Welcome Boating Season with the Annual Blessing of the Fleet Ceremony

Blessing of the Fleet 2019

Join us Saturday, May 11, 2019 as we kick off the boating season with the Blessing of the Fleet and Sock Burning Ceremony, to be followed by a cook-out lunch.  York River Yacht Club (YRYC) members and York River Yacht Haven (YRYH) slip holders are invited to participate.

Registration to take part in the parade of boats for the Blessing will be held in the YRYH Activities Building that morning from 10:00am to 11:00 am. Please drop by and register your boat for the blessing.

At 11:15am, all registered boats will rendezvous in the York River, just south of the Sarah Creek “R2” marker. The lead vessel (to be determined) will coordinate the order of the procession.

At 11:30am, all boats will form a single file, as directed, and proceed into Sarah Creek. As you enter, pass near the head of the Yacht Haven dock where the minister will personally bless each boat and crew.

If you can’t make it on May 11, email your boat’s name and the name of the crew to fleet@yryc.org, and the club will arrange for the minister to bless your boat “in absentia”.

A cook-out lunch will follow for event participants, at approximately 12:30, for all. YRYC will provide the soft drinks, burgers and hotdogs.  YRYC members are asked to bring a side dish or dessert to share.

Don’t forget your cotton socks for the annual sock burning, a sailing spring tradition!

We are working to get the local US Coast Guard Auxiliary to be on hand to perform vessel safety inspections. There will be a signup sheet at the registrations for that as well.