Photo by Heather Rawlyk — The Capital Tom Guay, guitarist and backup singer for Tiki Barbarians, performs at the first Donning of the Socks held at Boatyard Bar and Grill in Eastport.

Just about everybody knows what boaters do with their socks in the springtime: They burn them.

But when do they give in and actually put a pair back on for the winter?

Starting this year, there's finally an official answer to that burning question, and Dick Franyo, owner of Boatyard Bar & Grill in Eastport, has it.

"Starting today, it'll be every Thursday after the tug," he said, referring to the Maritime Republic of Eastport's annual tug-of-war, which took place last weekend. "We're going to do it every year. It's the fall version of the sock-burning."

Last night, at the inaugural Donning of the Socks Party, boaters gathered at the Boatyard Bar & Grill to listen to live music, sip on half-price Mount Gay drinks and celebrate the arrival of fall by covering their naked feet with a pair of cozy socks - something many a boater hadn't done for quite some time.

Several dozen people packed into the restaurant, dancing sockless under a clothesline of knee socks, ankle socks, striped socks and argyle socks until it was time to give in and cover their feet.

Tom Guay, a guitarist for the Tiki Barbarians, who played at the event, said a sock-donning party was inevitable.

"After 25 years of sock-burning, people started asking when we put them on," he said. "I guess today's the day."

Kelly Lange, whose husband is in the band, came up with the idea for the event.

"We were standing at the bar one night and she said after the boat shows, the tug of war and all that, we ought to do a sock party," Mr. Franyo said. "You gotta put the socks on and then you gotta slug it out until next spring."

The story behind the socks is that the first ones boaters put on in the fall are the ones they have to wear until March, said Elvia Thompson, who helped to organize the event.

Whether or not boaters wash them is their choice, she said, laughing.

Mrs. Lange can only hope the boaters keep their socks clean. After all, the idea of the sock-donning party was not only to celebrate fall, but also to give stinky boat shoes a break from bare feet.

"Kelly (Lange) said, 'Your shoes, they're really starting to smell foul. It's about time you put socks back on,' " Mr. Franyo said.

In theory, getting a boater to put on a pair of socks sounds simple. But many found out last night that it's not necessarily so.

"It's 70 degrees out today," said Brad Bates of Arnold. "No one wants to put on socks when it's so nice out. I'll put them on tonight to make it official, but they're coming off in the car."

Craig Marcum of Arnold also remained sockless last night - but not because he was stubborn. He just left his socks on his boat.

Looking up at dozens of socks dangling overhead, he pondered jumping up to grab a pair.

Joyce Bolton, the MRE's minister of propaganda, hopes that in time the sock-donning party will become just as popular as the burning in spring.

"I think it will be," she said. "We love an excuse to do this and have fun."

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Published November 10, 2006, The Capital, Annapolis, Md.
Copyright © 2006 The Capital, Annapolis, Md.