Late yesterday afternoon we attended The Blessing of the Fleet held by members of the two prominent yacht clubs in our marina. We all met on the main dock and participated in saying a prayer in unison to thank God for many of the aspects vital to sailors such as friends, water, wind, rain, sun, storm, sea life and seasons. Lastly, we asked God for guidance and protection this boating season for us Sailors of the Sea.
The Blessing of the Fleet is a tradtion that has been observed for hundreds of years and began in small fishing villages in the Mediterranean where a local priest would bless the fishermen and their boats for a safe and bountiful season. Boating clubs and associations all over the world continue this tradition today.
Yesterday was the first time we have had the opportunity to attend one of these gatherings, which we thought was very appropriate since we will soon embark on a full season of sailing for the first time in our lives.
Last week we were blessed with several warm, sunny days and we checked a lot of the items off of our "prepare to launch" list! We don't have a specific day or even week designated yet for leaving the dock but we believe it will be before the end of April - if all goes as planned.
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