Category Archives: Gloucester Fishing

PARADE OF SAIL WITH SCHOONER STROMBUS AND THE EAST GLOUCESTER GANG!

I love trying to capture friend’s boats during the Parade of Sail. Here’s our neighbor’s Geoff and Mandy’s beautiful Schooner Strombus that they built and launched back in 2017, and the sweetest crew of East Gloucester friends!

The Schooner Strombus won the 2023 Betty Ramsey Award in the Marconi Rigged Class!

 

Strombus Schooner Launch Party, from July 2017-  

A new schooner was added to Gloucester’s growing fleet. The schooner was launched today at 11am from the Rocky Neck Marine Railways. Strombus, built by Geoff Deckebach, with help from his wife Mandy, was twelve years in the making. They began gutting and restoring the boat all those many years ago when work and raising a family slowed progress. About a year ago, Geoff decided to turn his full attention to the restoration. The schooner is simply beautiful. More work will continue on the interior and it will be ready enough to motor along in this year’s upcoming Schooner Festival.

SUN AND SAIL PHOTOS FROM THE GLOUCESTER 2023 SCHOONER FESTIVAL PARADE OF SAIL AND RACE RESULTS!

What glorious weather for the entire 39th Annual Gloucester Schooner Festival and Parade of Sail! 

If interested in the name of the schooner, click on the photo; most are captioned.

 

GLOUCESTER MARITIME HERITAGE DAY HAPPENING TODAY FROM 10AM TO 4PM

Scenes from today’s Maritime Heritage Day – The event runs from 10am to 4pm, with demonstrations and sails taking place throughout the day. Some of the highlights are the kid-friendly demonstrations including a vintage rope making machine, an iron forger, and Sea Scouts explaining oyster culture.

 

One of the very favorite demonstrations was net-making, taught by Captain Joe Sanfilippo of Extreme Gloucester Fishing.

 

Captain Joe Sanfilippo is part of the SaLT group (Sea and Land Together) that gives lectures and teaches classes at Cedar Rock Garden. A new series of classes is being offered in the fall

More about Extreme Gloucester Fishing

Extreme Gloucester Fishing Commercial Fishing Training Center is a sustainable fisheries learning center, providing hands on training in the classroom and on local commercial fishing vessels. Our focus is the professional training of sustainable fishing practices and job placement within the fishing community. During your time at Extreme Fishing you will develop personally, academically and professionally. Whatever your focus:
– Marine Safety
– Marine Electronics
– Vessel Handling
– Diesel Mechanics
– Fishing methods and terminology
– Policies and Regulations

With the completion of the curriculum you will have learned the skills, knowledge and tools to build a foundation for a successful future. Captain Joseph Sanfilippo is a Northeast Commercial Fisherman born and raised in historic Gloucester, Massachusetts, the youngest of five boys born into the business. His extensive knowledge, work ethic and passion for the industry has led him to pursue and achieve great accomplishments. He has co-owned three 60-90 foot stern trawlers and personally owned and operated an 86 foot trawler. Having started working on family boats, he acquired the many skills it takes to be one of the best Commercial Fishing Captains in the Northeastern U.S. His passion and heritage have led him to teach his skills to many young Commercial Fishermen. He has worked with many community boat repair and fishing gear shops along the way and takes tremendous pride in all he does. At age 50, he is one of the youngest Captains in the Gloucester fleet.

Our Vision is for Extreme Gloucester Fishing Training Center to provide an oceans, bays and river related theme based education designed to actively engage and challenge it’s students in all things commercial fishing. Trainees will be valued for their strong work ethic, knowledge, experience and leadership capabilities. Extreme Gloucester Fishing will stay on the leading edge of innovative technologies and teaching strategies and help support a sustainable fishery. Gloucester is home to a rich fishing history and has to be first in its approach to commercial fishing to stay competitive.

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY FROM #gloucesterma

You’re a Grand Old Flag!

DAY’S END FV RAZZO GLOUCESTER

 

Lots of fun this afternoon with Charlotte at Maritime Gloucester’s Heritage Day!

