We expect the Yacht, "Chanticleer"

to lead the BlessingParade.

NEWS RELEASE

NEWS RELEASE NEWS RELEASE

772-286-Don Till, Publicity Chairman

772-286-2223

The 36 th. Anniversary of the Annual Blessing of the Fleet and Marine Parade was announced by its Commodore Ed Tessier, of the Saints and Sinners Yacht Club.

The Parade will be held Saturday, April 14, 2007, (rain date Sunday April 15) on the North Fork of the St. Lucie River in Stuart and will involve 10 local yacht clubs, the participating sponsors and independent boaters. Boats will congregate no later than Noon in the North Fork near Harbour Ridge with the Yacht clubs at their assigned buoys and the unaffiliated boats at buoy "S".

The Parade is expected be led this year by the Yacht "Chanticleer", previously belonging to Francis Langford Stuart and now owned by Jon Couch and Liz Dooner of Annapolis, and member boats of the Maritime Museum including some of their antique boats.

The Parade will start at approximately l2:30 PM and head South along the east Shore of the North Fork, passing the review boat "Bali Motu", a 64 foot , Grand Alaskan owned by Alice and Bob Hooker of the Cocoanut Point Yacht Club. It will be stationed near the Allied, Richard Bertram docks.

The Clergy aboard, Father Thomas Pittenger of St. Mary's Episcopal Church, Stuart, Father Edmund Szpieg of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, Port St. Lucie, and Pastor Philip Short of Stuart First Methodist Church will bless the parade of boats as they pass on the shore side of the review boat.The Clergy's Blessings will also be broadcast over local radio stations WSTU-AM 1450 and WPSL AM 1590 at Parade Time.

All independent boaters are welcome to join at the end of the parade by following the Coast Guard Auxiliary Boats as their boats join the parade.

Participating sponsors include the local yacht clubs, the Coast Guard Auxiliary, the St. Lucie River Power Squadron of Stuart, Stuart Fire Rescue, and the MaritimeMuseum of Florida at Stuart.

Please use care to avoid the Manatees and be sure that your boat has all of the required Coast Guard safety equipment.

For additional information, please check our website, (www.TheBlessingOfTheFleet.com) or call Commodore Ed Tessier at 772-879-0806