Race Rules

The Budget Cap

Maximum Budget: Boats must be acquired and prepared for no more than $5,000 total, exclusive of safety gear.

No Rationalizations:

• “It should be worth $5,000” → Nope.
• “It was worth $5,000 before I dropped another $4,000 fixing it” → Nope.
• “I’ve owned it 20 years, so it doesn’t count” → Nice try, still nope.

Five thousand dollars means five thousand dollars. Period.

Parts & Equipment

Parts Cost: “Free” parts, buddy donations, leftovers from your garage, or items “lying around” still count. The price is what the last real buyer actually paid. Don’t get clever.

Safety Equipment Exemption: Safety gear does not count toward the $5,000 cap. This includes fire extinguishers, life preservers, navigation lights, anchors, VHF radios, flares, bilge pumps, etc.

“Safety” means items that directly save the crew’s lives.

Registration & Insurance: Also exempt. Those costs do not count toward the $5,000 cap.

Labor & Sponsorships

Labor: If you didn’t pay for labor, it doesn’t count. If you did pay for it, it does count. (No exceptions.)

Sponsorships: Got a sponsor to give you parts or cash? Good hustle, but it still counts toward your $5,000. Spend that sponsorship money on hotels, gas, entry fees, pedicures, or matching swimsuits instead.

Buy, Sell, Swap

Net Pricing / Scavenger Sales: If you sell parts of your boat, the cash you earn can offset your purchase price and applied to other equipment, repairs, spares, etc.

WARNING: Be ready to prove every transaction to judges who will assume you’re lying until proven otherwise.

Inspection

Pre-Race Inspection: All boats will be inspected by a Panel of Judges before the race. Teams must present receipts, photos, or other evidence of purchase/prep costs. Creative storytelling is acceptable, but beware: the panel has heard it all.

Appeals: Nice try. There are no appeals. The panel’s ruling is final, absolute, and unchangeable. Think of them as judge, jury, and river gods!

General Conduct

Spirit of the Race: This is a budget race, not a rich-man’s regatta. Play fair. Anyone caught flagrantly cheating risks disqualification and eternal mockery.

Safety First: The race is for fun, not funerals. Failure to carry proper safety gear = automatic DQ.

Respect the River: Follow navigation laws, be courteous to commercial traffic, and don’t destroy the waterways.

Final Word

At the end of the day, this race is about creativity, adventure, and pushing questionable vessels down a very long river. We’re here to celebrate ingenuity and have fun—not argue over accounting tricks.

Summary: Build cheap, be safe, accept judgment, and enjoy the ride.