Lighted boats will buoy up your holiday spirits

Here are some fun, free events not far from home:

Since we live in one of the more nautical corners of the planet, it's almost considered mutinous not to watch a parade of brightly decorated boats every December. You have multiple chances to join in the salty holiday spirit this weekend.

• The Christmas Ship parade ranges from Port Orchard to the Olympic Sculpture Park tonight, with drive-bys of Carkeek Park on Friday, Alki Beach on Saturday and Winslow on Sunday. See www.argosycruises.com.

• The Chet Gibson Memorial Cruise, an annual extravaganza of the Queen City Yacht Club begun by Capt. Chet Gibson in 1941, happens Friday and Saturday, starting at 6 p.m. near Gas Works Park and proceeding out to Lake Washington and Bellevue's Meydenbauer Bay on Friday, then to Kirkland and Sand Point on Saturday. See www.queencity.org/event/lighted-boat-parade-1.

• Elsewhere around the Sound, look for the Seas 'n Greetings celebration with the Thea Foss, from Foss Harbor Marina in Tacoma at 7 p.m. Friday (www.fossharbormarina.com); and the Gig Harbor Yacht Club tour of Gig Harbor Saturday at 5 p.m. (www.gigharborguide.com).

For more details on all of these events, search "Boating" in our online Weekend Calendar.