Lighted Boat Parade story-JLAC Junior Rowng

Dec 6, 2004 : JLAC Juniors Brighten the 2004 Lighted Boat Parade

This year the annual Lighted Boat Parade on the Oakland-Alameda Estuary began a new tradition when it welcomed its first "hand powered" entry: JLAC's Juniors in their brightly decorated rowing barge. The JLAC contingent wowed both the judges and the crowd's at the popular event by boldly entering an event that had previously been the sole domain of sail and power vessels. The JLAC girls not only easily kept up with the parade as it motored its way up and down the Estuary, they so impressed the judges that a special award was created just for them: "x

The Lighted Boat Parade is an annual event that corresponds with the lighting of the large Christmas Tree at Jack London Square and, this year, the downtown holiday parade in Oakland on December 4. It is a joint project of Jack London Square and the Encinal Yacht Club, which is located on the Alameda side of the Estuary. The third-oldest yacht club on San Francisco Bay, Encinal has an active junior sailing program and, when approached by JLAC about entering the Parade, they encouraged participation by waiving all entry fees and promising a prominent place in line.

The yacht club certainly got their money's worth. Using many feet of lumber, many yards of Christmas lights, an inflatable Santa, and one reasonably quiet Honda generator, the twelve-oared JLAC barge was transformed into a floating tree ornament. On a cold, clear night in water churned up by the 30-odd entries, the JLAC Juniors rowed merrily in line with the other brightly festooned yachts. Beginning on the Alameda side with a pass in front of the Encinal judging stands, it seemed that the plucky barge might be the crowd favorite. But it was only after the mile-row over to the Jack London Square viewing area, where hundreds of spectators lined the water, that the barge drew the biggest cheers of the night. The JLAC rowers perfected a one-hand-on-the-oar wave drill that allowed them to thank the crowd and still not miss a stroke.

Back at the Boathouse, the rowers warmed up with hot chocolate while the decorations came of the barge and the Parade judges tallied their results. A few days later the girls got the news: because of their participation a new category has been added the event, which they won in their inaugural outing. And JLAC has been invited back next year, again with all fees waived.