The Christmas Parade of Boats was wonderful.

It was my first time in the parade, and I was the last boat with a colorful lighted bow, two red, lighted bows amidships, two lighted angels astern port and starboard.

The lifelines, mast, boom, forestay and backstay were festooned with blue lights with our American flag at half-mast to honor those fallen police officers in our area.

It was very cold, but we were impervious to it. Very windy with spray coming over the bow and scuppers.

We had hot tea, and hot chocolate to keep us warm, and when we arrived back to port hot-buttered rum.

Just getting out of the Port Orchard Yacht Club was hard, as the wind whipped me around, and I was going in reverse full throttle turned at the mouth of the channel and bucked white caps all the way to the Southworth Ferry.

It was so delightful to see the children waving, jumping up and down, and running from room to room to see us.

Some families even came down to the shore and serenaded us with “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” — lots of strobe lights and acknowledging flashes of light.

Many thanks to Ace Hardware and Albertson’s for their donation of blue lights.

Capt. SHERRY BARNHART

Port Orchard