Seattle Opening Day - May 1st, 2010 - Sponsored By The Seattle Yacht Club
Opening Day,
the official opening of Seattle's boating season sponsored by the Seattle Yacht Club, includes a celebration of many kinds of water activities. Festivities will include a morning of crew races, a sailboat race, and, of course, the grand Opening Day boat parade on Saturday.
As always, the Opening Day Parade starts at noon the first Saturday in May with the blast of a cannon and the raising of the Montlake Bridge. Seattle Yacht Club's Opening Day has become the nation's largest regional celebration of water, spring and the opening of boating season.
Participating yachts will be decorated to illustrate this year's theme for Opening Day, "OUT OF THIS WORLD." And, if tradition is honored, there will be sunshine, breezes and, maybe, a few showers.
Opening Day in Seattle is a family affair; families decorate their boats for the festivities and parades; families spread blankets on the shoreline and spend hours watching and picnicking. Families dream of the boats they someday will own.
The boating season officially never ends in the Seattle area. It tapers off during the blustery, wet days of winter, but the faithful keep sailing and cruising. Opening Day, however, kicks off a busy spring and summer of boating for many avid boaters in the Seattle area.
Opening Day offers some outstanding photo and story opportunities. You'll not find anything like it in the U.S. or, to our knowledge, in the world. The only thing comparable is an annual parade of commercial vessels in Venice, Italy.
Seattle Opening Day Log boom Information |
The log boom is on the Northern boundary of the parade route. Note that additional moorage is available on the South side of the parade route near Foster Island. The log boom is provided by the Seattle Yacht Club and the University of Washington. You use it at your own risk. Neither the Seattle Yacht Club nor the University of Washington are responsible for any injury or damage claims. Please use good judgement and good nautical practices when maneuvering and mooring. Pay attention to weather conditions, and help your fellow boaters. This is a volunteer effort. If all goes well, the log boom will be installed the Thursday before Opening Day, and removed the Monday following.
If you choose, you can show support by making a donation when asked. Please cheerfully follow the directions given by SYC Marshal Boats. Please respect the clearly marked area on the West (shore) end of the log boom reserved for University of Washington VIPs. On Opening Day, no watercraft may cross or be on the parade route while it is closed. The parade route closes at 9:40am and does not reopen until the SYC Marshall Boats announce the parade route has reopended, which will be sometime after 2:30pm, depending on the length of the parade. Moorage is "first come, first served". You may save a spot for your buddy who is a few minutes behind you, but DO NOT try to reserve multiple spots with line, tape or other devices. Please welcome your neighbors. You will meet some great boaters.
| SYC - OPENING DAY LOG BOOM INFORMATION PARADE REGISTRATION INFO. SYC OPENING DAY WEEK - SCHEDULE SYC PARADE INFORMATION U.W. WINDERMERE CUP INFO. 
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