MOSES LAKE — Crews of scurvy pirate scalawags took to the waters of Camas Cove in a race – more or less – to the finish line in the third annual Pirate Regatta Sunday, sponsored by Camas Cove Cellars.

Boats had to be human-powered. The fleet of rowboats, paddle boats, paddle boards, and dinghies are supposed to go around the course twice, and the winners actually did that. The winning crew identified themselves as “Cap’n Troy and a crew of Sara,” said announcer Richard Teals.

There was a water gun battle to fight out in the cove. The crew of the Caala did make it around once, more or less - and if they were rowing stern first (backwards), they rowed a whole lap. The crew claimed the rowing-backwards thing was on purpose.

“We weren’t racing, were we?” asked Janet Terry, on the crew of the Chum Bucket.

Not really. The goal was to deck out the boat and its crew in their best pirate gear, or not, and paddle out in the cove for some fun. And it was fun. “It’s a flotilla of fun,” Terry said as the crew packed the dinghy up the slope.

“Is there seaweed in my hair? No, it’s just my eye-patch,” she said.

“We gave up and we started squirting water,” said Alex Albright of the Caala.

Winery co-owner Nancy Parr said there was 23 boats watching the race. “They had ordinance out there too,” Teals said, in the form of water guns.

Music was by the Seven Cs, a band of musicians and music teachers, family and friends who play together once or twice a year. And they play – what, exactly?

“We’re a pirate band. We do the pirate experience,” said band leader Michael Dzbinski, a music professor at Big Bend Community College, And the pirate experience is? “Irish, comma, pirate, comma, drinking songs,” said Jim Hamm, also a BBCC professor. Hamm was away from the bandstand before band started playing; Dzbinski pointed him out. “He’s the one with the parrot on his shoulder.”

The race did come with awards. Along with the “fastest ship in the fleet” for the Megadon crewed by Sara and Cap’n Troy, the awards included the “Jolly Roger for extreme plundering,” which went to the Chum Bucket.

The Caala won the award for “best design of pirate vessel from stem to stern,” and the “most courageous crew” award went to the Leakin’ Lena. The “funniest scalawags” went to the crew of the No Beard, and the “Titanic” award, for the most unseaworthy boat, went to the crew of Crusty Crab, who finished last.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at [email protected].