Palm Coast’s traditional Blessing of the Fleet returns to the city once again under the auspices of the Palm Coast Yacht Club on Saturday, April 2 at 3 p.m. All boaters near and far are invited to participate.
Open to all vessels, motorized or non-motorized, large or small, the event will be administered by Father Robert Goolsby, rector of St. Thomas Episcopal Church of Palm Coast. He will be stationed on the long pier of Yacht Harbor Village on the east side of the Intracoastal Waterway just north of the Hammock Dunes Bridge.
Boats will gather on the Intracoastal Waterway at 2:45 p.m. south of the Hammock Dunes Bridge. Captains are asked to monitor Channel 71 for instructions. The Palm Coast Yacht Club website, www.palmcoastyachtclub.com, will provide information on event status in case of inclement weather.
The Blessing will be followed by a social gathering at the Yacht Harbor Village Marina Event Room. For reservations and further information call 386-931-2963.
On Friday, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced that Florida continues to lead the nation and has passed the mark of 1 million registered recreational vessels across the state. Florida, with its great year-round weather and plenty of access to fresh and salt water, is the “Boating Capital of the World.”
The top five counties for vessel registration in Florida are Miami-Dade (74,622), Pinellas (53,867), Lee (50,304), Broward (47,741) and Hillsborough (41,495).
The Palm Coast Yacht Club was established in 1979 and continues to welcome new members every month. The Club’s many activities include fundraisers for local charities. The Club also hosts the annual Palm Coast Holiday Boat Parade, the largest community boat parade in Florida.