Tug boat racing. Yes, that’s a thing.
Tug boats of all sizes and vintages converge in Olympia, Washington each year during the Harbor Days festival, which celebrates the maritime heritage of Puget Sound, an inlet on the northwestern coast of Washington state.
Many tugs can be boarded and toured during the event, but the antique tugboat races are a highlight of the festival. And this year, the big race winner was the 85-foot Tug Chippewa. The wooden tug was built in 1943, originally for the US Navy, and since then has worked in Alaska, in Tacoma, and throughout Puget Sound, under numerous owners.