Halloween Boat Burning Celebrates 20th Anniversary

Perhaps one of the most illuminating events in Sayville is the annual Halloween Boat Burning held at the Long Island Maritime Museum. This year marked the 20th anniversary of the ritual and drew a crowd of more than 3,000 adults and children.

"Our 20th annual Halloween Boat Burning was a huge success thanks to our family of Long Island Maritime Museum volunteers, the West Sayville Fire Department, and everyone in attendance," said Natasha Alexenko, executive director of the museum. "Every year, the museum chooses a wooden vessel that is beyond hope of restoration and gives it a 'Viking Funeral.' It's a unique event that we are very happy to offer to the families in our community. The proceeds of this event help the museum fulfill its mission to preserve Long Island's maritime history for educational purposes. "

This year was one of the strongest in terms of attendance. "Over 3,000 adults and children were on hand to witness the boat burning," Alexenko added. "This event typically draws between 1,500 and 3,000 attendees. We really enjoy hosting events that bring families out for an experience they won't soon forget."

There was also a raffle drawing for the 16-foot Cruising Sharpie Catbird 16. The Catbird 16 was hand made by volunteers of the museum in the Moonbeam Boat Shop with Bob Grooms serving as Boatwright. It is a beautiful wooden boat that comes completely finished with sails and a removable cabin. Volunteers build a new boat every year to be raffled off.

"This annual event has become a fall tradition in our community," Alexenko said. "We also get the chance to show off the outstanding craftsmanship of our boat shop volunteers by raffling off a piece of their work. We love bringing unique events such as the boat burning to the community we serve."

Live music was played under the gazebo to keep the crowds entertained as the boat was set ablaze by the West Sayville Fire Department.