Gloucester’s first wind turbine – photo of the barge wending through the harbor in 2012. I recall how excited the community was when the turbines began to arrive. I don’t think of the turbines as a failure but a teaching moment. Aside from the differing viewpoints on cost effectiveness, going forward, there are more suitable places to build wind turbines than in such close proximity to people’s homes.
Gloucester’s beautiful Lobster Trap Tree and FV Ramblin’ Rose
Many, many thanks to Gloucester’s awesome firefighters for each year braving the cold and wind to attach the Christmas star atop the Lobster Trap Tree.
October’s Harvest Moon, the first of three 2025 Super Moons, descending over Gloucester City Hall, along with one of moonrise over Niles Pond.
What a delight to spy this adorable baby Wild Turkey in mid-September. Based on its size, I think it is only about three weeks old, which is very late in the season for poults.
At one point the hen and poult were separated and they were softly vocalizing back and forth to each other. The poult then flew into a low lying tree branch. Poults learn to fly early on in life to keep safe from predators.
Wild Turkey poults eat a wide variety of insects and gradually begin to include nuts, seeds, and berries. Watch how the hen is teaching the poult how to forage. I think the poult is taking an insect from the hen’s beak but I can’t tell for sure if it is berry or bug.
Wild Turkey Mom looking for her poult
Wanting to know more about Mackerel fishing in Gloucester because of the striking new public art mural created by Josh Falk, these bits of info, and painting by the Luminism master Fitz Henry Lane, came right up in my search –
Mackerel Fishing Expanded on Georges Bank
“Prior to 1820, mackerel were primarily used for bait, when Gloucester’s catch rarely exceeded 100,000 pounds or 500 barrels. With the introduction of salt mackerel, this fishery quickly expanded up and down the East Coast. In 1822, the Gloucester fleet found large schools of mackerel on Georges Bank, to the east and south of Cape Cod. This summer fishery landed 1.3 million pounds in 1821 and 6.8 million pounds in 1828. By the 1860s, the annual Gloucester catch was more than 30 million pounds. But mackerel could also prove elusive, with dramatic shifts in fish landings from year to year. For example, the enormous schools that predictably migrated each spring from off the Carolinas would nearly disappear in the 1830s, only to suddenly reappear by the early 1840s. Gloucester fishermen pursued mackerel up and down the Eastern seaboard and as far north as the Gulf of St. Lawrence.”
“At the Fishing Grounds” 1851 by Fitz Henry Lane
“This is one of a very few paintings by Lane that depict vessels at work on the fishing grounds. It was initially presumed to illustrate hand-lining for cod, but in fact shows schooners jigging for mackerel. Close inspection will show the fish to have mackerel stripes and the schooners are fitted with chum (bait) boxes on their sides from which the bait is scattered in a way called “tolling.”
In spring, mackerel form large schools off the mid-Atlantic coast and migrate northward with small groups going off to their local spawning grounds as the main school heads northward. When Georges Bank is reached, the school pauses to take advantage of this rich feeding ground; it thereafter breaks up into regional schools which swim off to smaller grounds in Cape Cod Bay, the Gulf of Maine, Canadian coastal waters, and particularly the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
The significance of this scene is that it shows the last great gathering of mackerel schooners before the fleet breaks up to follow the smaller schools to their spawning grounds. The 1850s marked a peak period in this fishery when the catching of mackerel by hooks was to give way to capture using the purse seine and subsequent rises and falls in the fortunes of this fishery.”
–Erik Ronnberg, Cape Ann Museum
Mackerel fishing today in Gloucester – Atlantic Mackerel fishing varies moderately throughout the year. High season is May to September. Low season is January to March and November to December. There is no closed season.
Mackerel image courtesy wik commons media
Love Gloucester’s newest public art, brought to you by artist Josh Falk and Awesome Gloucester –
Sal Zerilli writes, “Awesome Gloucester trustees proudly present the latest addition to our maritime mural series: The Holy Mackerel Mural!
Milestone moment: With this award, Awesome Gloucester has now distributed $218,000 in community support!
The project: Created by local artist Josh Falk! A companion to our beloved “Sacred Cod” mural, honoring the fish that have profoundly shaped Gloucester as America’s oldest seaport. This new piece will grace Americold’s prominent Rogers Street wall – one of our city’s most visible and iconic locations.
Community collaboration: Americold has been generous and truly community-oriented throughout this partnership. Additional support comes from the Rotary Club of Gloucester and Institution for Savings. Our dedicated trustees Rick Doucette, Stefan Edick, Bonnie Fendrock, Shawn Henry, Julie La Fontaine, Sue Salem, and Sal Zerilli made additional personal contributions to make this vision reality.
The impact: Our 9th mural continues Gloucester’s tradition of accessible public art that celebrates our maritime heritage and enriches daily life for residents and visitors alike.
Learn more about this outstanding project:
http://www.awesomefoundation.org/…/363927-the-holy…
Congratulations to all our community partners making public art possible”
At about 2 minutes you can see the American Eagle crew hoisting her sails. The American Eagle was the last fishing schooner built in Gloucester. She launched on June 2nd, 1930 and was powered by both sail and engine. She now makes her home in Rockland, Maine, under the stewardship of Captain Tyler King, a Gloucester native.
From wiki – Andrew and Rosalie was built in 1930 by the United Sail Loft Company in Gloucester, for Patrick Murphy, a local fishing master, and was named for his children. The ship was used in fishing operations by his family until 1941, when it was sold to the Empire Fish Company, who renamed her American Eagle. They converted her for use as a trawler, a role she served, mainly under the ownership of the Piscitello brothers, until 1983.
