I headed down to the commercial docks today to see the blessing of the fleet. Not knowing what to expect – I hadn’t asked anyone what the procedure was or how the afternoon would go – it turned out to be one of the best afternoons ever! There were lots of family members of the various crews and captains and many boats were set up to party with great spreads of food and drinks. While not everyone participates, a good number do, so it was a very lively atmosphere. Fortunately for me I saw Keisha Levan who I had met several days ago when she was at the dock to greet her husband returning from 2 weeks out to sea. She invited me to come on her father’s boat, Eliza, and go out with them. Turns out I had taken pics of her father, Mike Karch, not knowing they were related! We went out the inlet and into the ocean before turning back. There were many boats in the ”parade” and I was able to capture some great photos while we were out on the water. The excursion also gave me a great opportunity to visit with more people and form new friendships. I also managed to talk to 3 captains to begin the process of setting up the interviews for the book.