Lighted Boat Parades and other Holiday Cruises

Here in the Pacific NW we have several "lighted boat parades" (nobody officially calls them "Christmas lights" anymore- they're now "holiday lights"), in communities large and small. The biggest one is probably the Chet Gibson Memorial cruise, sponsored by Queen City Yacht Club but open to all participants whether they belong to Queen City, some other club, or no club at all. That parade takes place over two days (!), the evenings of December 8 and 9 this year.

One of the most satisfying things to do with your boat in early December in the Pacific NW is participate in the Seafair Holiday Cruise. (Used to be called the "Special Peoples' Cruise", and is still informally referred to by that title among a lot of participants). This event is scheduled for December 3. Hundreds of boaters will decorate their boats with lights and host developmentally disadvantaged children and adults on a 90 minute parade out to Lake Washington, around a "Santa ship" on the far side of the lake, and back to the dock. Several organizations have "radio Santas" on different VHF frequencies, so the "kids" (some are in their 30's and older) can radio their wish lists to the Jolly Old Elf.

For many years my wife and I participated in the Seafair cruise as part of a yacht club we belonged to at the time. We had a couple in that club who would dress up as Mr. and Mrs. Claus, and when the kids came back from the boat ride they got a chance to talk to Santa. This particular couple was absolutely convincing, in fact if you met them on any of the other 364 days of the year and somebody suggested they seemed a bit like Santa and Mrs. Claus, (white hair, happy demeanor, beaming smiles, not particularly thin) few would disagree.

One year we had a boatload of "special people" and we were rounding the Santa Ship at the midpoint of the parade. As always, the special guests thought this a particular highlight, and our little 36-foot boat took on something of a list as everybody rushed to the port side to look out the cabin windows and wave to Santa. This particular year, we had a skeptic aboard. While everybody else was hopping up and down with excitement, waving, and blowing kisses to Santa one fellow shouted "That's not the real Santa! That's not! They're trying to trick us! That's not the real Santa Claus!" He got pretty animated about his point, and to try to calm him down a bit I asked him why he thought the Santa on the bow of the old Chris Craft at the turn point wasn't the "real" Santa.

He said, "I was on this same cruise last year. The *real* Santa is back at your clubhouse!" I shared that incident with the couple who played Mr. and Mrs. Claus every year, and doing so earned me a great big smile from "Santa."

The Seafair Cruise is only about 6 weeks away, scheduled for December 3.

Who else has holiday boating traditions?

-- Disclaimer: This is a boating post and applies to boaters. It is not intended to provoke, annoy, irritate, bother, aggravate, anger,incite, inflame, infuriate or create controversy resulting in unacceptable behavior on the part of other posters nor is it intended to generate political commentary or off-topic debate.

http://v1.charleston.net/columnists/columnists.aspx?section=whaynie

http://www.usps.org/localusps/cps/

http://www.ci.charleston.sc.us/dept/content.aspx?nid=561&cid=792 "27TH ANNUAL CHARLESTON PARADE OF BOATS Saturday, December 2: 5:00pm-8:00pm Parade begins along Mt. Pleasant at 5:00pm; Viewing from the peninsula begins at 6:30pm; Fireworks begin at approximately 6:45pm Get on board with a Lowcountry holiday tradition as this display of lighted and festive boats proceeds from the Cooper River, through the Charleston Harbor and into the Ashley River, culminating in a brilliant fireworks display over the harbor. View the procession along Charleston’s waterfront or decorate your own boat and join the parade. Info: call 843-724-7305."

Look for "The Grinch" in lights from "Lionheart", Amel Sharki ketch. Pay no attention if it looks like there may be drinking going on, aboard....(c;

One evening a bunch of people who had boats in the marina came by and invited me to walk over to a beach on the ICW to watch the annual holiday boat parade. It was just after dark and it was fabulous. We all sat on beach chairs with coolers full of beer and wine coolers watching the decorated and beautifully lit boats go by. It last for over an hour, with fireworks and the traditional Santa in a sleigh bringing up the rear. Never saw anything like it here in the northeast.

Eisboch

We have a nice "winter holiday" parade here in Cape Coral also. Some people spend huge amounts of time decorating and lighting their boats.

Last year we took everyone from our neighborhood out on the GB to watch. We had a ring side seat and a great time.

One of these days, I'd like to meet up with you out on the Delta. I've only got a 23' runabout, but I can catch fish while on it :-> I don't get to the Delta often enough. :(

--Mike

I'm not signed up there, but I will shortly. I have my own business which affords me the opportunity for mid week boating excursions on occasion :-> I haven't been to the delta on a weekend in years... too many drunk nutjobs out there.

--Mike

My boat is 21'. I normally do not go to the delta weekends. One of the joys of semi-retired. Stripers are biting! Are you signed up at www.coastsidefishing.com ?

I went to www.coastsidefishing.com , and all the links there go to a search portal page. IOW, there's nothing of substance there, and nowhere to sign up. Are you sure that's the right URL?

--Mike

And even then a couple of times. :>)

-- Disclaimer: This is a boating post and applies to boaters. It is not intended to provoke, annoy, irritate, bother, aggravate, anger,incite, inflame, infuriate or create controversy resulting in unacceptable behavior on the part of other posters nor is it intended to generate political commentary or off-topic debate.

I did this once, and won't again. As you can see in the photo, there is no order among the informally "trailing" boats. They just mill around in a jamb, and night vision goes straight to heck as the "Christmas Ship" is covered with bright white light bulbs. A certain portion of the skippers are fortified with hot buttered rum, etc, and the fortification continues to improve as the evening progresses. When it's time for the Christmas Ship to motor down the lake a mile or so for the next stop, all of the trailers start taking off in different directions and at different speeds. Fun for the passengers and shoreside spectators, maybe, but a needless risk to the boat considering the conditions.