse in the $50,000 to $60,000 range,” Emely says. “We are grateful for the local business sponsorships that support us. We employ several people and have some expensive equipment—such as the sound system (Emely’s the MC) and stop watches. The watches and timers have got to be really accurate. Sometimes the times come down to a split second. Last week’s favorite at the Broomes Island contest lost by three tenths of a second.”
“We want to be a family event that supports the local business communities and towns,” continues Emely. Spectators will find many of the competitions are held in conjunction with locally sponsored watermen’s appreciation festival days. Examples include the Deal Island Skipjack Race and Festival, the Buyboat Reunion and Watermen’s Appreciation Day in St. Michaels, and the National Hard Crab Derby in Crisfield. See our calendar on page 30 for more listings. More event details can be foud at chesapeakecowboysboatdocking.com
Being a waterman is more than a job. It’s a way of life, but one that is disappearing on the Bay. The Watermen’s Heritage Tourism Training Program, developed by a group of Chesapeake non-profit organizations, trains watermen and provides them with skills for conducting heritage tours to supplement their incomes. Guests on the tours, especially younger generations, benefit from learning the history and ecology of the Bay and gaining an appreciation of the people who harvest our local seafood.
For more info and a full schedule of events, click to chesapeakecowboysboatdocking.com.
Participants compete in multiple divisions, including team, individual, and youth categories. Some contests compete in traditional workboats, and others use charter vessels. “Since some of the boats competing were built especially for docking contests, this year we’ve decided to add a Working Watermen division for the contestants driving real workboats,” says Emely.
How does one get good enough at docking to back full throttle into a slip without wiping out the whole pier? “Most of these competitors have been driving boats since they were about five years old,” says Emely. “They know their boats well from being on them every day. But even though these guys have a lot of skill, many couldn’t dock as fast in somebody else’s boat. Every boat handles a little differently.”
Beyond bragging rights, which should not to be discounted, there’s some big prize money at stake. “Some of these competitions have a total purse in the $50,000 to $60,000 range,” Emely says. “We are grateful for the local business sponsorships that support us. We employ several people and have some expensive equipment—such as the sound system (Emely’s the MC) and stop watches. The watches and timers have got to be really accurate. Sometimes the times come down to a split second. Last week’s favorite at the Broomes Island contest lost by three tenths of a second.”
“We want to be a family event that supports the local business communities and towns,” continues Emely. Spectators will find many of the competitions are held in conjunction with locally sponsored watermen’s appreciation festival days. Examples include the Deal Island Skipjack Race and Festival, the Buyboat Reunion and Watermen’s Appreciation Day in St. Michaels, and the National Hard Crab Derby in Crisfield. See our calendar on page 30 for more listings. More event details can be foud at chesapeakecowboysboatdocking.com
Being a waterman is more than a job. It’s a way of life, but one that is disappearing on the Bay. The Watermen’s Heritage Tourism Training Program, developed by a group of Chesapeake non-profit organizations, trains watermen and provides them with skills for conducting heritage tours to supplement their incomes. Guests on the tours, especially younger generations, benefit from learning the history and ecology of the Bay and gaining an appreciation of the people who harvest our local seafood.
For more info and a full schedule of events, click to chesapeakecowboysboatdocking.com.