ORGANISERS of the Christmas Boat Parade have appealed for more entries for this year's event ? otherwise they warned that what has become a Bermuda holiday tradition could die.

Norma Thomson, founder of the event and a member of the organising committee, said 80 decorated boats had cruised around Hamilton Harbour in the inaugural Boat Parade in 1998.

Last year, less than half that number took part and early this week Mrs. Thomson said only around ten confirmed entries, although many more expressions of interest, had been received for the 2004 Boat Parade, scheduled to take place on the evening of Saturday, December 11.

Mrs. Thomson stressed that others besides boat owners should consider taking part.

"If there are organisations out there who want to participate, like charities and schools, then contact us and we will be able to find you a boat and maybe help you find someone to sponsor the lights," Mrs. Thomson said.

"You don't have to be really creative. It's just a case of getting a few friends together and putting up the lights. It's a real fun event.

"It takes more than $30,000 to put this event on and I don't think people know how we struggle to make it happen. There should be no need for us to struggle as there are hundreds of boats out there.

"Since 1998 there has been a decline in numbers, but the Boat Parade has become a Bermuda holiday tradition and we don't want it to die. We want to keep it going for the public who turn out to watch in their thousands, for the visitors and for the children, whose eyes light up when they see it."

The Christmas Boat Parade was Mrs. Thomson's brainchild. She got the idea from seeing a similar event in Newport Beach, California in the 1980s.

"Bermuda has a much better setting than Newport Beach for this kind of event," she said. "In Newport Beach, the boats go off into the waves, but here we have a protected harbour and as the boats circle it's like a carousel."

Those wishing to take part can enter via the web site, and entry is free.

A skipper's meeting will be held at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club on Wednesday, December 8.

There are more than 25 prizes to be won including the grand prize, a round-trip airline ticket for two to the US. The best boats in ten categories will win prizes at the post-cruise party for all participants at the RBYC. Anyone with further queries is asked to call Steve Thomson on 292-6563.