Ceremony to mark start of boating season

A ceremony to celebrate the opening of the boating season will be held this weekend.

Hosted by the International Yacht Club (IYC), the event on Saturday, May 4 will feature a flag-raising ceremony and boat parade.

The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. at Blaine harbor’s gate 2 flag pole. To start things off, there will be one or more speeches by the commodore, vice commodore or treasurer of IYC. They will welcome the boating season and will discuss the importance of boating as well as boating safety.

“The overall message will be to get out there and have a good time,” said IYC commodore Norm Root. “We’ve got an incredible playground to use out there in the islands and the bay.”

The officers will raise both the U.S. and Canadian flags while playing each country’s anthem. A local minister will offer a prayer for the harbor and its boaters.

At noon, boats will muster in Semiahmoo Bay and sail past the commodore’s boat. “When you go past the commodore’s boat, it’s starboard to starboard,” explained Root. “The crew on each boat will ‘dip’ their rear staff that has their country of origin flag. The dip is like a tip of the hat.”

Later in the day, officials will be on hand to perform individual christening ceremonies for anyone who has purchased a new boat this year.

According to its official website, IYC was launched in January 1958. A group of interested boaters from Washington state and B.C. successfully lobbied the port commission to provide moorage for pleasure boats in Blaine harbor.

IYC was based in Blaine until 1986, when it was transferred to White Rock. The club’s goal is for like-minded boating enthusiasts to enjoy the marine environment.

“Come on down to the flag raising ceremony, everybody’s welcome there,” said Root. “There might be the odd opportunity to go out on a boat. A lot of people don’t mind sharing.”