4th of July… Off to the Races

Dinghy and Jerry Can Races

After the parade, Jeff and I head back to Camp Blanco RV Park to check on the dogs and feed them lunch. We zigzag our way through the Buffington Park baseball field to check out the Battle of the Bands.

No music is battling yet.

After feeding the dogs, we return to Battle Rock Beach to watch the Dinghy Races.

We see 4 rowboats in the ocean and are not too sure what we are watching.

But it’s a beautiful day and 4 paddlers are rowing out and returning back to the shore again and again.

I hear music and watch some folk dancing. A woman nearby mentions Norwegian dancers so I am guessing that’s what the outfits are all about. The dancers were in the parade but I couldn’t read their banner very well. I think it said Moorish Dancers.

Then the troupe heads down to the beach.

I am so busy people-watching that I don’t even realize that the dinghy race is over until people start clapping.

Next, we walk over to Port Orford Heads State Park to watch the Jerry Can Races at the Lifeboat Museum. The walk turns into a bit of a hike as Coast Guard Road, leading into the Heads, is a 3/4 mile uphill trek. That explains why no one else is arriving on foot. Only cars pass us on the hill.

A jerry can is a slang term for a German designed container that holds liquids. These cans were first produced in Germany in the 1930s for military use. Originally made from steel, jerry cans held 20 liters of fuel.

During the early years of the Lifeboat Station, the Coast Guard men, known as Coasties, carried 2 of these fuel cans from the main station to the boathouse, 530 steps down to Nellie’s Cove. Each can held 5 gallons of fuel and weighed 42 pounds. (worldlink.com)

In commemoration, the 4th of July Jerry Can Races take place at the Lifeboat Station Museum. Two-person relay teams carry 2 plastic jerry cans, one in each hand over a 50-yard course.

Men carry 42 pounds of water per can.

Women carry 24 pounds of water per can.

Winners are determined by the fastest times in each of 3 divisions: men, women, and couples.

The young woman below has caught my attention all day.

First, she was at the pancake breakfast. Then she showed up on one of the floats in the parade. Now, she is participating in this event. Below is a picture of all the contestants. Notice whose attention I have caught now!