More than 40 boats and as many captains received the annual blessing of the fleet on Sunday to begin the boating season, which for many is well underway.

Menemsha Harbor is made up of commercial fishing boats and a wide variety of different-sized recreational boats; nearly all of them were honored. A crowd gathered for a church service next to Menemsha Texaco, right next to the Squid Row bench. They shared a moment of camaraderie and got a blessing of safe passage for the season ahead from Rev. Arlene Bodge of the Chilmark Community Church.

Following Scottish bagpipes tunes played by Anthony Peak, the service opened with a spirited a cappella singing of the Star Spangled Banner by Alison Frazier-Hayden.

Menemsha Coast Guard station chief Jason Olsen read the invocation, as he stood with five colleagues in a line, all dressed in dark blue, officiating as the honor guard.

The names of 40-plus vessels and their captains was read aloud. To give special acknowledgement, Reverend Bodge asked those captains in the audience if they would raise their hands to identify themselves. To the surprise of neither their family nor friends, none of the captains would raise their hands.

Later Ms. Bodge sprinkled water on the boats along the dock. The one-hour morning service was as much music as a church service. Carol Loud, on electrical organ, accompanied all to sing songs including the Coast Guard Hymn and another waterfront hymn, Let the Lower Lights Be Burning. The program included all the words to the songs. She also did a solo, playing Lowlands on a recorder.