The 8th annual Solomons Watermen Festival is a great taste of the local culture and one we’re glad we were able to attend. Scott, Angie, Lisa and I went by dinghy to the county docks where the competition was being held, so we could witness the standing room only Watermen Docking Competition.

Here’s how it works… one at a time a watermen boat backs into a slip to wait for the signal to start. After the signal the waterman’s goal is to power his boat as fast as he can out of the start slip, slam it into reverse and back into another slip, stop and (one person doing all this) throw four looped lines onto four pilings, all the while sending cascading waves around the harbor and up onto shore. It’s the equivalent of a rodeo’s lassoing of a horse. Nineteen boats broken down into four categories so everyone seemed to win something. An astounding new festival record was accomplished in just nineteen seconds… fun entertainment to provide our guests on their first day in the Solomons.