Page 20. MAINE COASTAL NEWS September 2011


LOBSTER BOAT RACING SEASON ENDS AT PORTLAND Continued from Page 19.


Yamaha] and third was Darrell Fosset’s LOB- STER BEAST [13.5-foot Cornell, O/B 20-hp Mercury]. In the second race, outboards up to 70 hp. Skiffs over 16-feet, Eben Wilson of East Boothbay brought over his WORKING GIRL [14-foot Murphy, 40-hp Tohatsu] and won with a speed of 34.1 mph against nine other racers. Second went to LITTLE E., this time skippered by Nick Poland. Jamie Brinkler’s MISS ADDIE [Carolina Skiff, 50-hp Mercury] was third. In the final clam diggers and lobster pickers race, inboards or out- boards – 71-hp and over, skiffs 16 feet and over, it was LYNN MARIE first and TERRY TOO second.


Next up was just two Gasoline Classes. The first was four and six cylinder gas, 24 feet and over, which was won by CRY BABY and second was Bruce Farrin, Jr.’s SUMNAH [Sumner McFarland, 1960, 300 cid Ford]. In the other Gasoline Class, V-8 any cu. in. and under, 24-feet and over, LYNN MARIE took the top spot followed by SEA FLEA, and Jason Hall’s JENNY C. There are eight diesel classes with the first being 175 hp and under, 24-feet and over. There was only one entrant in this class, Dana Russell’s KNOT AGAIN [Novi, 115-hp John Deere]. In the next race, 176 hp to 210 hp, 24- feet and over, Marcus Curtis’ SLOWHAND [Crooked River 28, 210-hp Cummins] took the win with Matt Thibault’s SANDRA ANN [Young Brothers 33, 210-hp Cummins] sec- ond. In Diesel Class 211 hp to 250 hp, 24-feet the first to cross the line was Don Drisko’s MERGANSER [Calvin Beal, Jr., 1977, 230-hp Yanmar], followed by HARD TO FATHOM and TRACY COLE. In the next race, Diesel 251 hp to 350 hp, 24 and over, it was David Wiberg’s, SANDRA DEE [Crowley 28, 315- hp Cummins] first followed by Raymond Carter’s WHO’S BUYN [Flower 33, 300-hp John Deere] and Brady O’Brien’s WHITE


TAIL. There was only one entrant in Diesel 351 hp to 450 hp, 28 to 35 feet 11 inch and under, Marshall Farnham’s GOVERNOR [Calvin Beal 34, 375-hp John Deere]. In Diesel, 351 to 450 hp, 36 feet and up Spencer Dyer’s THE CHAIN [Holland 38, 330-hp Caterpillar 3126] took the win over Ethan Fink’s TAY- LOR C. [Holland 38, 430-hp Cummins]. In Diesel 451 hp to 650 hp, 28 feet and over there were four entrants. The newest boat racing this day had to be Nick Martinez’ PRETTY WOMAN. She is a Calvin Beal 36, powered with a 565-hp Caterpillar finished off by Ma- rine Systems of Southwest Harbor and launched just days before. It was no surprise to see MISTY cross first with THREE STARS second and PRETTY WOMAN took third. In the final race of the diesel classes, 651 hp and over, 28 feet and over, the winner was WHISTLIN’ DIXIE took first, MOTIVA- TION second and 4 GIRLS third. In the Novi Boat race, Travis Carter’s CANADIAN MIST [North Shore Boats, 300- hp John Deere] was the winner over George Ganze’s MAGGIE Z. [Novi, 220-hp, John Deere]. Third was Kyle Westhaver’s HIGH- LANDER [Novi, North Shore, 300-hp John Deere].


In the Wooden Boat Race it was SEA FLEA, MERGANSER and REVA J. In the Gasoline Free-for-All it was LYNN MARIE over CRY BABY.


In the Diesel Free-for-All it was another great race with WHISTLIN’ DIXIE just besting MOTIVATION, followed by 4 GIRLS and THREE STARS.


In the Fastest Lobster Boat race, LYNN MARIE took the top spot with WHISTLIN’ DIXIE second, MOTIVATION third and 4 GIRLS fourth.


