BOSTON--Beside a windswept pier aboard the sleek "Spirit of Boston," Bostonians attempted to set a new Guinness world record for the "World's Largest Tea Party" Saturday.

The event was sponsored by Guinness as part of a publicity campaign for its new website.

Stephen Nelson, CEO of guinnessworldrecords.com, said the event was intended to reach a broad audience in a creative way.

"We want to raise community excitement about record-breaking events and promote Guinness World Records on the web," Nelson said.

Guinness hopes to stage more promotional record-breaking events throughout the country.

"We recently sponsored the 'World's Loudest Stadium Roar' at a game featuring the Patriots and Broncos," he said. "The noise level was displayed on the stadium's big screen. And we reached 128 decibels."

Nelson said he hoped Boston would be able to set a new world record, although the company has not previously tracked the "largest tea party" category.

Boston isn't the only city that has a historic penchant for tea--and record-breaking tea parties.

Nelson noted that at the end of 1999, Hong Kong hosted a tea party for 5,000 people. But, he said, Guinness did not sponsor that event, and the organizers still have not supplied Guinness officials with supporting evidence like video footage.

The "Spirit of Boston" holds 650 people, and Nelson said the company hoped to reach that number throughout the day. But attendance seemed to fall far short, with only about 50 people at 11:30 a.m., and some partygoers criticized the event's lack of publicity.

The Soutis family, who just arrived in the United States from England, said the event was badly advertised and that there weren't enough signs. But the new residents of Arlington said they appreciated the festive details.

Despite the chilly breeze, families were greeted outside the ship by a cheerfully costumed white bunny.

Participants were given free candy and Guinness Book of World Records t-shirts and escorted aboard the ship.

The boat, which was surprisingly motionless in the choppy waters of Boston Harbor, was decorated with multicolored spotlights. Dozens of tables interspersed with trays of snacks were arranged around a dance floor.

Most of the children gathered on the ship's lower level, where they were entertained by costumed characters from Alice in Wonderland, including the Queen of Hearts and Alice herself.

With a plethora of free food, mugs, buttons and plenty of promotional gifts, most of the tea party participants said they were pleased.

"I don't care much for mugs, but I did win the new Guinness 2001 book," said Ronda Hartmann, a Boston resident and MIT employee.

"They asked me who has run the Boston Marathon the most number of times," she said. "I told him it was that John Kelly guy. I think he's run the marathon 62 or 63 times."

The children seemed to have the best time setting the new world record.

Ronda Hartmann's 8-year-old daughter Aurelia said the man who made the balloon characters was her favorite.

She proudly displayed the translucent balloon horse that wrapped around her waist and held her yellow monkey balloon up for all to admire.

"I liked the magician too, when he made the coins disappear," Aurelia said.

"You know, I can probably drink 12 cups of tea," she boasted.

"Don't exaggerate," her mother said.

"Well, when I'm very, very thirsty," Aurelia added sheepishly.

Meg Doherty-Scannell of Maine was one of the Disney-like characters hired to entertain youngsters at the tea party.

But Doherty-Scanell, who was elaborately dressed as the Queen of Hearts, said she wasn't so sure that the children enjoyed her presence.

"I've just been scaring them," she said.