Raingutter Regatta, Kayaks, Canoes, Rowboats, and More

 In episode 85 of I Hate Talking, the hosts open with a milestone announcement: November marked their most downloaded month since the podcast launched, second only to their debut month. Listeners are encouraged to catch early episodes and share feedback—preferably with a dose of kindness or even pure praise!

The word of the episode is "regatta," inspired by the recent Cub Scout rain gutter regatta boat race. The hosts break down the origins and meaning of "regatta," tracing it from its Italian (and possibly Latin) roots as a contest or race, to its present-day use for boat races—whether rowing or sailing—around the world. The discussion dives into the differences between regattas, races, and familiar Cub Scout events, with fun asides about Pinewood Derby and the now-discontinued Space Derby. The episode also unpacks the distinctions between canoes, kayaks, and rowboats, exploring both their historical design and the mechanics of how each is paddled or rowed.

Expect scout stories, random nostalgia, aquatic terminology, and a spirited debate about which watercraft reigns supreme. The episode is a relatable blend of family anecdotes, scouting tradition, and word history, plus a reminder about their upcoming holiday break for Thanksgiving.

Keyword highlights: regatta, Cub Scouts, rain gutter regatta, kayak, canoe, rowboat, word origins, paddle vs. oar, water sports, scouting traditions.

