Seafest 2009 </MCC HEAD>

Story last updated at 7:20 PM on Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Seafest 2009

Kayaks, choppers and barbecue highlight annual celebration of the sea

By Aaron Selbig
Staff Writer

The Barge Basin on the Homer Spit, the epicenter of the 2009 Kachemak Bay SeaFest, was the place to be Memorial Day weekend, with activities set up for the enjoyment of children of all ages.

Kids of all ages honed their skills on small vessels

While the younger ones worked feverishly to build wooden boats or had their faces painted in brightly colored butterflies and sea creatures, the grown-ups visited the beer tent, took in the sights of several beautiful old wooden sailboats on display or geared up for the afternoon survival suit races.

Boat builder Mark Stout's restoration work on an old wooden-hulled skiff was a popular sight, as was the small navy of brightly colored kayaks out in the water, working on their maneuvers in the safety of the small harbor.

The main event came Saturday afternoon, however, when the U.S. Coast Guard staged an emergency helicopter rescue operation, dangling a couple of brave Coasties in and out of the water as the huge orange chopper hovered overhead.

While overcast skies kept temperatures cool and dry, a good time was had by all.

We encourage you to add your comments. To prevent spam, comments with links are manually approved during the normal business day. Please be respectful of others with your comments, bear in mind anyone in the community may be reading your comments.