Pull! Pull! Pull!

And they did.

The first ever tug of war across the harbor on Saturday, June 27, during the Windjammer Days festival was an awesome experience for everyone.

There were five tugs in all with one team pulling in the parking lot near the footbridge and the opposing team on the east side at Boothbay Harbor Electric.

First up (and this was for the bragging rights of being the winners of the first competition of this event, the first tug during Windjammer Days and in Boothbay Harbor history, folks) Federal Distributors (on the east side) versus Hammond Lumber (parking lot). And the winning team was ... Hammond Lumber!

And the crowd went wild.

Second pull: Knickerbocker Group versus Boothbay Harbor Country Club. And the winning team was ... Knickerbocker Group!

Go team!

Third pull: East Side Restaurants versus West Side Restaurants. And the winning team was ... West Side Restaurants. These team members represented Fisherman’s Wharf (4), Shannon’s Unshelled, Tugboat, Pier 1 Pizza and Kaler’s.

These teams gave the phrase “servin’ it up” a whole new meaning!

Alan Baldwin of the Rocktide Inn was the captain of the East Side Restaurants team. Baldwin and Jen Lorrain, representing Cod’s Head Fish House & BBQ, were the only two restaurant employees on the team.

“It turned out most of the team were conscripted volunteers from my family,” Baldwin said. “Just like the British Army!”

Baldwin said pulling on the east side was “interesting.”

“You usually see the team you’re pulling against — are eye to eye — but we couldn’t see anyone. They could have attached the rope to a truck and we wouldn’t have known it,” he added, laughing. “it was fun to see all of the people who came out to watch. A little competition is always a good thing!”

Rematches

Federal Distributors took on Hammond Lumber and the winning team was ... Federal Distributors!

Then Hammond Lumber (they done caught tug fever) challenged Knickerbocker Group — and lost. It was a crazy pull with both teams really digging in.

Then, as soon as the horn signaled the pull was over (and Knickerbocker had won), the Hammond Lumber team just dropped the rope (no doubt exhausted by this point) sending the Knickerbocker team to the pavement — but they didn’t stay down for long!

Emcee Doug Gimbel began entertaining the crowd as soon as a microphone was placed in his hands. Gimbel’s interviewing of tug team members, and humorous style of rallying the crowd during the pulls keyed up the fun and excitement of the event for spectators and team members alike.

Mark Gimbel, co-chairman of the Friends of Windjammer Days, the group that put on Windjammer Days 2015, and of the tug of war, thought the event was “excellent.”

“Considering it was the inaugural event and we were counting on teams up to the last minute, it all came together,” Mark Gimbel said. “I feel good. It was a success and a good time.”