Ash Scattering at Sea Options
Options to improve you ash scattering ceremony
Scattering a loved one’s ashes can be a very personal, emotional, and singular experience. While there may not be a ‘right’ way to say goodbye, many hope to accompany their loved one with a farewell that is meaningful and memorable. Being on the water provides an opportunity to reflect, share, and celebrate a life well lived. For many, the open water creates a much needed environment to feel and heal, which can be hard to find in the pace of our everyday, modern world. It is timeless and peaceful and allows for a true pause in this world.
We, in our charters, understand the importance of the farewell ceremony and the need for personalization. Therefore, we provide optional enhancements to make your ceremony special. These may be as simple as symbolic rituals, or a bit more personalized and designed to allow you to structure a ceremony as you envision. If you need something specific that is not on the list, contact us. It is our pleasure to create special ceremonies for you.
More Time on The Yacht
A burial at sea offers families the experience to be together as a unit one more time. These kinds of moments are usually slow, and are hard to come by now a days. When you extend the time on your charter, you create the room to reflect, tell stories, and be together. These are things that should be the focus on a day that holds so much value, and are often the most treasured moments by families during an ash scattering at sea ceremony.
If your ceremony can be finished in under an hour, a suggestion is to book a charter for two hours. Your charter is currently booked for two hours, and having a three hour charter can make a difference. The values of connection and remembrance are all about time, and having an extra hour improves the flow of the day so it can be take in naturally, instead of having to feel like your time is running out.
It is also worth noting that some family members may not see one another again for a long time. Being together on the water makes for a special time to reconnect and be with one another.
Families often take this time to cruise along the coast, sail by the city skyline, and watch dolphins, or stay on the water for sunset. Some even combine the ceremony with a whale watch when the conditions are right. Many families tell us that this time spent together was one of the most special and meaningful parts of the day.
Parting Stones® – A Tangible Way to Remember
Rather than receiving standard cremated remains, families can choose Parting Stones,® which is a special and meaningful option. Parting Stones creates smooth, solid stones from your loved one’s remains. This option is a deeply personal, clean, and tactile way to remember and stay connected.
Using a unique solidification process, cremains are made into 40-60 stones (approximately). Each one is handcrafted and individually shaped to have a smooth finish. After this, they are dyed to look soft and natural in the tones of white, blue, and gray. The result is a beautiful collection of stones. Many families prefer this option, as it gives them a comforting physical connection instead of receiving loose ashes.
Parting Stones provide several meaningful benefits.
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- They do not have loose ashes, which makes them comforting to handle.
- They provide smooth and solid stones which makes it easy to hold and display.
- They are 100% your loved one, nothing added or removed from the stones.
- They are perfect for keeping close to home or sharing among family members.
Flexibility is given with the option to split the cremains. Portions can be scattered at sea and the rest can be made into Parting Stones. This way, multiple wishes are honored in a way that feels right for everyone.
Parting Stones can be carried in a pocket, placed in a bowl, shared with family members, or kept at home. They provide a calming, solid presence that can be returned to in times of reflection.
To create a set of Parting Stones, at least a ¼ cup of cremains is needed. If you would like to find out more or see if this choice is suitable for your family, we can assist you with the process with compassion and understanding.
Video or Photos – Commemorate Your Journey
We offer various video services. You can have a simple recording of the yacht ride, the ceremony, and the scattering of the remains. For a more elaborate video memorial, we can do soft edits, add music, narraion, and gentle transitions. Each service gives you a lasting way to remember the memorial and the memories made onboard.
We also offer photography services that can be planned in a totally unobtrusive way. We have a professional photographer who understands the gravity of the service and works subliminally to capture spontaneous and meaningful moments. You can send us a request for the photos to be uploaded to a disk or email if you do not wish to receive anything in the mail.
The most specific your wishes and editing, the more the impact on pricing of video and photography services. We can talk about the options available and help craft a fitting, personalized remembrance.
Using a Biodegradable Urn
Some families wish to keep the cremains in a biodegradable urn during the burial at sea ceremony. Other families directly scatter the ashes. Families are never required to use a biodegradable urn, although, it can be a suggested option. There are many option, just see our page on biodegradable urns.
