The Blessing of the Fleet: a short history

Sharran · Joined: 07 Jan 2009 Posts: 50

Blessing of the Fleet

On the last Saturday of April, 2009, I was delighted to be a part of a very beautiful boating ceremony at Green Turtle Bay. The Commonwealth Yacht Club had scheduled its annual Blessing of the Fleet for this day, and as if the God of all creation had His hand upon us, it it was a most gorgeous day. It had been windy earlier that morning, though the sun was shining, and some boats that were to receive the blessing had asked that we bring the blessing to them at their docks, no doubt thinking it might be hard to maneuver the short circuit of the marina in the wind. Others braved the windy elements and made the circle down between Piers 5 and 6 to receive their blessing.

The Rev. Dr. Evans provided the blessing for us, and as he blessed each boat, I was reminded of the story in the New Testament when Jesus and his disciples were on the Sea of Galilee. The winds from the surrounding mountains picked up quite ferociously while they were in the middle of the water, and the disciples became frightened. They woke Jesus to ask Him to calm the waters. And of course, He told the waters to be still.

These are the precious two young men who ferried us around in their boat to take the blessing to those who chose to stay in the dock. They were delightful and the Rev. blessed their boat too.

After the blessings of many boats throughout the marina, I returned home with the joy of the day still settling in my mind. I wondered how old the actual Blessing of the Fleet was, and where it originated. I am particularly interested in ancient history, the origins of events that remain in today’s culture.

According to several sources, the Blessing of the Fleet was first recorded in ancient times in the area of the Mediterranean fishing communities. It has evolved to become commonly associated with the Catholic Church, but originally in small communities, and prior to Christianity, a local priest or holy man gave the blessing to the fishing fleet. The blessing was meant to ensure a safe and bountiful season. Today, it is done by any denomination, depending upon the area in which the blessing is given.

The events that are part of the ritual vary by community, and can range from a simple ceremony to a multi day festival including parades, pageantry, feasting, and decorating of boats. The two Bible verses most used in Blessing of the Fleet are Psalm 104, verses 24-41, and Psalm 107, verses 23-32.

In following the Catholic tradition, some communities hold the ceremony on Mother’s Day. This particular tradition comes from Portugal and is in honor of Our Lady of Fatima. Her statue is decorated with ferns and fresh red and white flowers, red the symbol for living mothers, and white the symbol for the deceased. An anchor made of red and white flowers is also placed at the base of the statue.

Traditionally in some of the more elaborate ceremonies, the priest and the Knights of Columbus honor guard stand aboard one of the boats. The priest sprinkles holy water and blesses each boat as it passes. During the procession the boats are judged on their decorations. Prizes include diesel fuel, marine equipment and restaurant coupons. Following the blessing, in this type of elaborate ceremony, the priest often drops an anchor decorated with flowers overboard in memory of deceased fishermen of the community.

I found that the special events for any Blessing of the Fleet depend on the community itself. If it is a fishing community, the blessing is the traditional one. If it is a sailing community, the blessing is for calm waters and the wind beneath sails. For pleasure boaters, the blessing is for calm waters and sunshine upon bows.
In every event, the beauty and the sincerity of the words of the blessing are uplifting, and I left Green Turtle Bay that Saturday smiling with a feeling of serenity.

It reminds me of the feeling we have when we anchor out and wake up early to greet the rising sun and look around at the handiwork of God and know He is very near.

It doesn’t get much better than that.

Sharon Brown
April 2009