As the 55th annual Christmas Ship Parade gets ready to set sail on the Columbia River and Willamette Rivers, we set this cache in a good spot to view the parade on the I-5 Bridge route nights.
The Christmas Ship Parade started in 1954 with one lone sailboat from Portland Yacht Club. Bows of green with some ribbon where tied along the rails and it paraded on the rivers. The next year the parade started to grow. Today, the Christmas Ship Fleet averages about 55 to 60 boats between the Columbia and Willamette River fleets. Things have changed from the first lone ship. Now the displays are brightly lit and can be seen from bank to bank on each river.
Each of the skippers pays their own fuel costs, decorations, and other related boat costs. Local waterfront restaurants and hotels are asked for donations to pay for the Event Insurance Policy.
Most of the skippers return year after year. Christmas Ship "Breezy" (pictured middle top row) has been parading for over 30 years and only missed about 6 nights in all those years! This will be our 16th year in the parade.
WATCH YOUR WAKE AND WATCH WHERE YOU SWIM. Please be gentle with the container and replace it just as you found it.