It’s been 23 years since they first set sail and for boat builder Roger Crawford, it’s still great to be a “Melonhead.”

Crawford, owner of Crawford Boat Building in Marshfield, brought 30 friends to Island Wharf in Marion on Friday, June 22, for the annual Melonhead Summer Solstice Regatta.

“We call it a regatta, but there’s no racing. Racing implies there are winners and losers. There are no losers in this group,” Crawford said.

The group’s name derives from the Melonhead Skiff, a boat built by Crawford as a reproduction of early 19th century American workboats.

“It’s an honor to be a Melonhead,” he said. “They’re just mellow, happy, cordial people. They appreciate the simplicity of the boats.”

“It’s been 23 years and we have the same people so you can just imagine the depth of friendship and trust. It’s a great social event,” Crawford said.

Each year, Crawford said the group moves its launching point to different wharfs up and down the coast - from the North Shore to Cape Cod.

Having held the event in Marion once before, Crawford said he was thrilled to return to familiar waters and commended the hospitality of Harbormaster Michael Cormier.

“The Harbormaster and his staff could not have been more friendly than they were. We’re so grateful,” he said.

Once the group packed into the 19 Melonseed Skiffs, Crawford said the longtime friends would spend the rest of the morning “noodling around the harbor.”

“We just go where the wind blows us,” he said. “If that results in a water balloon fight, so be it.”