The staff was great with the kids. Biologist and educator Hannah at the sea pocket aquarium nonstop answered the kid’s enthusiastic questions while Noelle was super helpful with craft projects. Many thanks to Maritime Gloucester for a fun event!

Lots more happening for the 38th Annual Schooner Festival. See the full schedule here.

Especially don’t miss the ever beautiful Parade of Sail tomorrow, Sunday, morning at 10am.

SCHOONER FEST SCHEDULE OF EVENTS AND SCHOONER CHALLENGE!

Many, many thanks to Elizabeth Carey and Tess McColgan from Discover Gloucester for the invitation to the 38th Annual Schooner Festival press day event. It was a fantastic treat to watch the Schooner Challenge from the press boat, Blue Sky, with father son team Captain Al and first mate Ollie Fichera.

Festival Schedule
FESTIVAL PROGRAM

Thursday, Sept 1

  • SCHOONER CHALLENGE – 5:30 to 7:30pm – Gloucester Harbor

Join our local Schooner Captains as they participate in a friendly competition putting their seamanship to the test over an “obstacle” course. Passengers will be given their own set of tasks to win the coveted Rum Bottle Award. Visiting schooners already arrived will join the event. The public is invited to purchase tickets aboard participating schooners. Check various schooner websites for ticketing details.

Friday, Sept 2

  • All Day – The SCHOONERS ARRIVE – Gloucester Harbor with shoreside viewing

Historic Gloucester Harbor sets the scene for the arrival of over 2 dozen schooners throughout the day and. Spend the day viewing these wonderful vessels filling our harbor. Details of schooner arrival times will be provided as possible via social media.

  • 6:00 to 10:00pm – Gloucester Block Party – Main Street, Gloucester

  • What Time Is It, Mr. Fox? | 6:00-8:30pm | Performance at Music on Meetinghouse Green

Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce and local businesses roll out the red carpet on Main Street for Gloucester Schooner Festival with a street party!  Shopping, food, entertainment, and fun are on the agenda all evening.

  • 6:00 & 7:00pm – Harbor Tour of Schooner Fleet

Join Cape Ann Harbor Tours for an evening harbor cruise of the schooner fleet. Tickets are $15 and you can click here to visit their website and register.

​Saturday, Sept 3

  • International Dory Committee Exhibition – 9:00 am – Maritime Gloucester, 23 Harbor Loop

  • Maritime Heritage Day – 10 am – 4 pm – Maritime Gloucester, 23 Harbor Loop

The heart of the Gloucester Schooner Festival’s land-based activities is Maritime Heritage Day, distributed over 3 locations in downtown Gloucester! Maritime Gloucester opens its campus for a day of maritime heritage, live demonstrations, schooner sails, family fun, and new this year our Heritage Galley food truck court! We also have schooner viewing, deck tours and community organizations at the schooner docks at 65 Rogers street and across the harbor at Ocean Alliance.  See the full Maritime Heritage Day schedule here.

  • Schooner Viewing and Deck Tours! – 10:00am to 4:00pm

               THREE Locations:

  • Maritime Gloucester, 23 Harbor Loop

  • Schooner Floats – I4C2 parking lot, 65 Rogers St

  • Ocean Alliance – 32 Horton Street, Rocky Neck

  • Once Upon A Whale Song Exhibit with Artist Perri Howard | 10:00am-2:00pm| Ocean Alliance, 32 Horton Street
  • 6:00 & 7:00pm – Harbor Tour of Schooner Fleet

Join Cape Ann Harbor Tours for an evening harbor cruise of the schooner fleet. Tickets are $15 and you can click here to visit their website and register.

  • 7:00 to 9:30pm –  Boat Parade of Lights – Annisquam River and Inner Harbor

Open to all who wish to decorate their boat and enter, this is a fantastic visual display starting in the Annisquam River and ending in the Smith’s Cove area of the harbor. Click here for details

  • 9:15 – FIREWORKS!

