Water parade participants must register

Staff Report
Boat owners who want to take part in the Louisiana Shrimp and Petroleum Festival water parade must register in advance at the festival office, 715 S. Second Street.
You’ll need to fly the special identification flag provided by the festival office at no charge. The flags must be visible for the judges.
Among the rules for participating:
Please stay on either side of the river, away from the center of the waterway (to allow king and queen vessels to make their way into the area to begin the parade.) When these large offshore supply vessels are on site and begin circling in front of the Berwick docks, this will signal the start of the parade. The Blessing of the Vessels will take place in front of the Berwick docks.
The parade route is circular, starting at the Berwick Docks, traveling upriver on the Berwick side all the way to Conrad’s, circling to the Morgan city side going downriver under the highway bridges, then circling upriver on the Berwick side. (See the map included) The parade route is made of an inner circle and outer circle. Large, supply vessels will be located in the inner circle and smaller craft on the outer circle.
For your safety and the safety of the other vessels, please don’t shorten this circular pattern.
At approximately 10:45 a.m., the king and queen vessels will break off from the parade in front of the Berwick Docks and maneuver their vessels bow to bow for the traditional champagne toast. It is imperative that all other vessels stay clear while this maneuver is being executed.
At this point, all vessels should point into the current to maintain their position in honor of the Royal Champagne Toast. In addition, the media will be recording this historic event from the Berwick wharf area; therefore, please do not position your vessel directly in line with the bows of the royal vessels on the Berwick side of the waterway.
Please remember: the bow-to-bow toast in the river current is a difficult maneuver. The skippers of these vessels will need you to stand well off to allow them room to maneuver quickly should they need to. Do not position your craft directly up river or down river of them and give them plenty of room.
Please refrain from sounding your horns until the king and queen’s glasses touch, at which time you are encouraged to make as much noise as possible!
The Louisiana Shrimp & Petroleum Festival & Fair Association assumes no liability for vessels and pleasure craft participating in the parade. All skippers are responsible for the safe operation of their craft and the safety of their crew and passengers.
All Coast Guard regulations and rules must be followed. You must have life jackets for everyone on board and all other Coast Guard required equipment. The Coast Guard, Sheriff’s Water Patrol, and the Wildlife & Fisheries will be on hand to regulate the parade and patrol the area. All three agencies have the authority to direct traffic and give citations. No personal watercraft (jet ski-type craft) will be allowed.
Please monitor Channel 18 on your VHF radio and KQKI 95.3 on your radio. For emergencies, use Channel 11.
Please remember to fly the registration flag so that authorities will know that your vessel is registered for participating. No vessel will be allowed into the waterway during the parade that is not registered and flying the registration flag.
Awards will be presented for the Best Decorated Vessels for Pleasure Craft, Shrimping Vessel, and Marine Vessel. The winners’ names will be announced at 3 p.m. Sept. 4 from the Petroleum Heritage Stage.