At the Helm of the Blessing of the Fleet

The Montauk Blessing of the Fleet, an annual tradition now in its 62nd year, will take place on Sunday by the Montauk inlet, with clergy posted near the town dock to bless those who work on and sail the local waters.

The ritual, which draws boats of all sizes and can be seen from just about anywhere in the harbor, is quite a spectacle. “It’s a lot of work to organize it, but it is well worth the effort,” said Capt. Frank Braddick, who has organized it for 27 years. Drawn to the event soon after arriving in Montauk, his passion for it remains steadfast.

“It truly is a solemn and special event and I’m so glad the tradition has continued for so long,” he reflected on a late Saturday afternoon following a daylong trip for striped bass. At 81, Captain Braddick still runs the Hurry-Up, a 43-foot charter boat, out of the Star Island Yacht Club.

In the off-season, starting in January, he spends hours upon hours preparing for the blessing, including filling out applications and paperwork for various permits with the Coast Guard, securing a boat for clergy and the families honoring those who died over the past 12 months, preparing advertising and promotional fliers, securing wreaths, and other miscellaneous details too numerous to mention.

“There is a lot of paperwork and beaurocracy involved, and it takes a lot of time,” he said. He took over the duties nearly three decades ago from Capt. Doug McCabe, who skippered the charter boat Frances Anne. “You have to really start many months in advance, but I still enjoy it. It’s also an incredible feeling to see the emotions of the families who lost loved ones during the wreath ceremony. It means a lot to them — and for me personally — that we take the time to remember them.”

This year’s Blessing of the Fleet begins at 5 p.m. After the blessing at the town dock, the armada of boats will slowly head out to Block Island Sound, near the bell buoy, to throw memorial wreaths into the water, honoring watermen and women in the community who died over the past year. On Sunday, wreaths will be placed in the water for Capts. Jay Rigano, Stret Whitting, Ken Bouse, Fritz Hubner, and Herbert Knoblach. The Ebb Tide is donating the use of the boat for the clergy and family members for the wreath service.

For many out on the water that day, the event has a celebratory tone, “But more importantly, it is a time to reflect, honor and remember those who we lost over the past year,” Captain Braddick said. “This is a very tight-knit community and fishing is such an important part of the fabric of Montauk.”

Capt. Joe McBride, who has known Captain Braddick for over 40 years, says that his friend takes a lot of pride in handling the event.

“Frank puts his heart into coordinating the blessing and he does an outstanding job,” said Captain McBride, who was the skipper of the charter boat My Mate for several decades before retiring a few years ago. “He does a lot of this himself too. I don’t think many realize how much he puts into this event. It’s not that easy.”

For Debbie Tuma, whose late father was Capt. Frank Tuma of the charter boat Dawn, the annual event is a mixture of happiness and sadness.

“I’ve attended over 50 of the blessings in my lifetime,” said Ms. Tuma. “It is a wonderful event for the entire Montauk community and lots of people, but I realized after witnessing so many wreath services for others who had passed away, I knew in the back of my mind that one day I would be laying a wreath in honor of my father. And when that day came, it was a very emotional and moving experience.”

She will join Captain Braddick on the Hurry-Up on Sunday. “The blessing means so much to him,” she said.

Capt. Tom Herlihy of the Herl’s Girl put it succinctly: “It’s his baby.”