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The Friday Ferry Farewell Flotilla.

Each fourth Friday during the summer months, the Community Boating Center has been hosting a flotilla of boats in south Bellingham Bay to send off the departing Alaska ferry.

The 418-foot MV Columbia leaves the Bellingham Cruise Terminal at 6:00 PM every Friday, bound for Ketchikan. To encourage public participation in the flotilla, the Boating Center offers 20% off the rental cost of sailing dinghies and human-powered watercraft, including kayaks, rowboats and paddleboards.
Another option is a chance to row as a crew member of the Plume, a replica of the longboats used by Captain Vancouver on his voyage of exploration of this region. The Plume was built by staff and students of Bellingham’s Home Port Learning Center, an alternative school for at-risk youth in Whatcom County.

I was in an inflatable runabout. It was a perfect evening to be out on the water. The water was smooth, and I was warm enough dressed in just a tee shirt and shorts. Cynthia chose to watch from dry land, but managed to get a great blip with her very long zoom lens.