Blessing of the Fleet will take place Sunday

Westport’s annual Blessing of the Fleet will take place at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Fishermen’s Memorial.

May 22, 2019 11:30 am
Kat Bryant | Grays Harbor News Group The Coast Guard’s ceremonial laying of the wreath for mariners lost at sea highlights the annual Blessing of the Fleet in Westport.
Kat Bryant | Grays Harbor News Group The Coast Guard’s ceremonial laying of the wreath for mariners lost at sea highlights the annual Blessing of the Fleet in Westport.

Westport’s annual Blessing of the Fleet will take place at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Fishermen’s Memorial at the end of Neddie Rose Drive.

The Westport-Grayland Chamber of Commerce says the ceremony is meant to bless the fishing fleet for a safe, bountiful season and to memorialize fishermen who have been lost at sea.

Since 2016, the Blessing of the Fleet had been part of the Weekend with the Fleet, a larger overall event sponsored by the commercial fishing nonprofit organization WEfish. But, because of budget and manpower shortages, Weekend with the Fleet will not take place this year.

The Blessing of the Fleet is sponsored by the chamber, the South Beach Ministerial Association and WEfish.

Participating in the ceremony will be Coast Guard Station Grays Harbor, Westport VFW and Auxiliary, Grayland American Legion Post and Auxiliary, Westport Police, South Beach Regional Fire Authority and other local agencies.

For more information, contact the chamber at 360-268-9422 or visit cometowestport.com.

Brandy Evans The wreath floats near the silent crowd gathered at the Fishermens Memorial during the 2017 ceremony.

Brandy Evans The wreath floats near the silent crowd gathered at the Fishermens Memorial during the 2017 ceremony.