Lighted boats wanted for Petaluma parade

Scant interest and a low river level could threaten this year’s Lighted Boat Parade, a holiday tradition in downtown Petaluma.

The parade, which includes festively-lit watercraft floating into the Turning Basin, so far has no signed up participants, according to Petaluma Yacht Club Staff Commodore Linda Blue. She said that participants typically wait until the last minute to sign up.

“People do not sign up until the week or days before, if at all,” she wrote in an email. “Please do not worry, this is typical. I have been doing this for 10 years now and we always get a nice group together.”

Still, she encouraged boat-owners to sign up in advance for the Dec. 9 event. All type of lighted yacht, sailboat, run-abouts, ski boats, dinghies, canoes, kayaks and paddle boards are invited to join the parade, which starts at 6 p.m.

The depth of the Petaluma River is presenting challenges for larger boats to navigate up the river, officials said. A lack of river dredging has created shallow spots in the Turning Basin, which has kept larger vessels away, and officials hope to attract smaller boats to participate this year.

Another potential hangup, the broken D Street Bridge, has been fixed just in time for the holiday events. Kent Carothers, Petaluma’s operations manager, said the city last week repaired the drawbridge that had been inoperable for the past month, restoring access to the Turning Basin for large boats, such as the barge that delivers Santa to Petaluma on Nov. 25.

To register for the Lighted Boat Parade, email Linda Blue at linda.a.blue@gmail.com or call 510-851-4387. An email will follow with more detailed instructions regarding timing and safety considerations closer to the event.