William Prentice, former coach of the Harvey W. Smith Watercraft Center, was in one of those seven boats .
“ We gathered at the end of Radio Island and circled there for a while, ” according to Prentice. “ When it came time to start, John Warrington peeled off and the rest of us fell in line taking his lead, ” he said .
“ It was clear and calm that evening and the herd along the waterfront was a piece sparse, compared to recent flotillas, but inactive a estimable assembly as we made our way down Taylor ’ second Creek, ” Prentice recalled.
That foremost year the judges viewed the flotilla from the upstairs porch of the Dock House. The awards ceremony was held in the North Carolina Maritime Museum ’ s Harborside Annex adjacent doorway to the Harvey W. Smith Watercraft Center ; awards were give certificates donated by several Beaufort businesses .
Twenty-five years late, the custom continues .
The Crystal Coast Christmas Flotilla takes place on Saturday, December 2, 2017 featuring boats, yachts, oars, kayaks and commercial vessels decorated for the temper.
The deck boats can be seen at 5:30 post meridiem, on the Morehead City waterfront and at 6:15 post meridiem, on the Beaufort waterfront. All decorated boats are judged and prizes for excellence and creativity are awarded at the gay Awards Party after the Flotilla in the Harvey W. Smith Watercraft Center located across the street from the museum. Cash prizes will be awarded !
Looking back at former flotillas…
In 1993, the Morehead Beaufort Yacht Club started sponsoring the “ Annual Christmas Boat Parade ” with prizes donated by Beaufort retailers and restaurants. A custom began with free docking for the fifteen boats in the parade provided by the Beaufort Town Docks, patronize that continues each year .
The YP 701, a Marine Corps yard-patrol boat of the Aerial/Surface Target Department served as the judge ’ south platform and was open for tours during the day. The Carteret County News-Times became the media patronize in 1993 and has helped spread the word about this popular vacation tradition ever since.
In 1995, the Crystal Coast Tourism Development Authority came aboard as co-sponsor and the identify of the event changed to the “ Crystal Coast Christmas Flotilla. ” The East Carteret High School Chorus provided Christmas carols on the Beaufort boardwalk and the judges were in the North Carolina Maritime Museum ’ second Watercraft Center, with the Awards Party at the Museum .
It was in 1995 that the art by Joe Purifoy was first used on the Crystal Coast Christmas Flotilla program and is still used to this day. easterly Offset Printing has provided ongoing printing services as a sponsor .
In 1996, proceeds from the Flotilla started going to support the Junior Sailing Program administered by the Friends of the North Carolina Maritime Museum. Proceeds from the Flotilla over the past 20+ years will top $ 35,000 in 2017 .
