DEREK HOPKINS 6 TIME GREASY POLE CHAMP VIDEO AND SLIDESHOW
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Category Archives: Gloucester Harbor
DEREK HOPKINS YOUR SUNDAY GREASY POLE CHAMPION
Congratulations to Derek Hopkins and the Hopkins Family! Derek is now a six time Greasy Pole Champion. Video to follow tomorrow 🙂
🙂
Favorite Scenes from St. Peter’s Fiesta Opening Ceremony
MAX ALLEN YOUR FRIDAY GREASY POLE CHAMPION!
Congratulations to Max Allen! He is the third generation in his family to win the flag, following in the footsteps of his uncle and grandfather.
#wickedtuna MARCIANO FAMILY ANGELICA SEAFOODS RETAIL GRAND OPENING TOMORROW, THURSDAY, JUNE 20TH!!
GRAND OPENING Angelica Seafoods Coming Thursday! Only selling local and US wild caught seafood, the beautifully designed, brand new retail location is offering a bounty of deliciousness, including Cape Ann lobsters, tuna, cod, haddock, swordfish, clams, sea bass, American shrimp (no gross farm-raised shrimp at Angelica’s!), and much, much more.
Nancy and Christina Marciano
Angelica Seafoods is owned and operated by Captain Dave and Nancy Marciano of Wicked Tuna fame, along with Dave’s sister Christine Marciano Sciola. The business is named after Nancy and Dave’s daughter Angelica. Captain Dave and Nancy’s area of expertise is of course seafood, while Christine is a successful business woman. The shop is a welcome addition to Gloucester’s working waterfront district. Wishing the family the best of luck in this exciting adventure!
Tees, hats, hoodies, lightweight jackets, and even bobbleheads of Dave are also available for sale. Limited editions, like the heather blue tee, will only be offered in-store.
If you need inspiration on what to cook with the fabulous array of super fresh seafood from Angelica’s, check out the recipe page on the Angelica Seafoods website.
Angelica Seafoods is located at 52R Commercial Street Gloucester, MA in the freshly painted peach colored building, adjacent to Saint Peter’s Square. Hours this first weekend are Thursday and Friday, 10 to 5, and Saturday and Sunday 10 to 3.
USCGC William Sparling in the Outer Harbor at Sunset
Love seeing the Coast Guard cutters from Niles Beach.
From wiki –
Design
Like her sister ships, William Sparling is designed to perform search and rescue missions, port security, and the interception of smugglers. She is armed with a remotely-controlled, gyro-stabilized 25 mm autocannon, four crew served M2 Browning machine guns, and light arms. She is equipped with a stern launching ramp, that allows her to launch or retrieve a water-jet propelled high-speed auxiliary boat, without first coming to a stop. Her high-speed boat has over-the-horizon capability, and is useful for inspecting other vessels, and deploying boarding parties.
The crew’s drinking water needs are met through a desalination unit. The crew mess is equipped with a television with satellite reception.
Operational career
On 15 August 2022, it was announced that William Sparling would be homeported in Boston, Massachusetts.
The vessel’s manufacturer, Bollinger Shipyards, of Lockport, Louisiana, delivered the ship to the Coast Guard, for her sea trials, in Key West, on July 20, 2023. She was commissioned at Station Portsmouth Harbor in New Castle, New Hampshire on October 19, 2023. Her sponsor was William “Bill” Sparling’s widow Caroline Sparling and her first commanding officer was Lt. Jacklyn “Jackie” Kokomoor.
From the Coast Guard’s website –
The Coast Guard accepted delivery of the 54th fast response cutter (FRC), William Sparling, July 20, 2023 in Key West, Florida. William Sparling will be the fifth FRC to be homeported in Boston.
William Sparling was one of the first Coast Guard enlisted members to be awarded the Silver Star Medal, one of the nation’s highest military awards for valor in combat. Sparling served as a landing craft coxswain during the Battle of Tulagi, a strategically important island in the Pacific theater, during World War II. The island was captured by enemy forces in May 1942, and Allied forces were concerned that the occupation of Tulagi would be used to threaten Allied units and supply routes in the region. Allied forces arrived at Tulagi on Aug. 7, 1942, to reestablish control of the island. The amphibious assault, supported by the landing craft piloted by Sparling and other coxswains, was the first U.S. offensive of World War II and was one of the first in a series of battles that defined the Guadalcanal campaign.
During the invasion, Sparling and other coxswains landed the first wave of U.S. Marines from USS McKean on the beaches of Tulagi. Over the next three days of fighting, Sparling and others made repeated trips between the Navy destroyer and Tulagi to deliver equipment, ammunition and other supplies to Marines as they engaged a determined occupying force of 800 troops. On Aug. 9, the remaining enemy forces surrendered, and the Allies successfully secured Tulagi.
The Coast Guard has ordered 65 FRCs to date. Fifty-two are in service: 13 in Florida; seven in Puerto Rico; six in Bahrain; four in California; three each in Alaska, Guam, Hawaii, Texas, New Jersey and Massachusetts; and two each in Mississippi and North Carolina. Future FRC homeports include Astoria, Oregon, and Kodiak and Seward, Alaska.
For more information: Fast Response Cutter Program page
Lobster Trap Tree Morning Snowfall
Pretty harbor scene –
WISHING YOU A PEACEFUL WINTER SOLSTICE
Keep cozy on this longest night of the year, and throughout the season <3
TREMENDOUS THANKS TO JIM KNOTT, DONOR OF THE 400 LOBSTER TRAPS
David Brooks and Jim Knott
Riverdale Mills CEO, Jim Knott, Jr., was in attendance at Saturday evening’s wondrous Lobster Trap Tree lighting. Mr. Knott generously donated the 400 traps used in creating the 2023 Lobster Trap Tree. The gift of 400 traps is permanent and will be used in the building of future trap trees. 400 trees were donated to symbolize Gloucester’s 400th anniversary.