PORTLAND – This was the last points race for the 2011 season, the MS Harborfest Lob- ster Boat Races hosted at Portland Yacht Services in Portland on 21 August. The MS


Harborfest weekend has become a huge event encompassing an auction on Friday night, a sailboat and poker run on Saturday and the lobster boat and tugboat races on Sunday all to benefit the MS Society. There were some classes that could be affected by who raced and who did not. One was Gasoline Class C, Rocky Alley’s LORNA R. and Randy Durkee’s BLACK DIAMOND, who were tied. Durkee was so excited about the event he arrived in Portland on Friday, thinking that the races were on Saturday. The big news for the weekend began Thursday night when Travis Otis’ boat FIRST TEAM went missing from her mooring in Searsport at about 2200 hours. Otis did not know about his missing boat until Friday morning. When discovered the authorities were called and the hunt was on. The news was quickly spread via the VHF, television and radio news and Facebook. They even learned that someone had talked to the per- son as he rowed Otis’ dinghy out to the boat, but the person thought he was talking with Otis. I headed down to the Searsport Town Dock after I got out of the Penobscot Marine Museum’s library at 1700 Friday afternoon and was talking with Otis as he fielded calls from the media and Marine Patrol. Then came a call that his boat had been found tied to the town dock in Sedgwick. Otis and his father Keith piled into my truck and down we went and there she was guarded by the Marine Patrol. The harbor master arrived later and said that he heard her come in that morning and whoever it was tied her up on the face of the town dock and left before he arrived. He did not think much about it and headed out fishing for the day. It was not until he returned that he learned that she had been stolen. Talk about being fortunate. Nothing was missing on the boat, except about 50 gallons of fuel. Otis also got his rowboat back and a crate that held some lobsters [lobsters gone], which apparently broke off while his boat was going


down the bay. Otis had planned to be at Portland and these plans did not change. He spent all day Saturday cleaning up the boat and checking to make sure she was okay. Then at 0500 Sunday morning he and his father were off arriving in Portland four hours later.


When everything was ready, sign-ups done and getting the finish barge in position, we were almost an hour late. Not too bad, but Brain Fournier who was running the Tugboat Muster said that I had to be done by 1300 so they could run on the same course. The first race of the day was “Welcome Salute and Parade’ which was led by the Portland Fireboat, which was spraying water into the air, and who was followed up the course by several law enforcement boats. The actual first three races of the day were in the Work Boat Classes. In Class A there were two contestants: Gavin Holland’s BABY BARON [Holland 14, 30-hp Yamaha] and T. J. Flynn’s [Alumacraft, O/B, 9.9 Johnson]. Holland had made some changes since the last time he raced and gained 1.5 mph. He streaked up the course doing his best to drown his grandfather, Glenn, who was riding in the bow and holding on for dear life. Marshall Spear entered his J-BIRD [16- footer, O/B, 50-hp] in Class B, with three others and won. Sam Whitner’s MOON [Pointer 18, 70-hp Yamaha] was second. In Class C it was LYNN MARIE followed by Dave Johnston’s CASCO MISS [Eastern 22, 130-hp Honda].


There were five entrants in the four Gasoline Classes. In Class A, it was just CRY BABY. In Class B there were Chris Smith’s LINDA CAROL [Repco 30, 350 cu. in. Chevrolet] and Jeff Craft’s TILLY [24-foot Brownell, 260-hp Mercruiser] which was won by LINDA CAROL. In Class C it was just BLACK DIAMOND and in Class D LYNN MARIE. They were all combined and the first boat across the line was LYNN MARIE, sec-


HELP - SATURN'S Engine Room Next Big Project!


This is SATURN'S main engine, which is a Cleveland 16-278A.


SATURN is a 117-foot railroad tug built as the BERN for the Reading Railroad in 1907. She is one of the last railroad tugs in existence and is being saved for future generations to enjoy. For further information : (207) 223-8846 or to join the Friends of SATURN, send a check for $25 or more to P.O. Box 710, Winterport, ME 04496.


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