Transcript

I Hate Talking: 0:29

Welcome to episode 85 of I Hate Talking. Hi everyone. So we do have a couple of announcements, I guess, before our word or phrase of the episode. So November we did achieve our most downloads in a month since our inception. Oh wow, awesome. May was a little bit hard to overcome because that was our launch month. Which I guess was many, many months ago, 11 year and a half years ago, but that was because that was our launch month and we also, I think, dropped nearly twice the amount of episodes that particular month because we launched with 5. So if you have not listened to those particular episodes, you can always find those in your podcast archives on whatever listening platform you are currently listening on. And go back and have a listen. If you have not listened to those particular episodes, you can catch up on our entire anthology. Yeah. And then I guess that was our only announcement. OK, but we do have our request that if you do enjoy this podcast that you like, share and subscribe, and always feel free to leave a comment, send us an email or send us a text with anything that you particularly like or dislike, and we're always open to suggestions for the word or phrase of the episode. Yeah, definitely. But be nice too. You can help us. What is it? Constructive criticism, kind, constructive criticism. There you go. Or just outright praise and no criticism at all. -- I -- like that better. That's true. So, a particular word or phrase of the episode is regatta. Oh, OK. So if you were paying attention, I guess an episode or two ago, I think just this past episode, we were talking about how I was giving some instructions for a quote unquote construction project to Cub Scouts and use the phrase that I was waiting on 6 or 7 of them while we were trying to quiet down so that they could receive the instructions for the construction project. And that did not help with the quieting down at all. Yeah, that made you more popular with the kids, but it just rowdy, made them more rowdy. Yes, it certainly did. But nonetheless, we were able to eventually get everyone's attention and move on to that particular construction project, and that construction project was a sailboat for the rain gutter regatta. OK, yeah. So the rain gutter regatta is one of the quintessential Cub Scout races. So I think most people are familiar with the Pinewood Derby, where scouts will construct a car out of a block of wood and provided wheels and axles and then races on a track based on the car receiving its power from gravity. Yeah, that's always, I think that's what most people think of when they think of Cub Scouts, and that is probably the biggest event, right, of the year. I think it's the biggest overall event across all packs. Not necessarily the biggest event that we do at our PAC. Or maybe it is. I don't know. I think it is. You don't think so? We, we do a lot of events. So it is one of the big ones for sure. So the other race, and actually there used to be even a third race, which has been discontinued, is the Space derby where, yes, the rockets that would be powered by wind power by having a fan that is powered by a rubber band that is twisted. Many times over, and then that powers the fan and it races along a fishing line, essentially. Space derby was that one, but that has been since discontinued. It was probably a good decision to discontinue that. It was a lot of trouble with the rubber bands, either breaking or not having consistent power between the variety of scouts that were racing these particular things that they were built. Oh, OK. But the one that we're talking about in this episode is the rain gutter regatta. So also wind powered, but actually wind powered based on the breath of the scout powering a sailboat. With a straw As the sailboat sits in a quote unquote rain gutter. Now, with technology in this day and age, it's actually an inflatable racecourse that is filled with water, not necessarily a rain gutter per se, but that is how it came about originally. Right, like ours is like a long, narrow, almost swimming pool, right? Like very shallow swimming pool kind of thing. Yes, two lanes separated by an additional inflated section. But yes, similar to an air mattress, but with To troughs for the water. That is like a little mini swimming pool. And then this event is called the rain gutter regatta. So, I don't know if I've ever encountered rain gutter regatta or that word singularly, regatta anywhere else besides the rain gutter regatta. Have you? Let me think I can't think of one off the top of my head. I feel like I have. But I can't think of any, so maybe not. I feel like, is it, OK, I might be totally out to lunch on my guess. When I think of a regatta, if someone said there's a regatta, I would think of, like, almost like another term for racing. Yes, I'm familiar with the word. I've certainly encountered it as part of my vocabulary over the years, but Can't particularly place anywhere that that has been used on a consistent frequent basis besides the Cub Scouts rain gutter regatta. So what does it mean? So the definition, according to our favorite Oxford language dictionary for the word regatta is quote, a sporting event consisting of a series of boat or yacht races, end quote. OK. So it is specifically and exclusively used for a boat race. OK. So, you would not have a pinewood regatta or a space regatta or a rocket regatta, cause those are not boats. OK, and which just makes sense why we don't use it that often in our lives because we don't have large bodies of water really around and we're not boat people necessarily. That's true, not yet. So the origin of the word regatta is strictly from Italian. So no Greek or Latin roots for this particular word or phrase of the episode comes exclusively from Italian, and the word is in Italian regatta. OK, yeah, and that was originally used in the 17th century. To mean a fight or a contest. And then in the same century, 17th century, that came to mean the boat racing, specifically in the Venetian dialect. Which would make sense since they're close to the water and are going to be very boat centric within that area of Italy. -- So -- it wasn't initially boats only. But then Venice and that sort of area. Made it popular Yes, so doing some additional research here from vocabulary.com. It seems that Oxford Language Dictionary might not have gotten this all correct because it does come from a Latin word even prior to that for. Regataare, which means to compete, haggle, or sell at retail, and it became later used to mean boat race within the Italian context and all of the social events related to boat racing. OK. It doesn't really seem that there's any particular etymology on how that came about in terms of how regatta became used exclusively for boat racing. But that is the etymology. Do jet skis, would there be, instead of like a jet ski race, is it a jet ski regatta? So Merriam-Webster's does say that it can be a rowing boat, a speed boat, or a sailing boat. It competes in a race or series of such races. -- So -- the Olympics for the rowers, they're doing an Olympic regatta, rowing regatta. Yes, it would seem so. OK. But I think in our modern context and vocabulary, we would just call that a race. OK. Now, it does seem that there is more of an emphasis, especially within even the US, but probably more European, that regattas do typically refer to sailing, but there are rowing regattas as