Every summer, on the weekend before the August holiday, Mahone Bay Nova Scotia celebrates its shipbuilding heritage with the Classic Boat Festival.   One of the highlights of the Mahone Bay Classic Boat Festival is the re-enactment of the ‘sinking’ of the Teazer the Yankee privateer that in 1812 was chased into the bay and, rather than be captured and hung as pirates by the British, the crew set fire to its gunpowder magazine and blew the ship up. As part of the 2007 program the King’s Orange Rangers were approached to add ‘flash and bang’ to the Teazer event. 

After marching through Mahone Bay to the festival grounds, the Rangers were ordered by their sergeant to move amongst the crowd looking for Yankee privateers, pirates, spies and/or anyone ‘who looked in any way suspicious’. Periodically the Rangers moved to the water’s edge and fired their muskets. The bright, red uniforms, the shouted commands, and precise drill movements added to the noise of the shooting and the clouds of smoke added an ambience to the event difficult to replicate. Tourists from all over the world were introduced to the history of Nova Scotia’s South Shore by the King’s Orange Rangers.

While most of the folk wandering the Boat Festival exhibit and music venues were from the ‘colonies’, many were ‘suspicious’ and one, dressed in homespun and buckskin was marched to the outer wharf where he was ‘shot’ as a spy. Some were heard to ask why he didn’t fall down when shot. It must be mentioned that the ‘spy’ did have brand new, shiny leather gaiters…

As dark fell both the Rangers and most of the participants crowded down to the waterfront to await the arrival of the Teazer. Soon enough the Yankee privateer sailed past chased by another ship firing its ‘cannon’ and the Rangers fired a number of volleys to help ‘sink’ the enemy. Again, the flash of the white leather cross belts against the dark of the uniforms, the shouting of the sergeants combined with the shots echoing off the hills across the bay and the brilliant flashes of gunfire reflecting off the smoke floating over Mahone Bay harbour gave an unforgettable atmosphere to the event. The Teazer has never, in the 18 years of the Mahone Bay Boat Festival, had a more spectacular, not to mention noisy, sinking.

In addition to the Teazer reenactment the festival offers a picturesque scene and plenty of excitement as the harbour fills with sailboats and motorboats of all descriptions and often enough the Bluenose II (the fishing schooner on the Canadian dime) can be seen anchored in the outer harbour. Various venues throughout the festival grounds provide ‘Down East’ food, musical entertainment and boat-related activities. Incidentally everything at the Festival is free, other than the food of course, which features lobster rolls and strawberry shortcake at the Lions’ booth and lots of other tasty delights.

Best of all is the Fast and Furious Boat Race where paired-up participants have four hours with provided materials to build and decorate a boat a sailboat. Sunday is the race day and the action and antics are a riot. Prizes are given for first place but also for best costume and even for the best ‘water event’ i.e., sinking. Teens get their own Xtreme Cardboard Boat Race and, with cardboard, duck tape and a bit of styrofoam have as much if not more fun than the adults. Again prizes are given for… well, you’ll just have to come and see.

Next year the Classic Boat Festival will offer both participant favorites and likely a few new events.  One thing is for certain the Teazer will reappear and the King’s Orange Rangers plan to return to Mahone Bay to protect the town from its wrath.   We invite you to come and enjoy the festivities with us next year!

For more information about the Mahone Bay Classic Boat Festival visit their website!

Contributed by: rh

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