The Blessing of the Boats is an annual ceremony held during the Island Bay Festival. It came with southern Italian settlers to the southern end of the North Island. The blessing ensured the safety and success of the fishermen. In Island Bay the boats travel out of the sheltered bay, into Cook Strait, around the Island, back into the bay, to slowly putter past the boat with the priest before speeding up and milling around with the other boats that have been blessed.
There's a great variety - from tiny dinghies to cruisers to working boats.
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