Tug o' War
You won't want to miss the display of floating horsepower in Portland Harbor this month.
"Like corralling a bunch of wild horses" is how Merle Hallett describes his job as coordinator of the MS Tugboat Muster, an annual event whereby tugs of all sizes and shapes gather in Portland Harbor and compete for nothing more than bragging rights. The busman's holiday, scheduled for August 19 this year, includes a parade, race, and an impressive head-to-head competition.
"The tugboat industry is a fairly competitive one, but this is the one day the Hatfields and McCoys put their weapons away and have a good time," explains Gregg Hartley, owner of Hartley Marine Services in Boothbay Harbor.Even from the spectators' vantage point on the Eastern Promenade (recreational boats are kept away from the tugs for obvious reasons) it is clear that brawn counts on the high seas. "Sometimes it's a little stacked when you're racing a 3,000-horsepower boat against a 5,700 horsepower one," Hartley says. "It's a little bit like racing bulldozers."
The tugboats won't be open for tours while they're tied up at the Maine State Pier, but the public is welcome to ogle them from the wharf and to watch such events as the line toss competition and the survival suit race, where competitors try to swim to a raft wearing something that looks more like an inflatable sumo wrestler outfit than seaman's gear.
The MS Harborfest weekend (http://mem.nationalmssociety.org ), which also includes a sailboat regatta, auction, and other events, raises more than a hundred thousand dollars for Maine people living with multiple sclerosis, but Hallett says there's another benefit. "The vision is to get everyone excited about the Portland waterfront and get the people aware of what goes on down there."
Mission accomplished.
"The tugboat industry is a fairly competitive one, but this is the one day the Hatfields and McCoys put their weapons away and have a good time," explains Gregg Hartley, owner of Hartley Marine Services in Boothbay Harbor.Even from the spectators' vantage point on the Eastern Promenade (recreational boats are kept away from the tugs for obvious reasons) it is clear that brawn counts on the high seas. "Sometimes it's a little stacked when you're racing a 3,000-horsepower boat against a 5,700 horsepower one," Hartley says. "It's a little bit like racing bulldozers."
The tugboats won't be open for tours while they're tied up at the Maine State Pier, but the public is welcome to ogle them from the wharf and to watch such events as the line toss competition and the survival suit race, where competitors try to swim to a raft wearing something that looks more like an inflatable sumo wrestler outfit than seaman's gear.
The MS Harborfest weekend (http://mem.nationalmssociety.org ), which also includes a sailboat regatta, auction, and other events, raises more than a hundred thousand dollars for Maine people living with multiple sclerosis, but Hallett says there's another benefit. "The vision is to get everyone excited about the Portland waterfront and get the people aware of what goes on down there."
Mission accomplished.
- By: Dean Abramson
