Does anyone recognize this symbol or the M.S.S.C. Blessing of the Fleet? This plaque was on the cabin side of my boat. There is a lot I don't know about her history and it would be nice to know where she was in 1982.
Does anyone know this Blessing of the Fleet?
- Thread starter Roger Long
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From the Wooden Boat Fourm:
I think that's as conclusive as it gets. The boat only had one owner and spent its entire life in fresh water before I brought here east.
Thanks.
Good eye. That would make perfect sense as the boat was based in Gibralter, MI for most of its life which is right next door (about a mile away). Looking up the club, I see it's exactly the kind that new boat owners (the boat was new in 1980) would join as it isn't one of those hoity toity ones where you need three sponsors and can be blackballed. Not only that, I was looking through the past commodors list and I see the name of someone from that area who I know from forums and who told me he knew my boat and the PO's.
I think that's as conclusive as it gets. The boat only had one owner and spent its entire life in fresh water before I brought here east.
Thanks.
Roger ,this is a history page on the West shore sail club site that specifically mentions the annual "Blessing of the Fleet", in the third paragraph.
http://www.westshoresailclub.org/history/index.shtml
http://www.westshoresailclub.org/history/index.shtml
It's an adaptation of the Breton Fisherman's Prayer
"Oh God, Thy sea is so great and my boat is so small," is actually all there is to the original, which is known as the Breton Fisherman's Prayer--fishermen from Brittany, a region in France. It's widely adapted and expanded on, especially when used in fleet blessings.
The Breton Fisherman's Prayer was engraved on a brass plaque and presented to President John F. Kennedy by US Navy Admiral Hyman Rickover. The admiral would subsequently present the same type of plaque to all new commanders of Polaris submarines. I suspect that someone on the board of whatever YC your plaque is from who may have served on a Polaris thought that was such a neat idea that they adopted it as well as adapted it for their members at that year's annual fleet blessing.
"Oh God, Thy sea is so great and my boat is so small," is actually all there is to the original, which is known as the Breton Fisherman's Prayer--fishermen from Brittany, a region in France. It's widely adapted and expanded on, especially when used in fleet blessings.
The Breton Fisherman's Prayer was engraved on a brass plaque and presented to President John F. Kennedy by US Navy Admiral Hyman Rickover. The admiral would subsequently present the same type of plaque to all new commanders of Polaris submarines. I suspect that someone on the board of whatever YC your plaque is from who may have served on a Polaris thought that was such a neat idea that they adopted it as well as adapted it for their members at that year's annual fleet blessing.
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