The night sky lights up with the annual fireworks display over Stage Fort Park.  Get on a schooner charter, watch from your boat, or enjoy from nearly anywhere in the city, this spectacle is a great way to enjoy Schooner Festival.

Sunday, Sept 4

  • Parade of Sail – 10:00am to 12:00pm – Gloucester Harbor, Stacey Boulevard and Eastern Point viewing

The entire fleet of schooners joins together for a Parade of Sail not to be missed!  Whether you get aboard a schooner or watch from the shore, this is a memorable experience for all. Prime viewing areas are Stacy Boulevard, Stage Fort Park, and Eastern Point.  On the Boulevard, our Festival Chair Daisy Nell Collinson, Michael Costello, and Maritime Gloucester Historian Justin Demetri will provide live commentary. NEW THIS YEAR Good Morning Gloucester will be live streaming the Parade of Sail! Now you can tune in to the commentary if you are at Stage Fort Park or watch from your computer if you aren’t able to make it in person! Schooners proceed from the Inner Harbor, past the Fisherman’s Memorial on Stacy Boulevard, to the race starting area off Eastern Point. Click Here for Live Stream.

  • 11:00 am to 1:30pm – Shuttle Bus to Eastern Point Light

Catch the CATA shuttle from Eastern Point Gate (Eastern Point Boulevard at Farrington Ave) to watch the start of the Mayor’s Race. Free of charge, courtesy of Cape Ann Transportation Authority

  • Mayor’s Cup Race – 1:00pm to 4:00pm – Massachusetts Bay off Gloucester

The Premier Event – The Mayor’s Races!  This year’s schooners match up in small, medium, and large categories for a reach-reach competition viewing for the Esperanto Cup, The Ned Cameron Trophy, The Betty Ramsey Award, and the George Nichols & Amanda Madeira Woman at the Wheel Award.

Monday, Sept 5 – Labor Day​

Rain Date for Heritage Day or Race. Maritime Gloucester open from 10 to 4pm

For more information, please go here

 

SCENES FROM FRIDAY FIESTA

A glorious Friday Fiesta overflowing with joyful, smiling Fiesta goers. One attendee sweetly spoke about how during Fiesta, the community of Gloucester comes together like one big family, and we all become Sicilian for a weekend. Viva San Pietro!

With thanks and gratitude to the Fiesta Committee for organizing the 2022 St. Peter’s Fiesta, no small feat after a two year hiatus due to Covid. 

Joseph Novello – President

Michael Linquata – Vice President

Anthony Cusumano – Treasurer

Rose Aiello – Clerk

Christopher Palazzola – Committee Member

Salvatore Ferrara – Committee Member

Ralph Puopolo – Committee Member

Carlo Barbara – Committee Member

Rose Aiello – Committee Member

Alphonse Millefoglie – Committee Member

Lucia Sheehan – Recording Secretary

HAPPY MOM’S DAY!

Think Pink!

Sharing this beautiful arrangement sent to us by our daughter Liv. The bouquet looks exquisite no matter which way you turn the vase, and is becoming more beautiful with each passing day. The fabulous combination of scents – of roses, peonies, and Oriental lilies – are wafting through our home.  Created by Audrey’s Flower Shop.

 

 

PHOTOS FROM THE GLOUCESTER LOBSTER BOAT PROTEST PARADE

Cape Ann lobstermen and fishermen held a protest boat parade Wednesday afternoon. The parade was organized to show support for local lobstermen in light of the recent temporary closure of lobstering grounds and new requirements to purchase special gear. The grounds are closed until May 1st, possibly until May 15th, to prevent gear entanglements during the endangered Right Whale migration through Massachusetts waters.

Under overcast skies, the lobster boats gathered at Ten Pound Island and headed in the direction of the State Fish Pier. The parade circled the inner harbor several times to the cheering and honking of supporters lining the shore. After a good showing of lobster boats, fishing boats, and supporters, the parade ended under clearing skies.

Beautiful Fleet