Saturday, July 21, 2008
The Blessing of the Fleet Schedule: Saturday, July 21st at 11:00 am on the Detroit River off Kean's Marina. Participants will meet at the gas dock for a brief meeting at 10:30 am.
The blessing given by a local priest invokes a safe and prosperous boating season for each boat in the procession. The tradition, initially a ceremony for the fishing fleet, can be traced back to ancient times in Europe. Today boaters all over the globe revive this Old World custom dating back centuries when fishermen asked God for His blessing of their harvest and protection from the perils of the sea.
The Blessing of the Fleet itself is a spectacularly colorful event that takes place at noon on Saturday, on the Detroit River off the docks at Kean’s. On this special day, vessels line up to parade past spectators. The Blessing features a colorful parade of recreational watercraft, large and small. Each parading vessel is blessed by a distinguished clergymen, and judged for prizes in three different categories by SCYC officials.
Prayer for Fleet Blessing
"May God in Heaven fulfill abundantly the prayers which are pronounced over you and your boats and equipment on the occasion of the Blessing of the Fleet. God bless your going out and coming in; The Lord be with you at home and on the water. May he accompany you when you start on your many journeys: May he fill your nets abundantly as a reward for your labor; And may he bring you all safely in, when you turn your boats homeward to shore.... Amen"