On the water in Olympia

See the little guy that does all the work at Olympia Harbor Days, which honors the humble tugboat Friday-Sunday, Sept. 2-4 in Olympia.

Take a historic tugboat tour Saturday or enter the Swantown Regatta, a 2,500-meter human-powered boat race. Bring your own pedal boat, kayak or canoe. Tugboat races are Sunday. Tugs are built for power, not speed, so when they race they produce impressive wakes. A caveat: to really see the races you must watch them from a boat.

Besides all the agua action, you can also take in 120 arts and crafts booths, an international food court and a music stage at Percival Landing and Port Plaza. See historic tugboats moored at Percival Landing and a model tugboat demonstration with 25 model tugs all three days at Port Plaza. Tour and cruise the Lady Washington, a replica of the original Washington/Lady Washington merchant brig that sailed around 1750-98. Tours are free 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday; tours 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday are $4, $2 for age 12 and younger, $8 per family. Event hours: 5-8 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Race starts at 10 a.m. at Swantown Marina. Free admission, $20 per boat with adult and child for regatta, $15 per person; $45 sail on the Lady Washington, $35 age 62 and older, $25 age 12 and younger. More info: 1-800-788-8847, www.harbordays.com