Community Newspaper for Blaine, Birch Bay and Semiahmoo, Washington

Plover Days are back!

By Laura Thoren

Classic wooden boats, kayaks and rafts and swimming races will be the main attractions at this year’s Plover Days, Blaine’s newest annual maritime festival.

The Wood on Water wooden boat show will be held Saturday and Sunday at Blaine marina. One of the boats on show is the Alcan, a 52-foot cedar and white oak cruiser built in 1927. Four steamboats and a 1930s tugboat will also be making an appearance.

The Plover Swim began five years ago as a fund raising event for maintaince of the historic ferry, said Richard Sturgill executive director of Drayton Harbor Marine.

Since then, the program has purchased a boathouse to protect the boat. The Plover Swim was expanded to Plover Days this year to promote the Plover and create “the premiere water festival for Blaine,” Sturgill said.

The traditional Plover Swim start at 2 p.m. Saturday from the pier at the end of Marine Drive. As in past years, swimmers will commit to finding sponsors for their swim. The first place prize – a one night stay for two people at Resort Semiahmoo – will not go to the first swimmer to reach Semiahmoo spit but to the swimmer who achieves the most pledges.

Saturday will also be the day for the first annual all man-powered-raft race. Participants are encouraged to bring a raft built from found items to the public boat launch on race day at 9 a.m. The race begins at 11 a.m.

A kayak race around the harbor will begin at noon on Sunday from the public boat launch. “We hope this is the beginning of a big event,” Sturgill said. .