well. OK, so there's actually a number of different regattas that are officially held every year. So for example, according to Wikipedia, there's the Henley Royal Regatta, which is in Britain. And that is a rowing regatta. There's also the Oxford University and the Cambridge University boat clubs that have regattas. There's actually one in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania called the Dad Vale Regatta, which is a rowing regatta. And then there's a lot of sailing regattas. So it does seem that the regatta is more going to be used in terms of sailing races. So there's a bunch. They're all over from Canada, England, Netherlands, Florida, California, Sweden. That are examples of a variety of races that are sailing regattas. So we've been part of scouts since 2019. And every year, almost every year, I guess, done a boat regatta race. Has anyone ever asked what it was or questioned what that was? Cause I feel like people just, we just use it, we gotta move on. No one seems to question what we're saying or what the purpose of the race is. That is true. I think I have encountered some people that are maybe a little bit. Unsure of what we're talking about. But when I just say that they're model sailboats, that, that seems to answer most of the questions in their face that they maybe are not outwardly asking, like what is a regatta? But you can sort of tell that like maybe they don't know. But it's like a cultural, like you don't want to keep asking more questions or sound dumb. And also Cub Scouts has just a lot of terminology that is very specific to Cub Scouts. So I think that's also probably people's assumptions that it's just some other thing that Cub Scouts do that is very specific to Cub Scouts, but as we have learned in this episode, it is actually not. Regatta is a widely used term, probably not so much in the United States because, or at least in our circles where we're not involved with sailing or rowing on a regular basis. Yeah, but if you maybe live in New England and that kind of thing, yes, Cambridge, Massachusetts, yes, it looks like that is the case. Florida as well has a bunch, so. There's maybe some regattas that would be more prevalent with the citizenry that lives in ocean states, perhaps. Yes, they do not really question rain gutter regatta, because it, it does not really have any indication unless you know what it is or know the word regatta, because rain gutter does not give really any clues either, if that's the first time that you've encountered the phrase rain gutter regatta. Yeah, but do, do we call it a boat regatta? I feel like we do sometimes. Is that on accident or that's like just a clarification that it's thrown in there? I personally will rainbow. Is that what we say? No, we say rain gutter regatta. I always call it rain gutter regatta. I will sometimes refer to the actual craft that the scouts are piloting or powering as boats or sailboats. But When I refer to the event, I always refer to it as rain gutter regatta, but maybe other people call it other things, but no, I believe you. I'm good with that rain gutter regatta. And I guess this is uh the only regatta that we've participated in, because I've never been in a sailing or rowing race. Which I think is probably quite apparent because we did not know that word regata. So I would assume the same is true for you, that you've never. Been in a regatta, other than the rain gutter regatta. I guess not officially, but one time with my family, we rented, I guess kayaks or canoes. I didn't, I don't really know the difference between them. Truly, but we had 3 of them and we did our own little mini race, but it wasn't like official. There was no winners. It was just for bragging rights. I see. But you just called it a race. You didn't call it a regatta. -- It wasn't like call it a -- regatta family regatta of we should have though. That one fancy. That's true. I've also been in non-official boat races where there is, you know, a friendly competition to. Go as fast as you can and reach a particular destination or whatnot, but nor have I referred to those as regattas. And those would have been on typically canoes, maybe some kayaks. I have gone sailing before, but that was more for just pleasure, not for racing. Yeah, I went sailing once with your uncle. That's right. So you went sailing with, I assume too. Yes, that's correct. It's the only time I've ever been on a sailboat. It was cool. So what is the difference between a kayak and a canoe? So obviously a sailboat is far different than any particular boat that you will row or paddle. So I think that's relatively apparent that a sailboat is going to be wind powered with a sail, and that is how the rain gutter regatta functions as well. And then There's probably another category with like a rowboat, and then you have your canoe, and then you have your kayak. So Off the top of my head, I guess we will maybe perhaps do some bonus words or phrase of the episode if we actually define these things specifically. But a canoe has a particular shape that I think came about from the Native Americans or maybe like the French Canadians would have canoes. There would be certainly other indigenous peoples that would have similar boats. So those that perhaps are in the Pacific Ocean would have like outrigger canoes and things like that where they will take a log and hollow that out. And make that particular distinct shape. -- And that's what -- outrigger means. Outrigger is a part of the canoe, so that would be an additional structure attached to the canoe for greater stability. OK. So I don't think in America you would typically see outrigger canoes because typically those canoes are going to be for more lakes, rivers, and streams, whereas an outrigger canoe will be for the open ocean. OK. And then a kayak is similar, but I think is going to be. I don't know. I don't know what exactly the difference between a kayak is. I can picture it in my mind. The very distinct difference between a kayak and a canoe, but I feel like I don't know the exact definition on what actually makes them different. I feel like I've been told that like a kayak is in the water. Like your body's in the water. But then I see people call other boats kayaks. That you're not physically in the water, like a canoe sits on top, right? And like the sides come up beside you. That's true. -- That's -- what I would think of as a canoe, and then I always thought kayak was when you sit in it and you're like your legs are actually in the thing. And you're much more level with the water. But then I hear people call other ones that go back and forth. So either people aren't saying it the right or I'm not describing it in my head properly. Well, and that could be that the original term kayak is how you're describing it, but then with the variety of boats that have been invented since that time, then you have sit in kayaks or sit on top kayaks. You even have different styles of canoe where perhaps it's different seating arrangements and everything like that. And then similarly you have rowboats that are going to be Different as well. So maybe. I guess we're gonna have to do the research on this episode live for you, our listeners, so that we can come to a conclusive finality on canoe, kayak, and rowboat. But is perhaps the difference the method in which you power. The watercraft. Do you paddle different in a kayak versus a canoe versus a rowboat? Right, I can see the rowboat