Great Salem Maritime Cardboard Boat Regatta

Join fellow Salem Rotarians as we celebrate the Salem Merry-time Fest, a day music, free family fun, and the first-ever  cardboard boat regatta. A series of heats will kick off at 1 PM, testing the engineering, ingenuity, determination, and artistry of participants. Launching from Derby Beach, each boat must hold at least two people, who will paddle their ship out and around a buoy and back to the beach. Cherished prizes will be awarded in a series of competitive categories. This will obviously be a spectacle long remembered , and just think of the waves of adulation as you hoist a trophy from the first Great Salem Maritime Cardboard Boat Regatta!

Participation spaces are limited to 25 boats, so get we must register early to be one of the chosen few to take part in the first Great Salem Maritime Cardboard Boat Regatta! Sign up asap to participate or mark your calendars to cheer on the crazy Rotarians who are actually going to sink or swim!

Captains must have their boats checked in and on Derby Beach by 12:30 on race day. All boats will be on display for review and appreciation prior to the official start of heats at 1:00 PM. A pre-race meeting will take place at 12:45, and all participants MUST sign a waiver before the start of the Regatta; minors must have a parent/guardian sign the waiver. An awards ceremony will take place following the end of the Regatta at 3:00 PM.

• All participants MUST wear a Coastguard approved Personal Flotation Device (PFD) and appropriate water shoes. No flip flops or similar sandals.
• Participants under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult Captain.
• Boats may only be constructed with corrugated cardboard. Cardboard can be of any thickness, but can not be bonded to any other materials. Pretreated, waxed, or coated cardboard is not permitted.
• Joints and seams can be sealed with duct tape or paper tape. No glues or epoxies may be used. Nails, staples, or any other metal fasteners may not be used in boat construction. The boat may not be “wrapped” or fully covered in plastic, duct tape, or any other materials.
• Any materials such as wood, Styrofoam, metal, plastic, rubber, or anything that might improve flotation or construction are prohibited. No sandbags or similar weighted materials are allowed to provide extra ballast.
• Boats dimensions should be kept within 8 feet in length and 4 feet in width.
• Paddles used to propel the boat do not need to be made of cardboard. We suggest canoe or kayak paddles or oars.
• Decorating of vessels is not only allowed, but encouraged! Boats may be painted with “one-part” paints. Epoxy, fiberglass, tar, glitter, washable paints, or “multi-part” varnishes are not permitted. Paint must be dry before the start of the race.
• Boat construction should not include pointed objects and sharp edges that could cause injury.
• No surfboard or paddleboard style boats are allowed. Crews must be sitting inside the boat during the race.
• The seating compartment of the boat must not be enclosed above shoulder height to allow participants to safely and easily abandon ship in an emergency.
• All boats will be inspected prior to the race by our exacting and omnipotent judges. Use of a probe, metal detector, divining rods, or other devises are expected if our Judges have questions or concerns about a boat’s construction. Teams will be disqualified if a boat is discovered breaking any of the construction rules. All Judges’ decisions are obviously correct and final.
• Races will be divided into heats of five boats at a time with recorded times used to determine the overall winners.
• Contestants are expected to always maintain the dignity and decorum of a yachtsman. No purposeful splashing, ramming, or sabotage of other boats or their crew.