Blessing of the Boats

Blessing of the Boats
The Blessing of the Boats is a southern Italian tradition where boats are decorated with flags and blessed by a priest to protect the crew from the sea and to bring good fortune. The ceremony has been adopted in Island Bay since 1933, when the fishing boat Santina foundered in Cook Strait, with the loss of four crew including three Italians. In the late 19th century, Island Bay was settled by Italian and Shetland fishermen.