The lighted boat parade is being held in conjunction with the Port of Bellingham’s Holiday Fest. Everyone is welcome to decorate their boats and be included in this fun festive holiday event. We want lots of boats participating this year, so tell your neighbors and your boating friends! All clubs and boaters are welcome to participate! In order to join in the competition, your boat will need to be present in each of the scheduled parades. This year the parade route will proceed past Boulevard Park, Taylor Street Dock and the Bellingham Cruise Terminal and will end with a route through the East entrance of Squalicum Harbor over to Gate 12 passing by all the harbor side restaurants. This will provide our community two nights and many options for viewing this event.
Registration for the parade will be on Friday and Saturday from 3:30 to 5:00 pm at the Bellingham Yacht Club. In order to participate for an award one will need to register your boat on Friday and receive a number. There is no fee for registration. Boats away will be at 1800 on Friday in order to accommodate the Alaska Ferry scheduled departure at 1800 from the Bellingham Cruise Terminal. On Saturday boats away will be at 1730 our regular scheduled time. Judging will be done on both Friday night and Saturday night accounting for all boats participating in the competition. There will be awards given for Lighted Boat of the Year, Community Spirit Award, Best in Parade, and for those participating in the Lighted Boat Parade for the first time, there is the Novice Grand Prize award.
Saturday night we will complete the parade, and awards will be issued after Bellingham Yacht Club’s annual offering of soup, chili and an assortment of breads for all participants. Now get out there, tell your friends and decorate your boat! Let the Parade Begin!
Fair Winds ~ Calm Seas!
Jody K Erickson
Bellingham Yacht Club
Fleet Captain
This quote is attributed to Lao Tzu, the founder of Taoism, and was made sometime between the 4th and 6th century BC. Yet here at the Bellingham Yacht Club these words describe our 2009 Sink the Dinghy Campaign.
Since Sink the Dinghy started in 2002 our generosities, and others’ throughout Whatcom County, have made it possible to redeem lives from addiction, tragedy and economic turmoil. But once those chains are broken, what does the future hold for those who graduate from our regions help programs, especially in these tough economic times with unemployment still on the rise? We know that enrollment in technical and community colleges is going up which means that scholarships and grants are harder to come by. Our goal this year is, under the supervision of our Sink the Dinghy Committee and BTC, to create a scholarship fund to enable a graduate from one of the area’s programs like the Lighthouse Mission to successfully enter and complete the Fisheries Technology program at Bellingham Technical College. Our goal is to provide such a graduate, who has overcome so much, hope and a new vocation for the future. This is a wonderful connection between the Bellingham Yacht Club and our Bellingham Community and we hope that you will give generously. So please consider supporting the Sink the Dinghy campaign this year by making a contribution either in cash at the club, or with:
Check Donations – You can mail a check to the Bellingham Yacht Club, 2625 Harbor Loop, Bellingham, WA, 98225. If you would like to receive a tax deduction please make your check out to “BTC” with “Sink the Dinghy Fund” on the comment line. (We will keep your check and present it along with all others and the Clubs check in January) If you are not worried about a tax deduction please make your check out to “BYC” and put on the comment line “Sink the Dinghy Fund”. (We will then combine all such checks into a single check)
Credit Card Donations – You can charge your donation in the lounge when you are visiting the club. Sink the Dinghy is under Special Events in the cash register.
On-Line Donations – You can securely make donations to the Sink the Dinghy fund anywhere you have access to the Internet and Paying Securely with PayPal.
So to all who have contributed thank you. To those who will contribute, thank you. To those who cannot contribute, thank you. And regardless if you have only contributed a dollar, a thousand dollars or no dollars, please watch for the announcement of the January 2010 presentation date where we will literally “Teach a Man To Fish”.
Thank you from your 2009 BYC Sink the Dinghy Committee
John Gargett, Meredith Ross, Fr. Kevin Allen, Matt Dennis
The Bellingham Yacht Club and Bellingham Sister Cities have been Formally Invited to Victoria, BC, Canada for the “Pacific Rim Yacht Challenge 2010” on June 6th through June 12th, 2010.
Committees have been formed and Applications for the Racing Team and Ambassadors are now available.
Check out the PacRim History for background information on this prestigious International event.
We are allowed to send 20 people to Victoria. Travels arrangements and associated costs are participants’ responsibilities. There is a $200 event fee. Participants will be home-stayed for seven days and many meals and activities in addition to racing are included in the event fee. Team clothing is also usually purchased locally for this event, approximately $200 -$300. Traditionally, one night during the week, each participant treats his home stay hosts to dinner at a local Victoria restaurant and provides local themed gifts for home stay families. Another requirement is that each participant must also Become A Member of the Bellingham Sister Cities. The total cost a participant can expect to spend has normally been under $1,000.
You are invited to represent the Bellingham Yacht Club, the City of Bellingham Sister Cities and the United States in international brotherhood and sailing excitement. Apply today!