Boat Parade Honors Memory of Jon Netts, Former Mayor and Intrepid Boater

The 2021 Palm Coast Holiday Boat Parade scheduled for Dec. 18 is dedicated to the memory of Jon Netts, former Palm Coast mayor, intrepid boater and cheerleader of all things Christmas. Netts died of Covid complications in January.

Netts served as the city’s second mayor for two terms, after serving as a council member for six years.  Netts is known not only for his leadership during a critical time in the growth of Palm Coast, but also for his passionate stewardship and encyclopedic knowledge of the Intracoastal  Waterway and the city’s canals, as well as his active support of the Parade, now in its 38^th year. He was a long-time member of the Florida Inland Navigation District, and was a tow-boat operator. 

For the third year, the Parade will be broadcast live from Canopy Walk Park and Condominiums by KOOL-FM, 100.9.  Starting when the Parade begins at 6 p.m., the broadcast will be co-hosted by Palm Coast’s own Priscilla Netts, “The Queen of Jazz” Linda Cole, and Flagler Broadcasting General Manager David Ayers.  

Deadline for boat registration for the Parade has been extended to December 12. The lead boat for the Parade is “M&G Pride,” a 36-foot Sea Ray Sundancer Power Cruiser captained by Otis Guilford of Palm Coast.  The boat will carry the Parade’s two Grand Marshalls, The Honorable David Alfin, Mayor of Palm Coast, and his wife Tammy; and Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly and his wife Debbie.

 The Parade will be escorted by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, TowBoat US, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.  Departing from the Cimmaron Basin, the Parade will pass the Tidelands, Marina Cove, the Hammock, Yacht Harbor Village, and the Palm Coast Legacy Vacation Resort.  It will then proceed under the Hammock Dunes Bridge along St. Joe’s Walkway and Canopy Walk, pass by Island Estates, Waterfront Park, and Grand Haven before dispersing at the Clubhouse Waterway. 

Waterfront Park will be open for spectators and parking, which may relieve crowding and saturation at St. Joe’s Walkway and Canopy Walk. Parking is available near European Village for viewing along St. Joe’s Walkway, and Canopy Walk.

Registration for boaters is required and is free.  Club membership is not required.  For registration forms contact Parade Captain Robert Ulis at 386-283-5166 or at [email protected].  Forms and details about the parade are also available at the Palm Coast Yacht Club website at www.palmcoastyachtclub.com and on Facebook.  Rain Date is December 19.  Official notice of any change to the Parade status will be posted on the Palm Coast Yacht Club website by 4 p.m. on December 18. 

The Palm Coast Yacht Club inaugurated this popular city tradition in 1985 and has sponsored the official Parade every year since except 2020 because of the covid pandemic.  The Club was established in 1979 and welcomes new members every month. Sponsors for the boat parade broadcast are Greg Lynn Jewelers, Coastal Cloud, and Blinds by Jason.