Phaneuf Funeral Homes & Cremation Society of NH Expand Services for Burial at Sea

Phaneuf Funeral Homes & Crematorium and the Cremation Society of New Hampshire have developed an alliance with New England Burials at Sea, LLC, to have the company handle all sea scatterings and full body sea burials for the firms.  Phaneuf has been offering sea scatterings for over 10 years, historically off the Isle of Shoals. This new joint venture will now provide enhanced service offerings for those looking to honor their loved one with an ocean burial, including a variety of additional location options up and down the Eastern seaboard for attended memorials. Scatterings where families are not attending will continue to take place off the Isle of Shoals.  Phaneuf and CSNH are the newest and most active firms in New Hampshire who are certified by New England Burials at Sea, LLC to work with them.

New England Burials at Sea, LLC (NEBAS), based out of Marshfield, MA, is the best known company in the U.S. for sea burial, with a fleet of properly licensed and insured vessels and captains - operating from Maine to Florida as well as on the west coast.  The company offers attended or unattended year round memorial cruises for traditional ash scatterings or complete full body (casket free) eco-friendly sea burials, per EPA and USCG laws and regulations.  Attended memorial cruises can accommodate small groups, up to as many as several hundred people.

Funeral Directors of Phaneuf Funeral Homes & Crematorium underwent a certification process with NEBAS, where they learned EPA & USCG rules, laws and regulations, how to properly describe sea burial options as well as how to discuss the process and answer questions with family members.

NEBAS Founder Captain Brad White said, “Working with Phaneuf Funeral Home companies is a real pleasure. They offer the latest and most sophisticated products and services for their clients and we are proud that they have chosen us as their partner to elevate their sea burial offerings.”

Clients of Phaneuf Funeral Homes & Crematorium or Cremation Society of New Hampshire have the option to have a Phaneuf Funeral Director preside over the memorial service, or they may have a member of their clergy, the captain of the vessel or a representative of their choosing lead the services. Funeral Directors are required for full body burials, however are not required for ash scatterings. Families receive an official certificate marking the latitude and longitude of their loved one’s burial from NEBAS.

“We are seeing a rise in this trend, as cremations continue to grow in preference over cemetery burials” said Buddy Phaneuf, President of Phaneuf Funeral Homes & Crematorium and Cremation Society of New Hampshire.  “Sea burials offer closure for the family and a dignified send-off for loved ones. We are pleased that we are now able to enhance our offerings, with this a unique and high quality memorial service option provided by New England Burials at Sea.”