October, at the Sea Scout Base
The Raingutter Regatta
Two pieces of balsa, a mast, a sail and a few screws. Then a water lane, an electric fan, and whatever the scout has decided their boat should be.
Design counts for more than speed. Most awards go to how a boat looks rather than how fast it goes, and the scouts vote on them.
How it works
- Check in. Boats are dropped off and assigned a number. Everything on this website refers to boats by number only — we never publish scouts’ names.
- Scout voting. Every scout gets a ballot. The boats sit on a display table so they can scope out their favorites.
- Floating. Each group gets a time at the float lanes. The group leader pairs boats up in two parallel water tracks, propelled by electric fans, and everyone gets several runs.
Design awards — voted by the scouts
- Boat that looks least like a boat
- Scoutiest boat
- Most colorful boat
- Funniest boat
- Most winter-holiday pizazz
- Dreamiest / most magical boat
- Most historic boat
- Most futuristic boat
- Most animal-like boat
- Boat that looks like it weathered the storm
- Stealthiest boat
- Most edible boat
- Most friendly boat
- Scout's Choice
Chosen by leaders and organizers
- Cubmaster Favorite — no scout voting on this one.
- Wayward Boat — the boat that gets stuck the most, as chosen by the race organizer.
- Fastest, second and third fastest boat, and Slowest Boat.
Family Division
- Most Holiday Pizazz
- Family League Design Choice
- Most Colorful
And one from our hosts
- Sea Scout Favorite — chosen by the Sea Scouts at the Sea Scout Base.
A strategy worth sharing with your scout
Pick the design award that interests them most, then build toward that.
Get inspired
Photos of the 2021 boats — seventy-odd of them.
Can family members enter?
Yes. There’s a separate league for adults, siblings and other non-scouts. They don’t race with the scout groups, but they’re eligible for the Family League Design Award, chosen by the Cubmaster.