Blessing of the Fleet is an ancient maritime tradition, dating back to the mediterranean fishing fleets. The thought is that if your vessel received a blessing, your season would be bountiful and you stood a better than average chance of not drowning at sea! Sounds like a win to us. For over 20 years now, the Occoquan River Maritime Association (ORMA) has been hosting this event on the Occoquan River, and this year’s event will be on May 21, from 11 AM – 1PM.
ORMA operates as a committee with support from representatives of the marinas and yacht clubs located on the Occoquan River and the Town of Occoquan. ORMA is dedicated to promoting boater camaraderie and safety by hosting this annual event.
But wait, there’s more!
It’s not just driving your boat past the clergy and getting a blessing! This is an event where boaters decorate their boats in all kinds of crazy ways, and compete for prizes. After the event, these boats will be voted on, and the top 3 boats will get some nice goodies! This year’s prizes will include:
1st Place – $500 gas card
2nd Place – $300 gas card
3rd Place – $200 gas card
That’s like gold!
How does it work?
This is a free event, but in order to compete and win, you need to register. You can click HERE to register your boat. Then on May 21, bring your boat up the Occoquan River and join the line of folks heading downriver towards Belmont Bay. You’ll get your blessing, as well as your picture taken, as you pass Belmont Bay Harbor Marina. Then, stay tuned on the days after the event for the voting on the best decorated boats!
Be sure to visit the official event page for more details. Sign up now! This is a super-fun event that you don’t want to miss!