Opening Day 2026, May 1st and 2nd
*** DEADLINE *** for boat registration is April 21st!
We are pleased to continue our involvement with the celebration of Opening Day of the Boating Season - for over one hundred years a Northwest tradition hosted by the Seattle Yacht Club. Like every year, Opening Day of boating will be held the first Saturday in May. A weekend known for a high likelihood of both a sunburn and torrential downpour in the same day.
Our Opening Day Host – The Seattle Yacht Club
The Seattle Yacht Club has extended a special invitation to ACBS members to join in all of their Opening Day festivities. Stop by the club Wednesday through Saturday. For information on all the SYC/Opening Day activities please visit www.seattleyachtclub.org.
ACBS PNW Boat Rides – Steve Snider (Opening Day Chair) confirmed with Diane Lander we are on for boat rides!! We’ll be organizing a flotilla of ACBS boats to visit the Yacht Club on Friday afternoon May 1st from 2:00 to 4:00 pm to give rides. SYC sets up a special dock for us to pick up guests and take them out along the log boom. Pick up location is between covered docks 3 and 4. This gives us a great chance to treat people from all over, to show them the log boom, tell them about the ACBS and ‘give back’ to our hosts and visiting guests. If you are available to give rides, call or e-mail Steve Snider at 206-714-2404 stevesnideris@gmail.com
THE SKIT!
Many Thanks to Brenda Chrystie who created this theme skit for us!
This year’s PNW-ACBS Opening Day SPIRIT CLASS Skit will be “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness,” a celebration of the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, featuring Members of Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and Sons of the American Revolution (SAR).
● Ideally, 13 (one for each of the founding colonies) beautifully restored PNW-ACBS open-cockpit boats with SAR & DAR members in colonial costume.
● PNW-ACBS skippers will be provided with tricorn hats to wear
● The lead boat will have SAR and PNW-ACBS members dressed and in position at the time of passing the Seattle Yacht Club officers as to mimic the signing of the Declaration of In dependence
- Plus 56 handmade 5’ quill pens, one for each of the original signers of The Declaration of Independence
Click here for an Amazon list of costume and boat decor ideas.
Speaking of boat decor, there will be a Special Prize for the best decorated PNW-ACBS Opening Day boat!
This collaboration between our ACBS chapter and the Sons and Daughters of the American Revolution will be a fun way to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the birth of our Nation and to connect with others who are passionate about history.
As always, we will be registered in the Spirit Class for the parade. There isn’t another category that would really apply to us. SYC guidelines for the Spirit Class: “Any fleet which exhibits crowd-pleasing Spirit AND Enthusiasm in attire, decoration and actions. Each entry will be judged on the following categories: crew and guest actions, attire, fleet spirit, fleet seamanship and fleet overall look.” Please keep this in mind when passing by the judges, on the first boats on the south side after the cut .
As always, the main goal is to have fun and have as many boats as possible participating, so a costume is not required.
SCHEDULE FOR THE WEEKEND
Friday Afternoon: May 1st @ 2:00: ACBS PNW Boat Rides: Who is planning to give boat rides? We start at 2:00 between docks 3 & 4. Five to seven Boats would be ideal. Please email Steve Snider or call/text if you are planning to give boat rides.
Friday Evening: Opening Day Dinner is at Chinooks at Fisherman’s Terminal @ 6:00, we have reservations for the maximum of 16. More are welcome with your own groups. Possible overnight moorage is being arranged. Moorage for dinner and breakfast is available in front of Chinooks. Leave extra fenders out for possible rafting.
Saturday Morning: Breakfast will be at the Bay Cafe at Fisherman's Terminal in "The Back Room" starting at 9AM. Skippers meeting and final Parade details announced by Steve Snider, and Skippers get your free Tricorn hat. Contact Steve if you need a ride, and come to breakfast.
Saturday Noon: We will head from Fisherman’s Terminal towards the parade staging area at Portage Bay. If you have a handheld VHF (ch 68) that will be helpful to monitor parade progress.
Saturday approx 2:00: This is when we typically take our turn going through the cut, at the direction of the SYC Parade Director (ch 68) Remember to have SPIRIT! After the parade we typically head straight to the Conibear Shellhouse, but it is important to make sure the crew boats have had enough time to get back to the crew house and shells put away.
Saturday Afternoon: after the parade, lunch at the UW Husky Crew House: Following the parade we’ll arrive at the Conibear Shellhouse, home of the University of Washington Rowing Crew. Bring your own lunch; we will picnic on the crew house dock or up in the cafeteria. Around 3:30 after the parade has ended, the green light will be turned on for boat traffic west through the cut and we can return to Lake Union.
"Reply" for Opening Day questions and comments email Chair Steve Snider. For questions about our skit, email Brenda Chrystie. Their phone numbers are available through our Wild Apricot phone app, or our website.