She was purchased in 1984 by John Foss, who had recently restored the Lewis R. French (also a National Historic Landmark), and was restored at the North End Shipyard at Rockland, Maine. Foss rebuilt her for the cruise ship trade, and she now spends summers cruising Penobscot Bay in Maine on 3-7 day cruises, though she generally takes one longer cruise per year to places like Grand Manan Island in Canada. She is one of the few schooners in Maine that go on longer cruises, and one of the few that go offshore looking for whales. She also generally returns to Gloucester every year.
Click the image to enlarge.
Liv, Charlotte and I went to see the schooners docked at I4-C2 this morning. We only explored the American Eagle briefly as we nearly go caught in the wildy rain, wind, and hail storm.
Great weather is predicted for the rest of Schooner Fest weekend. See the full event’s schedule here.
Gorgeous Moon set this morning! I almost missed it as I was planning to be back home at 7am sharp to make pancakes and my various lookout places were not aligned correctly. Luckily and just in the nick of time, I found a new spot 🙂 Tonight the full Wolf Moon Eats Mars and rises at 4:06pm. Happy Moon Viewing!
Sending best, best wishes to Aimee and David Brooks on the birth of their beautiful baby girl Naia Rumi Brooks. David and Aimee could not be present at the Lobster Trap Tree lighting with new baby born the night before, but we all want to thank David, Shawn Henry, the extraordinary Lobster Trap Tree building crew, Art Haven’s Traci Thayne Corbett and the sweetest buoy painters for their glorious gift to Gloucester.
Wishing the Brooks Family a lifetime of love, happiness, and joy.
The Lobster Trap Christmas tree taking shape, from measuring and laying out the circumference, offloading traps from Makin Movers, to securing the traps while building round and round, level by level; it’s a fantastic day for the community. Thank you Lobster Trap Christmas Tree build Crew!
If you would like to join the team next year, please visit The Lobster Trap Tree website to sign up. There is also a portal to donate to help with recurring expenses such as lights, and information if you would like to become a sponsor.
The Crew: Top row left to right -Tyler Rogers, Emre Kayadibi, Peter Asaro, David Brooks, Jonathan Cooney, Andrew Nicastro, Shawn Henry, Jesse Dole, Oliver Brooks, and Daniel Brooks.
Bottom row left to right – Nichole Frontiero, Christian Maki, Nard Doyle, Steve Allwood, Pietro Cannavo, David DeAngelis, Jose Leland, Josh Oliver, and Steve Larkin
Not pictured are Bryanna Porter, David Pratt, Rob Moran, and Miriam Brooks
SAVE the DATE: The Lobster Trap Christmas Tree Lighting is December 14th, 4:30 to 5pm.
Check out the Lobster Trap Christmas Tree’s brand new website at thelobstertraptree.org. The website was a donation from, and built by, Andrew Nicastro of the live stream and AV production company Streamography.
On the new website you will find links to the buoy painting schedule at Art Haven, how to be a sponsor, how to join the team, and how to donate to help with annual recurring costs (lights!).
There is also a portal to submit your Lobster Trap Christmas Tree photos, new and vintage!
This is the second year in a row that the Lobster Trap Christmas Tree is located at Solomon Jacob’s Landing.
Video of the Lobster Trap Christmas Tree Build
Incredible Crew! I think this is the biggest tree yet. From early morning til after sunset, this crew worked throughout the day to build The World’s Best Lobster Trap Tree!!
Love everyone’s big smiles, a joy to photograph. Lots more photos coming <3
The Crew: Top row left to right -Tyler Rogers, Emre Kayadibi, Peter Asaro, David Brooks, Jonathan Cooney, Andrew Nicastro, Shawn Henry, Jesse Dole, Oliver Brooks, and Daniel Brooks.
Bottom row left to right – Nichole Frontiero, Christian Maki, Nard Doyle, Steve Allwood, Pietro Cannavo, David DeAngelis, Jose Leland, Josh Oliver, and Steve Larkin
Not pictured are Bryanna Porter, David Pratt, Rob Moran, and Miriam Brooks
Perfect clear skies for Moon viewing this morning! Supermoon descending over Martime Gloucester.
Hunter’s Moon Gloucester October 17, 2024
I just wanted to add to the many photos already posted- and write I think that it’s an extraordinary accomplishment by artists John Falk and Dana Woulfe in capturing Fitz Henry Lane’s beautiful luminous style of painting in this large scale mural. 
Gloucester’s newest mural commissioned by Awesome Gloucester is located at Harbor loop.
Sculpture of the artist Fitz Henry lane by Alfred Duca, installed 1998
Thank you to all the Schooner Captains and Crews for providing a glorious 40th Annual Schooner Fest for us all to enjoy!
Schooner Strombus – Parade of Sail
Schooners Adventure and Strombus
Canon in D major composed by Johann Pachelbel, performed by The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Music from the Internet Archive of Royalty Free Music – Creative Commons – with attributes – non-commercial.
Gloucester Schooner Challenge 2024
Schooner Adventure and the Schooner Isabella, built by Harold Burnham
Scene from last night’s Schooner Challenge –
Schooner Strombus, restored by local shipwright Geoff Deckebach, and the majestic Schooner Adventure
Congratulations to seine boat crew ZFG and Coach Paul Giacalone for a hard fought victory!
ZFG crew Gilbert Brown, Jerry Ciaramitaro, Mike Harmon, Pete Mondello, Jared Morris, Kellen O’Maley, JJ Palazzola, Alex Rodolosi, Peter Taormina, Sam Taormina, and Vincenzo Terranova
