By Oregon Coast TODAY
Combining deep community ties with the gorgeous pageantry of floral wreaths floating on the water in front of Depoe Bay Harbor, the Fleet of Flowers ceremony will celebrate 80 years on Monday, May 26.
The ceremony was established in 1945 to honor the memories of two fishermen who died at sea in an attempt to aid another mariner. It has since evolved to honor all seafarers and those lost at sea and has become a beloved Memorial Day mainstay on the central Oregon coast.
The event will proceed Monday as usual, organizers say, despite a boycott of the event by two charter boat companies objecting to Depoe Bay fee increases and other policy changes involving the city-owned docks in the harbor. Organizers say other boats have stepped up to replace those from some of the charters.
The official ceremony begins with a program of speakers across from the U.S. Coast Guard station at Depoe Bay harbor. After roughly 45 minutes, people who wish to view the memorial can head to the Depoe Bay Bridge and the area next to the Whale Watching Center.
From there, they will be able to see the boats leaving the harbor and forming a circle offshore. The arrival of a Coast Guard helicopter will herald the beginning of the memorial with the dropping of the first wreath into the ocean. Then, everybody aboard the boats will follow with individual wreath drops.
“This year is going to look a little different,” said event organizer Kathy Wyatt. “We are not taking requests for boat rides, but as usual, people can watch as the boats go out from under the Depoe Bay Bridge.”
A boat from the Coast Guard Station Depoe Bay has long led the fleet out of the harbor and this year, to help support the event, the Newport Coast Guard Station Yaquina Bay is sending two more boats.
“Without the Coast Guard the Fleet of Flowers would not go on,” Wyatt said. “This is a very meaningful event for them, too.”
The public is welcome to step in to help ensure that enough wreaths will be prepared for the event.
“We will be there at the community center Friday and Saturday tying wreaths and attaching flowers,” Wyatt said. “We’ll be starting at 10 a.m. and finishing at 4 p.m. Friday and on Saturday we will start at 10 a.m. and go until we are finished.”
There will also be Fleet of Flowers apparel for sale at the community center.
Commemmorating 1936 deaths
The tragic incident that inspired the annual Memorial Day event took place on Oct. 4, 1936, when an early autumn storm hit the coastline, bringing high seas and an impenetrable dense fog to the local waters. A small fishing boat, caught in the storm, went missing in the vicinity of Depoe Bay with three crew members aboard.
Two Depoe Bay fishermen, Roy Bower and Jack Chambers, set out from Depoe Bay’s harbor in their 30-foot troller, the Cara Lou, on a dangerous rescue mission.
As reported in The Yaquina Bay News on October 8, 1936: “Roy Bower and Jack Chambers with their 30-foot troller Cara Lou put to sea to try and find the Norwester and help her to port.
They picked up the missing boat near the whistling buoy, by this time the fog and darkness was practically impenetrable but the two boats headed for the bay entrance, the Cara Lou leading. Unable to get any bearing for direction they ran too far north, the Cara Lou going over the north reef was struck by a heavy sea which wrecked her. The Norwester close astern saw the accident but was unable to render aid, ran out to the whistler and tied up to it until Monday morning when the fog cleared away and they came in safely.”
The bodies of Bower and Chambers were recovered the following day.
“This is an important event for Depoe Bay and I’m so grateful for the many community members that are helping it continue,” Wyatt said. “I’m especially grateful for the support from Clary Grant, Jerry Springer, Amy Flaskerud and Darlene Brennan. People may have seen some negative talk around this year’s event, but we just want to stay positive about people coming together to honor those that have passed.”
- The Fleet of Flowers begins at 11 a.m. Monday, May 26, at Depoe Bay Harbor. For more information, go to the Fleet of Flowers page on Facebook.
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