Letters to the Editor

Letter to the Editor | Boaters should be respectful during Blessing of the Fleet

Each year in Gig Harbor, our commercial fishing community gathers for the traditional Blessing of the Fleet — an event that holds deep spiritual and cultural significance. It’s not just a local custom; it’s a sacred ceremony. For the fishermen and their families, this moment — led by Father Mark Guzman — offers a prayer for protection, a time to honor those lost at sea, and a way to begin the season with purpose and grace.

This blessing is personal. It’s not a spectacle or a parade. It is a quiet, revered act of faith that speaks to the real dangers of a life spent on the water. Yet every year, this moment is disrupted by recreational boaters who are either unaware of the tradition or choose not to respect it.

Yachts and pleasure boats often anchor directly in the area where the fishing fleet has long rafted together for the blessing. Despite reminders, we frequently have to ask multiple boaters to move because they’ve taken the exact space needed for the ceremony. Even more frustrating — and disheartening — is when boats maneuver between the vessel carrying Father Mark and the fishing boats waiting to be blessed, blocking the path and interrupting the flow of the ceremony.

Whether intentional or not, this interference shows a lack of respect for the people who have fished these waters for generations. The harbor may be a shared space, but honoring long-standing traditions should be part of what makes our community strong.

This letter isn’t meant to scold but to raise awareness. If you are boating in Gig Harbor during the Blessing of the Fleet, please be mindful. Give the commercial vessels the room they need to raft together, and allow Father Mark to move safely from boat to boat. Watch respectfully from a distance if you’re curious — but please don’t get in the way.

To many, the fishing boats are part of the scenery. But to those who live this life, they are everything: livelihood, heritage, and identity. This blessing is one of the few public acknowledgments of that reality. It deserves space. It deserves reverence.

Gig Harbor is a community proud of its maritime roots. Let’s show that pride not just in words but in actions — by giving our fishing fleet the respect it has earned.

Amanda Babich

Gig Harbor