A smaller blessing, but Stonington's fleet survives

Stonington - Just as he's done for the past seven years, Bishop of Norwich Michael Cote marked the 56th annual Blessing of the Fleet Sunday by splashing every fishing boat at the Town Dock with holy water.

But the greatest blessing, fishermen and residents say, is that despite rising costs and stricter regulations, this small handful of boats, the remnants of Connecticut's last commercial fishing fleet, has survived.

"It's tough to be losing these fleets, so it's great to see some boats still hanging on," said Beth Kirmmse of North Stonington. "We're losing more than fishermen - we're losing a whole way of life."

The low-key ceremony on Sunday was a marked departure from years past, when a parade and a festival would take over the waterfront and the celebration stretched two days.

This year, with fewer than a hundred attendees, there was no parade, no festival and little fanfare. Organizers eliminated the popular parade this year because of rising costs; the Town Dock party was eleminated previously for the same reason.

After celebrating a fisherman's Mass at St. Mary Church, Bishop Cote walked from boat to boat, followed by a small crowd, and blessed each one. The group then boarded the green-hulled Neptune to head out into the harbor and lay a ceremonial wreath to honor fleet members who have died at sea.

While the public may miss the popular festival and parade, the actual blessing from Cote and the laying of the wreath are what really matter for the fishermen.

"To me, the parade and all the celebrations are nice, but they're superfluous," said Allan Chaplaski, the Neptune's captain. "It's very important to honor the fishermen who've lost their lives at sea."

One smaller boat, the Stacy and Geal, somehow missed the Bishop's tour of the docks. As Cote stood on board the Neptune waiting to depart, the vessel motored up alongside the Neptune and asked to be blessed.

"The organizers couldn't have the usual festivities, but that has not lessened the significance of today," Cote said. "These men know the waters are treacherous and they do rely on a higher power. Faith is in their blood."

As the Neptune motored out toward the breakwater at the mouth of the harbor, passing luxury yachts and waterfront mansions, those on deck couldn't help but compare the shrinking festival with the problems facing the industry in general - such as strict regulations which severely limit their earnings and threaten to put them out of business.

"The laws have to be there, but a lot of the time they don't consider the fishermen. That's not to say we haven't depleted the stocks and polluted the water, but it's a very complicated issue; there's no single smoking gun," said Wes Greenleaf, a friend of Chaplaski. "The effects of the regulations are very small, and they're not going to change things."

Nate Kirmmse, another friend of Chaplaski, agreed.

"It's a classic case of well-meaning malfeasance," he said. "Fishermen are being demonized by people trying to do the right thing."

The Neptune eventually came to a stop, and after a brief prayer, the anchor-shaped wreath was laid in the water, slowly breaking into pieces as it floated away.

Although there was no festival in town for the boat to return to, those on board had their own plans for a celebration. After the ship pulled into the dock, crewmembers, family and friends began piling fresh seafood dishes - clam chowder casserole, shrimp salad and fish cakes, to name a few - onto the ship's conveyor belt, turning the deck into an impromptu potluck.

Adam Silverman, visiting the area from New York City with his family, happened upon the Neptune while wandering around the docks looking for the accompanying festival that no longer exists. But he wasn't disappointed - his family was instantly invited on board and given heaping plates of food.

"They didn't have enough money for the parade, and the fleet is shrinking, yet they were still kind enough to invite us on board and share their food with a bunch of strangers," he said. "What a phenomenal experience."