Burials at Sea
Traditionally, the licensed professionals that perform burials at sea work for large companies that offer this service as one of their business entities. The Angels Ashes sets itself apart by not treating the scattering of ashes at sea of a loved one as a business. Our yacht, ‘Orion’ is our personal boat; a beautiful boat made in Taiwan and is only used for our family’s pleasure and for the burials at sea. She is meticulously cared for by the owner, Pat O’Connor, and is kept safe for you and in pristine condition for your very special occasion.
It is noteworthy that Mr. O’Connor has been a boat owner for 50 years, has worked for the United States Coast Guard, and has received medals and letters of commendation from two Presidents of the United States for his service to this country, and serves as a Missionary on a regular basis. ‘Orion’ has also been inspected and certified by the United States Coast Guard. For you and your party this gives you the assurance that you are in safe and caring hands. We can make the promise that our ceremony will be the most loving, beautiful, peaceful, and meaningful burial at sea that is offered by anyone in loving respect and honor to your loved one.
We all shop wisely for what we need, but please be very careful: Ask yourself, “Am I really getting what I truly desire in loving and honorable tribute for my loved one?” The Angel’s Ashes strives to be the best and guarantees you that you couldn’t find a more loving way to scatter the ashes. We are supported solely by donations to The Last Watch, my sister company as I do all the burials at sea for the military. We perform burials at sea out of Long Beach Harbor, Redondo Beach’s King Harbor, and Newport Harbor. It is not uncommon for the deceased to have put it into their will their wish to be buried at a specific location. We recently honored the loved one’s request by performing a ceremony off Laguna Beach and one off Hermosa Beach. The Angel’s Ashes is the only company that provides these services and has their own mooring in Emerald Bay on Catalina Island should you wish to have your ceremony at Catalina.
Burials at sea can be divided into five different categories:
Attended Memorial Service
The most popular of all services begins with you and your party boarding the ‘Orion’ for a burial at sea with the scattering of ashes of the deceased. We provide everything you will need for an incredibly beautiful ceremony. As we plan the service with you, you may wish to ‘customize’ the occasion even more by deciding to bring a Minister, special prayers or music, adult beverages, or selected foods. Our planned service will take about two hours from the time we meet until we return to the dock. The funeral service will consist of lowering the ashes in a basket covered with flower petals followed by the ringing of the ship’s bell to signify ‘The Last Watch’.
Revisit to the Burial Site
Attended by family members aboard the yacht, we return to the exact burial site of the loved one. A designated family member receives a Memorial Certificate after the original service which shows this location marked by Latitude/Longitude. The records we keep allows for this special service at any time you wish to make arrangements. This is like when we visit a gravesite at a cemetery.
Unattended Memorial Service
In the three unattended memorial services we offer, family members do not accompany me when I enter the ashes into the ocean. We are a unique company in the way we handle this as the loving honor given to the deceased is never compromised. The entire ceremony takes place at a burial site selected for beauty, calm waters, and little boating traffic. The burial at sea can be seen by the family should you select our unattended memorial services.
View from Shore
We select a location convenient for you to view the proceedings should the family members decide not to be aboard the ‘Orion’ for the actual ceremony. I drive the yacht to the burial site with the ashes and notify the family when the exact time of the burial is to take place. Music and flowers accompany the entering of the ashes in a basket into the sea. The ceremony ends with prayers by the captain and the ringing of the ship’s bell 8 times. The ashes and flowers are then circled by the boat before departure back to the dock. A designated family member will be sent a Memorial Certificate commemorating the event.
Multiple Scattering of Ashes
The captain will make arrangements with a crematorium to pick up multiple sets of ashes. We are especially unique in the way we handle the actual day of ceremonies as we treat it no differently than if family members were on board. In honor and love for the deceased, we go to different burial sites and hold a special ceremony for each individual. We play music and sprinkle the ocean with flowers as each set of ashes is lowered by basket into the ocean. Each burial at sea ceremony is marked by the sounding of the ship’s bell signifying ‘The Last Watch’.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us today here at The Angel’s Ashes on 714-393-999 and let us help you honor your loved one with a burial at sea services that will be one to remember!