There were many firsts at the Windjammer Days Tug Across the Harbor on July 1: no construction company teams (but, there is a whole lot of building going on); there was a school team BRES (Boothbay Region Elementary School) Wildcats; a team with an anchor (BRES); an entire team from another state; a team with barefoot members; one team member was dressed in a kilt; a team of mostly children pulling against adults; and another was made up of town employees and local law enforcement and firefighters.

When all the tugging was through, The Town Tuggers –Bob Hasch, Pat Higgins, Sawyer Alley, Jay Hasch, Tom Kalinoski, Diane Joyal, Doug Snyder, Nick Upham and Kathleen Pearce – became  2022’s WJD Tug champions. The team won the ginormous loving cup trophy.

The Town Tuggers were up against Chinchou from Colorado – and the two were excellent opponents. It was a tough pull. The longest pull was between Chinchou and Bigelow. The shortest pull: Dope Ropers and Town Tuggers – a humorous matchup on a few levels. 

Douglas Gimbel, who emceed the rock skipping contest shortly before the tug, entertained the growing crowd in the footbridge parking lot and on the footbridge with humorous commentary. 

The other teams participating were:  Linekin Bay Resort: Doug Roberts, Jeromey House, Karl Kronholm, Dan Uberoi, Dan Boardman, Jeremy Ware, Bren Findlay, Maxon Brochu, Andre Campbell, Ella Sera and Ryan Lewis. Carousel Marina: PJ, Ryan Russell, Carson Kress, Sullivan Rice, Evan Hepburn, Veronica Russell, Kim, Emma van der Veen, and Luis. Bigelow: Chris Salatino, Jay Wheeler, Tim Pinkham, Deborah Bronk, Nick Markham, Rimar Reed, Kristin Heidenreich, Sean Boyd, Eric Annis, Val Reny and Christian Basset. Chinchou (Colorado): Kevin Danfesler, Ellery Sparksman, Caroline Williams, Greyson White, Simon Morin, Alex Tatman, Ryan Long, Jimmy Craig and Jack Craig. BRES Wildcat Crew (teachers and faculty): Jess Upham, Colleen Hennessey, Jen Lassen, Stacy Laird, Skyler Davis, Dave Lassen, Shawna Kurr, Corey Chase, Tricia Campbell, with “anchor” Tom Dewey. And The Dope Ropers: Jim Rooney, Josh Rooney, Matt Rooney, Tara Levine, Eric Levine, Melissa Levine, Jack Levine, Alexa Levine and Olivia Levine.

The Tugboats team, according to event coordinator Michele Barter, was spontaneously put together by Heather Smithson, her family, and random people in the crowd.

Barter noted the absence of construction companies in the tug. “We contacted them, including Clear Stream Construction (winners in 2018 and 2019) to see if they’d be coming to defend their championship status, but all of them were just too busy this year.”

The tug drew a great crowd and was the final competition for Boothbay Harbor Windjammer Days Festival 2022.