Blessing of the Fleet kicks off boating season at the Freeport Yacht Club

A far cry from Long Island’s boat clubs with sky-high membership fees, the Freeport Yacht Club on Sunday had high winds, low tides and a very busy deacon.

Board members and commodores celebrated the Blessing of the Fleet, a ceremony dating back more than 90 years in Freeport where local clergy say a prayer over each boat to mark the start of boating and fishing season. Deacon Ralph Muscente of the Church of St. Christopher in Baldwin sprinkled holy water on Angelo Vescio and his wife Michele.

"We’re a blue-collar yacht club," Vescio said, pointing out several members: a state trooper, a construction worker and a custodian.

"It’s just a yacht club by name ... It’s more like a hangout," he said.

The Blessing of the Fleet originates from Mediterranean fishing villages, where religious leaders would pray for safety, good weather and bountiful fishing hauls. Boating enthusiasts on Sunday stretched out in lawn chairs, cracking open cold beers and munching on chips, while kids played soccer on a small lawn. One thing was abundantly clear: This was not your average yacht club.

Vescio fell in love with the ocean when he was 9, when he and his friend took boats out on their own in Sheepshead Bay. Now, Vescio and Michele take their boat out to the bay. They spend nights grilling burgers, pinwheels and braciola. 

"My favorite part about it is the isolation from people," Vescio said.

Down the dock, Deacon Muscente sprinkled holy water over another boat, holding the Book of Blessings. "When we’re blessing the boat, we’re really blessing the people who use it," Muscente said.

"The ocean is a great place. God gave us the waters of the world to use," he added.

The club takes pride in its history: When a group of volunteer firemen founded it in 1930, its annual membership fee was $5. Today, it's more than that.

"I know, it is a far cry from today, but those were the days when one could buy a bottle of drinkable gin for 95 cents and that was all we could afford," one former commodore wrote in the club’s 2025 pamphlet.

Nowadays, the club requires a classic uniform: A cap, a shirt and tie with the club’s burgee, or flag. Black socks if you’re wearing gray trousers, or white socks if you’re wearing white trousers, according to the group’s rules. Each member’s jacket is inscribed with stars representing their title in the group.

Members volunteer their time to repair the aging dock, responding eagerly to any loose slats. John Aglio, 62, proudly announced the name of his boat: the "garlic knot." His last name, Aglio, translates to "garlic" in Italian.

One member yelled out from across the dock: "How original!"

"Yeah, because nobody comes up with ‘knot’ for a boat name," another said.