History comes to life with a traditional Blessing of the Fleet ceremony at 1 p.m. on Sunday, June 4 on the town pier off Beekman Beach at the Western Waterfront. Commercial fishing boats, powerboats, sailboats, and excursion crafts will parade through Oyster Bay's magnificent Harbor. As they pass by the tip of the pier, clergy from different denominations throughout the community will bless the fleet.

The local annual Blessing of the Fleet has been run by the Oyster Bay Power Squadron for several decades. It is a time-honored tradition and has fittingly been coordinated with the Bay Day Festival this year, which is also being held on Sunday, June 4. The Blessing of the Fleet is just one of many great activities taking place on Bay Day, but is also a very old tradition and a highlight to the start of the boating season to many local boaters. It is also an interesting event to watch from shore or on the pier at the festival.

Blessing ships is actually an old and revered tradition throughout the world. Today it is a spectacularly colorful event. Many harbors and ports around the world celebrate such events like the one being held in Oyster Bay. On a day with good weather conditions in many coastal communities throughout the world single gatherings of hundreds of vessels will line up to parade past thousands of spectators. In some ports a panel of celebrity judges rate the boat decorations in a variety of categories and the event can turn into a weekend long festival or party.

The practice today has been modified from more serious ceremonies that date back many centuries ago. It began with a strong belief in God(s), religion, and that a blessing of the fleet was needed for a bountiful harvest and safety from the sea. Today, the Blessing of the Fleet has evolved into modern festivities that bring communities together.

In Oyster Bay, the Power Squadron has devoted itself to carry on the traditions of past generations while also making a unique and successful event that adds to the character of the Oyster Bay community. Nowadays, the Blessing of the Fleet may seem an inconvenience to many boat owners. The date of the event may coincide with other happenings in your life, but it is truly a contiguous piece of history that local boaters and spectators can feel proud to participate in.

On the June 4 event local clergy will grant each vessel a blessing for safe passage and a prosperous, safe, and fun season on Oyster Bay Harbor. Some of the clergy slated to participate are Father Peter Casperian of Christ Church, the Rev. Dr. Jeffrey D. Prey of First Presbyterian Church, Pastors Raymond and Diane Melograne of North Shore Assembly of God, Rabbi Marvin Demant of Oyster Bay Jewish Center, and a representative from Saint Dominic's Church. Also, adding to the formality of the event will be Power Squadron officials in uniform and various elected officials. Billy Joel also participated in this event over the last few years with his boat and could attend again.

The boats will gather between 12:30 p.m. and 12:45 p.m. in Oyster Bay's West Harbor, which follows along West Shore Road leading toward Bayville. Skippers are asked to monitor VHF Channel 9 for instructions as the parade gets under way. At 1 p.m. the Bay Constable of the Town of Oyster Bay will lead the parade. Boats will proceed into a single line and head south following the western shore in the direction of Beekman Beach. Boaters are being asked to allow approximately three boat lengths between each boat. The parade will turn east toward the Town of Oyster Bay Pier. All boats will then head north back toward West Harbor and disband. At the conclusion of the parade The Waterfront Center welcomes the boats anchorage near Beekman Beach and will provide launch service if they choose to attend Bay Day events.

For more information about local boating or environmental matters please contact the author at 946-9464 or Jaime.VanDyke@gmail.com. Please also visit www.sagamoreyc.com or look up SagamoreRacing on Yahoo!Groups on the web.