Beer Can Regatta

So last weekend was the annual beer can regatta at Mindil beach - the famous beach with the markets every Sun/Thursday. I ended up working a double shift the night before the regatta, so when I got home I crashed on the couch - Coxy and Kym where home, and slept till about 1pm. I got up, had a quick shower and got dressed for this spectacular event. Basically, anyone can enter a boat in the races, but it had to be made of beer cans, not bottles, just beer cans - for obvious reasons. My friends decided to enter a boat and took about a week to built it, and it still looked awesome! The name: The Bismark - named for a couple different reasons that I can't seem to remember at this moment.

I hoped on my bicycle - this thing is going to be my best friend by the time I leave Darwin, and rode to the beach. It only took me about 15 minutes, could have been shorter but I had to hold me dress so it didn't get caught in the tire!!

I arrived at the beach around 1430 and most of my friends where already trashed! When they dropped the boat off early that morning then decided to head into town and go to the pub for a couple beers to start the day. Well, it didn't stop there. In fact, once the races started, which was pretty lame as there was no horn or anything, all of a sudden the boats (about 7 in total) where entering the water and they where off, but all my friends where up drinking on the beach!! Ciaran realized they where starting and rounded everyone up. It was pretty funny to watch, and the boat didn't go very far, in fact, instead of it going straight into the water, it just drifted sideways - even with paddling. Although, it probably didn't help that they where all very intoxicated and had no rhythm what-so-ever!

There was another 'race' and it was to find a prize sitting on the bottom of the ocean floor (it wasn't very deep), and the Bismark was just trying to stay afloat then searching for the prize! In fact, the life guards where following the boat encouraging them to get themselves and the boat ashore so they didn't sink! I believe the Bismark made the evening news, and it definitely made the morning paper, it even got the longest tribute - mentioning the fact that the owners went to the pub instead of doing a float test!! haha

We drank all afternoon, I sent my bike home with the boat on the back of the truck - I didn't think I was going to be in ANY shape riding it home! A few of us stayed and watched the amazing sunset on the beach - of course my camera battery died within 10 minutes of taking photos of the race. We grabbed some yummy market food - of course I had fish n' chips, then we hoped in the cab to head home. It was pretty early, around 1930, and I was ready to keep partying, remember, I slept till 1300! BUT, when we got home, Ciaran was passed out on the couch and we couldn't get a hold of anyone to find out where the party was. My friends I was with where drunk as well, so I pulled out the Capt'n and made a stiffy, and before I knew, I was ready for bed as well!! haha

Cairan and Kirk playing in the sand!

The crew

The Bismark!