The diversity and creativity of boat building was on full display Sunday at the annual Silly Boat Regatta on the Nanaimo Waterfront. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Alex Rawnsley

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NANAIMO — The boats were silly, but the competition was very serious along the waterfront for an annual summer staple.

The 38th annual Nanaimo Silly Boat Regatta was held Sunday, July 21 in front of Maffeo Sutton Park with over 30 entries vying for the title and supporting programs and services offered by the Nanaimo Child Development Centre.

The Rotary Club of Nanaimo in their craft ‘Robotary’ took out top honours, winning their heat then the final in a time of 2:51.84.

The BC Ferry Marine Workers Union took second, roughly six seconds behind and VI Fishing for Fun was third another two seconds back.

Mike Nelson from the BC Ferry Marine Workers Union races to ring the bell and officially win their heat. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

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Mike Nelson and Eric McNeely were two of the three paddlers from the BC Ferry Marine Workers Union.

Nelson, with a big grin across his face, said their choice in material and technique was a critical part of their success.

The foundation of their boat were large paper-wrapped tubes with a wood frame. Duct tape ensured a largely water-tight craft.

“The quickness was attributed to the cardboard and how waterproof it is and the sheer strength of the arms propelling it, that was our secret to success. We wanted to build it to be as sleek as the two of us, we have swimmers bodies so we felt it made perfect sense.”

He added they felt no additional pressure on a team made up of BC Ferries workers to perform well at the event.

McNeely added supporting the Nanaimo Child Development Centre was an easy cause to get behind.

“This is a great event in Nanaimo and we’re happy to be a part of it every time even if there’s a little pressure to make sure we arrive on time.”

Mazzei Electric took out their heat despite nearly flipping their boat on multiple occasions. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Mazzei Electric also blitzed their heat, albeit not quite as comfortably as they’d like.

Their orange and black pontoon-style boat was lightning quick in a straight line but struggled the turn at the halfway mark of the course.

“We tried to slow down to make the turn then we started taking on water pretty good then a couple of arguments in the boat,” Jonathan Hale, project manager at Mazzei told NanaimoNewsNOW. “The Port Authority was yelling at us to get back. It was an adventure, it’s fun.”

Their boat was made up of PVC pipe ducting, insulated rigid foam and flex tape.

Upon learning they’d picked up the win, along with a pools-worth of water in their boat, Hale said they weren’t keen to compete again.

“We’d be okay if we were the first boat to sink [in the final].”

He added the large crowds lining every vantage point at Maffeo Sutton Park and Swy-a-Lana Lagoon made the different in their race.

“Just when you get out there you can hear the people, the suspense when you’re about to sink, not about to sink, they’re cheering you on. It’s amazing, a great event, it’s our second year and we plan to be here for as long as we can.”

The ‘Titanica’ with Rose on the back of the boat floating on a door, did not live up to her namesake ship and got back to shore in one piece. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

The ‘Titanica’, complete with garbage bag iceberg on the front and a ‘Rose’ doll on a makeshift door at the rear, built by construction management firm Tectonica won the Silliest boat award.

Vancouver Island University Students Union took out the dubious honour of being the first team to sink as their duct-tape wrapped kayak flipped early in their heat.

For the first time in years, a team from Island Radio not only completed their race but also beat out other teams by finishing third of five in their heat with a boat made from chicken wire and duct tape.

The annual event looked to raise $125,000 through donations and sponsorships to support local programs and services for kids and families in the Nanaimo region.

The 2024 edition would have been the 40th anniversary of the event, which was started by CHUB Radio (now 102.3 The Wave) in 1984, if not for the two years idle due to the pandemic.

Island Radio’s Levi Loughlin (front) and Connor Hutchinson completed the company’s best ever performance in the race. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Boats came in different shapes, sizes and with different accessories. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Students from Vancouver Island University couldn’t keep their boat from tipping and earned the honours for the first boat to sink. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Some boats used sails to aid their efforts, others opted for bubbles to help get them across the finish line. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

TD Bank started strong in their heat but ultimately sank midway out and were forced to abandon ship. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

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