Blessing of the Fleet to be held April 14th at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum

Blessing of the Fleet in St. Michaels Thursday, April 14th

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(ST. MICHAELS, MD -- February 19, 2016)  Celebrate the beginning of this year's boating season by joining the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum for its annual Blessing of the Fleet ceremony. The April 14 ceremony begins at 5:00 p.m. near the boatyard, inviting the public to honor the working vessels and pleasure craft of the Chesapeake Bay, including the museum's floating fleet. Prayers will be offered to boaters for a safe and bountiful season, and also for those mariners whose lives have been lost at sea.

 

Easton High School's NJROTC will begin the ceremony with a presentation of the colors, followed by the Star Spangled Banner and Navy Hymn. The blessing will be performed by the Reverend Kevin M. Cross of The Church of the Holy Trinity in Oxford, Md.

 

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At this year's event, a special blessing will be given for the 1889 log-bottom bugeye, Edna E. Lockwood. A registered National Historic Landmark, Edna represents the last remaining log-bottom bugeye still under sail and is considered the queen of the museum's fleet of historic Chesapeake vessels. 

 

The event is free and open to the public, with a reception following, offering light refreshments and live music with a Chesapeake theme from the Royal Oak Musicians. In the event of rain, the ceremony will be moved into the museum's Small Boat Shed.

 

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"The Blessing of the Fleet is a terrific way to kick off the season for both boaters and the museum alike," commented CBMM President Kristen Greenaway. "Our campus starts to fill up in April, with a wide range of activities and projects for guests to engage in. Also, it's my hope that we'll be able to share a major announcement at the Blessing, regarding funding for one of our boat restoration projects."

 

Boaters are invited to bring their vessels to the ceremony, with marina reservations made by contacting CBMM Guest Services Manager Ed Rowe at erowe@cbmm.org or at 410-745-4981. 

For more information, visit www.cbmm.org. 

 

 

PHOTOS:

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The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, Md. invites the public to come by land or water to welcome in the boating season with a Blessing of the Fleet ceremonyon Thursday, April 14. Led by the Reverend Kevin M. Cross of The Church of the Holy Trinity in Oxford, Md., shown here, the ceremony is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. near the museum's boatyard, and includes a presentation of the colors and the Star Spangled Banner and Navy Hymn. Live music by the Royal Oak Musicians and light refreshments finish out the event, which is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.cbmm.org.

 

"CBMM_BlessingoftheFleet.jpg"
This year, CBMM in St. Michaels, Md. will be hosting its Blessing of the Fleet near the boatyard beginning at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 14. The event is free and open to the public, with a reception offering light refreshments and live music with a Chesapeake theme from the Royal Oak Musicians. In the event of rain, the ceremony will be moved into the museum's Small Boat Shed.

 

"CBMM_BlessingoftheFleet_EdnaLockwood.jpg"
At CBMM's April 14 Blessing of the Fleet, a special blessing will be given for the 1889 log-bottom bugeye, Edna E. Lockwood, as shown here on the museum's marine railway. A registered National Historic Landmark, Edna represents the last remaining log-bottom bugeye still under sail and is considered the queen of the museum's fleet of historic Chesapeake vessels.