Participants on land and sea alike enjoyed festive light displays along the harbor in clear weather last weekend during Cordova’s first-ever lighted boat.
The parade, which took place on Dec. 7, was organized by Cordova District Fishermen United (CDFU) after board member Michael Hand brought up the possibility of a holiday themed celebration for the fishing fleet.
“My wife Nelly had the parade idea the past few winters,” he said. “Getting lights down to the boats this time of year really cheers things up.”
With support from CDFU staff, flyers encouraged anyone with a boat in the water to be a part of the event. The jovial parade preceded a week of highly-anticipated Board of Fisheries meetings in town.
Hand says the timing of so many out-of-town visitors in December was a part of the decision to put effort behind the event.
“With the Board of Fisheries meeting in town we thought this would be the perfect year to start,” he said.
Boats participating in the parade lined up north of town in Orca Bay at 5:15 p.m. Hand acted as Grand Marshall of the event and organized the vessel line-up via VHF channel 14. Upwards of a dozen boats showed up to be a part of the festivities.
The parade began at 5:30 p.m., with vessels departing in a spaced out line and traveling along the coastal route. Spectators could see the lights anywhere along Orca Road leading into town. Cordovans gathered along their favorite waterfront locations – such as the fish cleaning station pull-out, the Ocean Dock and the breakwater to view the lighted displays. Groups of viewers huddled in layers and shared thermoses of hot cocoa and tea while waving and cheering on the passing vessels.
A diverse group of vessels in both type and size participated in the parade. The lineup included several seine fishing vessels, a large tender, a research vessel, pleasure craft, bowpickers, and a sailboat. Each of them displayed a unique set of lights and decorations wrapped around masts, tied to top houses, and hanging from picking booms. Hydraulics and winches that typically hoist nets full of fish were instead used to support illuminated reindeer and sparkling peace signs.
The event was originally scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 8, but due to a forecast of high winds up to 40 miles per hour the organizers decided to move the parade to Saturday. Weather conditions proved clear and calm the day of the parade and Cordovans were able to enjoy a welcomed respite in between several consecutive days of rain and wind.
Hand says he was happy with how the parade went and that many people have already expressed their desire to participate next year in what may become a new Cordova tradition. Hand feels that the parade is a showing off the vibrancy of Cordova’s working waterfront
“CDFU is always proud to bring our town’s working boats together,” he said.
