Friday, 03 July 2009
Blessing of the Fleet - Darien,GA

April 16-18, 2010

 


 

Welcome to the Darien, Georgia "Blessing of the Fleet" website. The 2009 Blessing promises to be the biggest and most entertaining yet. This will be 41st year of the Blessing of the Fleet, a 3-day festival that will attracts thousands of people to Darien, Georgia. The festival is sponsored by the Darien-McIntosh County Chamber of Commerce.

 
First Place
Best Decorated

Sundown

Captain Fred Todd
Owner Todd Shrimping, Inc.
1973 65-footer
Built by B-VAR Boat Yard
Home Dock: Oceans Bounty Seafood, Valona

In 1955, the first shrimp boat Bobby Todd ever captained was the old Sundown. It was owned by Bobby’s father, Big Fred Todd. In 1973, Bobby had a new shrimp boat built and named it Sundown.
 

Second Place
Best Decorated

Three Cee's

Captain and Owner,
David Poppell
1964 55-footer
Built by Dan Colson
Docked at Valona

The boat was named for three of the late Hunter Watson’s children—Cathy, Carol and Cliff, whose names began with “C.” Watson was the first owner of the boat. Poppell bought the boat from Giggs Redding and David Tootle in 1984. He has been fishing the boat for the last 25 years and has been in the shrimping industry for 31 years.
 

Third Place
Best Decorated

Grave Digger

Captain Reggie Sawyer
Owners: Barbra and Reggie Sawyer
1972 52-footer
Built by Supply N.C.
Docked at Valona

The boat was named Grave Digger for two reasons: all the time, it fishes in the place called Graveyard near Wolf Island and Reggie says that as tough as shrimping is, the boat is slowly digging his grave.
 

Working Boat Class

Miss Alena

Captain Mike Thomas
Owner: Speedy Tostensen
1990 90-footer
Built by Rodriguez