In the image above, a young man is seen running across a string of lobster crates between the commercial fishing piers of Pierce Island and Four Tree Island near Portsmouth, New Hampshire in June of 1988. The sign reads “Run at your risk.” What’s the rush? This youngster was competing in the Lobster Crate Races, which were held annually on the Piscataqua River during the Blessing of the Fleet ceremony.
During this race, wooden crates were tied together with rope to create “stepping stones” across the waterway. For participants, half the challenge of the event was staying on the crates; in addition, each race was timed. The fastest competitor won. Young children tended to excel in the event due to their light weight, which allowed the crates to remain above water making it easier for a runner to cross.
Lobster crate racing was an activity that was integral to the Blessing of the Fleet ceremony, during which local religious leaders blessed the talls ships, commercial ships and recreational boats as they passed by. The spectacle brought local families to the waterfront, where they would gather to cook, eat and cheer on the racers.
Portsmouth had celebrated tall ships for centuries, but the annual Blessing ceremony stalled in the late 1980s. Because it was missed, locals revived the event this past summer. Local mariner Jason Brewster played a big role in making it happen. “For those of us who grew up here on the river, the Blessing was our own thing,” Brewster said in an article for Seacoastonline. “Everyone on the river was involved in it.”
This article was originally published in the December 2023 issue.
