30th Annual Antique & Classic Boat Festival, Part 3: On A More Serious Note

Now to get down to the more serious aspects of the festival.  Sunday's activities began with a Service of Worship for Boaters, beginning with the Call to Worship: "Blessed be God, who created us, and gives us the gifts of the sea. . . " followed by the singing the Mariner's Hymn:

Eternal Father, strong to save,

Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,

Who bidd'st the mighty ocean deep

Its own appointed limits keep;

Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,

For those in peril on the sea!

O Christ! Whose voice the waters heard

And hushed their raging at Thy word,

Who walkedst on the foaming deep,

And calm amidst its rage didst sleep;

Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,

For those in peril on the sea.

The Old Testament reading was the story of Jonah, the New Testament reading, Mark 2:1-12.

The service was closed with the singing of the last 4 verses of the Mariner's Hymn (above): Eternal Father, Strong to Save.  Rev. J. Loring Carpenter, Executive Director of Seafarer's Friend located in the Ports of Boston, Portsmouth (NH) and Portland (Maine) since 2005, conducted the service and blessed individual boats as he made the rounds of the docks following the service.  

The day ended with a general Blessing of the Boats,  the boats responding their "Amen" with their bells, whistles and horns.