Designing a seaworthy cardboard boat might not be the most practical of talents, but it's one the employees of MBC Precision Imaging have nevertheless honed over several years.

MBC, a digital printing business in Columbia, is one of the toughest competitors in the annual Boat Float held at Lake Kittamaqundi, according to event organizers. After six years in the contest, MBC knows the drill: If their boat is too big, it will be unwieldy to paddle; if it's top heavy, it will capsize; if it's not sturdy enough to hold the weight of its occupants, it will sink.

MBC's team has been concocting ideas for this year's competition since March, according to team leader Chester Stacy. On Saturday, June 13, their latest corrugated cardboard design will hit the lake, along with boats crafted by about 30 other teams, according to Boat Float sponsor, the Rotary Clubs of Howard County.

The Howard County Boat Float is among the attractions at this weekend's LakeFest, which kicks off the two-week-long Columbia Festival of the Arts. Judging of boat designs will begin at 12:30 p.m. and the first heat of boat racing will follow at 1 p.m.

Using their creative expertise and access to high quality printing technology, team MBC consistently enters one of the most impressive boats in the event, according to Scott Grice, Rotary Club chairman for the Boat Float.

Boats entered in the contest face a 200-yard race, but also compete for various design awards. There are categories for small boats holding two to three people, large boats holding four to 10 people, and a third category for "instant" boats, or those that are constructed on-site using kits sold at the event.

Since its first entry in 2004, the MBC team has won seven awards, including the People's Choice and Pride of the Fleet awards for the 10-person Viking-style boat they entered in 2007.

For this year's contest, the company is reprising -- with improvements -- an earlier design of a sea dragon boat it entered in the second year of the competition that unfortunately capsized.

This year's design is an 18-foot-long yellow sea dragon with red accents.

"We really used the Chinese influenced dragon with the bright, vivid colors and elaborate design for the boat," MBC team captain Steven Morris said.

"This year we're definitely building for the design rather than for speed," Morris added. "I'll be very happy if the boat makes it through the day without sinking, because its elaborate design may make it catch a lot of wind."

Although the team has been brainstorming ideas since March, the bulk of the work to construct the vessel took place in the past few weeks, as team members met on weekends with hundreds of dollars worth of cardboard, water sealant, caulk and other supplies.

In addition to setting its sights on design awards, the team hopes to use their boat as an advertisement to promote their design company. MBC's logo will be emblazoned across the dragon's back, spanning half the distance between its curved tail and protruding head.

Although there are at least 30 other teams who participate in the event each year, members of team MBC said they feel they have yet to meet their match.

"We keep going all-out in our efforts for the competition and we keep trying to get another corporation to do the same -- to be really competitive and enthusiastic like us," Stacy said. "But unfortunately we've never really been blown away by anyone."

For a preview of this year's LakeFest, go to the Entertainment section.

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