being different because you have the two and you're doing it at the same time, right? Right. So in a rowboat typically you would have fixed oars attached to the boat and you are using. Both hands That are rowing the boat separate from one another, but in conjunction, essentially, since you are doing that at the same time. If you're going straight, essentially you're going to row both oars at the same time from that fixed point on the boat. And then a canoe will have a single paddle that you will grasp and paddle on one side or the other, and then you swap hands. You can swap hands if you're in a two-person canoe or you could even do it as a one-person canoe and you're just changing sides every few strokes so that you maintain your course. And then a kayak, you will typically paddle with a double bladed paddle. So you're basically holding one single paddle that has blades on each end and you are propelling yourself through the water via that particular means. Cause you're going like left, right, left, right, like a canoe, except it's a one really long paddle versus the canoe shorter and you have to go back and forth yourself. Correct. And I think the distinction between a canoe and a rowboat is a canoe will use paddles and a rowboat will use oars. So what's the difference between an oar and a paddle? I, that's what I was thinking in my head. I was trying to picture it. What's the difference? And what's a kayak use a paddle or? I would call that a paddle, kayak paddles, canoe paddles, and rowboat oars. OK. So -- we'll we'll -- find out. So we're gonna do the research right now and we'll be right back with hopefully the answer. We'll see what we can find. All right, so we may not have all the answers here, but we were at least able to find the difference between a rowboat and a canoe, and the biggest distinction is the means by which they are powered. So a rowboat is propelled by oars with oarlocks. So that is what I was describing as the fixed point within the boat that those oars are attached, while a canoe is propelled by a single bladed paddle. OK, yeah, good job. That's what you said. And then typically rowboats are going to be powered with the rower facing backwards. Versus the canoe where the paddler is facing forwards. Huh, OK. I do like watching the rowers. On, like, in the Olympics and stuff. I like how they all line up and work together. That's true. Or you could have a rowboat with a single rower as well. That's like the old timey rowboat where you have the guy paddling the lady with her parasol. Yeah, that's what I was picturing in my head right now. It's so cute. I'm sure, I wonder if that's what our listeners were picturing as well, like the little rascals. How Darla and. What's his name? I don't know. This was not my time, so I'm not familiar. -- That picture did not come to my -- mind. Family movie night. We need to watch it. Darla. Oh, what's his name? Someone's screaming in their radio right now. I don't know. I have no idea. Not only have I not forgotten, I have never known this knowledge. watched. I've seen bits and parts of it when other people have watched it, but I have never sat down and watched Little Rascals. Oh my goodness, we're gonna have to. They have like a dog, right, with a -- spot -- on That reminds me of Homeward Bound. Is it the same dog? -- From Homeward Bound -- was Homeward Bound Dog the same Little Rascals. Little Rascals was like a long, like Homeward Bound was like 90s movie. Little Rascals was like. Really old. Oh, maybe not cause Macaulay Culkin was in it. I don't know what I'm talking about. Petey's the dog though. I'm pretty sure. Yes, PD is a dog. Oh, hussy, I can remember, why can't I remember the guy's name? He's got the hair that sticks up. -- What does your Google -- say? And Chance was homeward bound. There are even different breeds. So Chance was an American bulldog and Little Rascals. Petey was a pit bull terrier. So different dogs. OK, what's his name? -- Look it -- up. Hi. -- Where's your research -- devices? Charging in the other room. All right, Darla and -- Darla is the -- girl. Alfalfa, alfalfa, yes. All right, thank you. Alfalfa and Darla. Go on a boat like that. It's really cute. So we'll watch that next movie night. And circling back, a kayak, is that paddles or oars? So according to our research here, the kayak is distinguished from a canoe, again based on its paddle, but also its deck. So it was both things that we mentioned separately. So kayaks use a double bladed paddle and the canoe uses the single bladed paddle, as we've already mentioned. And then in terms of their actual construction. A typical kayak will have a closed deck where the paddler sits inside. So they basically are contained within the boat. That's what I was saying, but I couldn't describe it that well. Right, but now they do have sit on top kayaks where you're not. So why is that a kayak then? It's still a kayak. I don't know. I mean, you still use the double bladed paddle for that. You could use a single paddle, but it works better for a particular design, I think, to use a double bladed, whereas the canoe will have an open top where the paddler will typically sit or kneel. And that's it. There's really no particular other differences. It's basically the kayak has the closed deck, which is also called a cockpit, uses the two-bladed paddle. And that is really the only distinguishing things from a canoe, where that will be an open deck and usually use the one bladed paddle. So which do you prefer between like a rowboat? Even you can throw a sailboat in there. We're here, we didn't even talk about like motorboats. So out of all of those kind of boats, what is your vessel a preference? I think I have nostalgia for canoes. That was what our family typically did. So we do have kayaks now, and that does make it a little bit easier. One of the things that is mentioned here in some of the comparisons is that kayaks will typically be more maneuverable. So, that does make it a little bit easier for small children to go about on a small river or lake. Maneuvering them in the water or like transporting them. I feel like they're much lighter, right? Yeah, transport to and from the waterways as well as actually in the water. Now you can take more stuff in a canoe, so you could even have multiple people in a canoe. Probably better for actually hauling things. So, that is another thing that probably gives a little bit more of a win to the canoe in my mind. OK. So, a bit of a meandering topic as we were talking about Brigades and a whole variety of boats, but hopefully you enjoyed this episode and if you did, don't forget to like, share, and subscribe. And as a particular note for our upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, we will not be having an episode, so we will return back after Thanksgiving in December. That's. It is kind of funny to be talking about all this water sports when we've already had our first snow of the year. And like you said, Thanksgiving's coming up, and then December will be our next episode. So this isn't time appropriate, we're not gonna be getting out on the water ourselves, right? Anytime soon, but in the spring, we're already looking forward to it. That's true, and you always can have water sports anytime with scouts with the rain gutter regatta. That's right. So from your friends at I Hate Talking, until next time, remember, it is only through talking that we begin the journey to understanding.