Choosing to keep the cremains in the urn can be a matter of comfort, along with some religious and cultural traditions. For some, it gives a gentler experience, especially those who don’t wish to see the ashes released into the ocean. What may guide the choice is a matter of culture or personal comfort. There can be some religious traditions that guide such a choice, but ultimately, it can just be a personal preference.
The sea can be a place of rest, and some families wish to be able to rest with the ocean when they pass. There are biodegradable urns that are intended for sea burials. These are made of materials that are friendly to the environment. The materials will break down in water and allow the cremains to be released to the sea, without harming the sea life. Some urns can float for some time before they gradually sink. Many families find this moment to be very serene and a good sending off.
We have various shaped urns designed to be biodegradable. Our staff can guide you in selecting one that is fitting for the memorial.
In an effort to assist families in planning ahead, we have provided some frequently selected options on our Biodegradable Urns for Sea Burial page. If you have any inquiries, or wish to find something specific, please inform us. We are always more than willing to assist you in navigating through the options with understanding and attention.
Flowers / Wreaths for Ash Scattering
The ceremony of scattering ashes at sea can be made even more beautiful by adding floral arrangements and wreaths. They can be colorful and give more meaning and focus to a scattering ceremony. Although they are never required, many people consider flowers an important part of the sea scattering ceremony. A small amount of flowers can create a visually meaningful farewell.
Only items that are fully environmentally biodegradable can be placed in the ocean. It is important to consider that wreaths and flower arrangements must be made without the construction materials of wire, plastic, foam, and other non biodegradable materials. The members of our team are able to assist you with these arrangements and are knowledgeable about ocean safe and biodegradable materials.
Floral arrangements may be created to reflect the character, traditions, or favorite colors of your loved one, with most types of flowers and a variety of sizes and colors to choose from to create your wreath. When placed in the water, floral wreaths serve as a gentle focus to mark the memorial spot. We often recommend floral wreaths because they give families a visual point of focus and a sense of calm during the ceremony. For additional information see our flower page.
Families often decide to bring a single flower, such as a rose or a sunflower, for each person boarding. This way, each person can actively participate in the ceremony by throwing their flower into the water. This creates an opportunity for a collective moment instead of just an individual moment where they can all participate in the ceremony. The children or individuals who prefer a more personal goodbye will often find this gesture especially significant.
Some of the most popular flowers are roses, sunflowers, and wreaths. Leis are especially personal and lovely. In many cultures, it is customary to place a lei in the ocean, as this symbolizes giving love and gratitude to the sea. We often hear from families that they find this gesture to be comforting.
Please let us know if you would like help in selecting flowers or arranging a wreath. We can help you find something that is respectful and personal for your ceremony.
Sea Shells for Saying Goodbye
During ash scattering at sea, sea shells provide a tangible way for families to say their final goodbyes to their loved ones. Each family member crafts a personal note for a loved one, which gets tucked into a sea shell to be set free into the water.
This small act creates a meaningful moment of focus and connection. Everyone on board gets to participate in a private way, while still sharing the moment as a family. It brings the opportunity to participants to voice their feelings in writing, which makes it easier for some and provides a feeling of closure that is desirable and soothing.
As the shells are sunk in the water, they become a symbolic vessel, carrying messages to the sea. Many families express that this moment is one of the best parts of the ceremony, which is especially true for those who may be shy or uncertain about how to participate.
Please let us know if you would like to have sea shells as part of your charter. We’ll be happy to prepare such arrangements. On your ceremony day, we will take you through this process gently, in a way that is easy, graceful, and with no rush.
Refreshments and Catering
More complex food and drink arrangements can often be made, though cannot be made on every price set on every vessel or every date. Options depend on yacht size, trip duration, and departure. We can inform you of your food and drink options for your charter.
Taste varies, and it is often appreciated by some family members to be able to bring refreshments. This is a flexible method of incorporating favorite foods, or symbolically significant items. If you would rather not personally manage this arrangement, we are also able to provide simple catering when it is feasible.
Common options are bagels and fruit, cheese and cracker platters, veggie trays, and other small snacks. These selections are typically low cost, easy to have on board, and offer a nice, comforting, touch to the experience, especially when families will be spending extra time together on the water, Can’t catering plan refreshments We will work to the best of our ability to inform and arrange with you what is best for your specific charter.
If you have an interest in catering, snacks, and/or refreshments, please advise us, as soon as you can. We will have to check what your charter allows and what is available.