Additionally, the labor for building the 400 traps was donated by Brooks Trap Mill in Thomaston, Maine, and contributions were made by Three Lantern Marine Fishing and Supply, Gloucester.
Jim Knott, as quoted in the Gloucester Daily Times, “We’re here for the lobstermen, and we’re trying to support both the current event and the future,” he said. “The reason for the donation is that we wanted to help the community out. The lobster fishing industry is a big part of our business and we have a long history in the lobster industry making wire mesh that was invented in Gloucester. My father has two patents that date back to the 1960s and that wire mesh supplanted wood almost completely (for lobster traps).”
The wire mesh, called Aquamesh, that you see inside modern lobster traps, was invented by Jim’s Dad, James Knott, Sr. He spent summers on Cape Ann with his family, fishing for lobsters during his teenage years. Mr. Knott knew there had to be a better lobster trap. Since the mid-1960s, he “had been tinkering with designs for wire lobster traps. The traditional wooden traps were buoyant and needed to be weighed down with bricks or rocks to sink. Once immersed, they became water logged and extremely heavy. They also wore out more quickly than metal cages.” James Knott converted an abandoned mill on the banks of the Blackstone River, in Northbridge, Massachusetts, which had been used to manufacture bayonets during the Civil War, and founded Riverdale Mills to manufacture coated wire and Aquamesh.
For more information read here:
The Wall Street Journal: James Knott Pioneered Modern Lobster Traps and fended off the EPA
Worcester Business Journal: The Backbone of Lobster Traps
Gloucester daily Times by Gail McCarthy: Gloucester’s Lobster Trap Tree Grows
SHOUT OUT TO THE AMAZING LOBSTER TRAP TREE BUILDING CREW FOR THEIR TIRELESS DEDICATION IN BRINGING HOLIDAY JOY AND FUN TO CAPE ANN
If you see these big-hearted guys around town, please give them a huge thank you <3
Left to right: Shawn Henry, Dave D’Angelis, Peter Asaro, Devin Carr, David Brooks, John Cooney, Andrew Nicastro, Steve Larkin, and “Fancy” Dave Pratt. Not pictured, but just as dedicated and hard working, are Shane O’Neill and Peter Cannavo.
Please write if anyone’s name is missing and I will add it to the post. Thank you!
RESPLENDENT SMITH’S COVE SUNSET
We live here <3
TALL SHIP LYNX ROUNDING EASTERN POINT LIGHT!
The stunning Tall Ship Lynx rounded Eastern Point light just after sunset and headed in for its annual maintenance haul-out at the Marine Railways. Schooner Adventure greeted the vessel and they were firing off guns as they came into port.
The Tall Ship Lynx travels throughout New England in the warmer months and winters in the Golden Isles of Georgia at St. Simons Island.
For more information about the Lynx, visit www.TallShipLynx.org.
Tall Ship Lynx in Gloucester through the years
LAST NIGHT OF SUMMER SUNSET DID NOT DISAPPOINT! WITH TALL SHIP LYNX
Last evening, the Tall Ship Lynx arrived to Gloucester Harbor just as the sun was setting. The sky grew rosier and rosier long after the sun had dipped below the horizon.
Tall Ship Lynx and Schooner Adventure
Autumnal Equinox Sunset Ten Pound Island Lighthouse
From the Tall Ship Lynx website – The Tall Ship Lynx is an educational organization dedicated to hands-on programs that teach the history and present examples of America’s struggle to preserve its independence. The ship is an interpretation of an actual privateer built in 1812. The maritime challenges during the War of 1812 are taught aboard Lynx utilizing a comprehensive, interactive program designed to enrich personal achievement through teamwork and the discipline of sailing.
In 1997 Woodson K. Woods embarked on a journey to build a privateer inspired by the original historic tall ship from the War of 1812 – The Privateer Lynx. His goal was to create a living history museum to educate children and adults alike about American history through active sail training aboard a real wooden sailing ship.
What went into Lynx was not just wood, rope, brass and canvas. It was not just sweat, blood, heartache and laughter either. What went into her goes far beyond history, ambition, inspiration, determination and commitment. In 2016 Lynx was purchased from Woods Maritime LLC , by the Lynx Educational Foundation, Lynx hails out of Nantucket Island, Ma. Donald Emmons Peacock, President and captain. Our partner in education is Egan Maritime Institute in Nantucket. Lynx winters in city of St Petersburg, Florida our winter home. Since 2015, Lynx Donald E. Peacock, president, and Captain Lynx winters in St. Simons Island, GA, November through May.
On July 28, 2001 in Rockport, Maine Woods’ vision was realized. Past and present converged as Lynx was launched in a gala event ordaining a magnificent future on the high seas.
The creation of Lynx embraces eternal truths: passion, sacrifice, perseverance, honor and courage. All of these emotions gave her a soul long before she tasted her first saltwater. At sea, Lynx is the legacy of her creators: the thinkers, the designers, the builders, and most important, the dreamers…
ENJOY THIS LAST DAY OF SUMMER!
Pretty clouds over Gloucester harbor skyline this morning.
Look to the sky over the next few days. Sunrise will be directly east at 90 degrees and sunset, directly west, at 270 degrees. 
POUNDING SURF AND A RAINBOW SUNSET, WHAT WILL #HURICANELEE BRING TOMORROW?
Waves, wind, and a beautiful sunset –
Mother Ann awash in waves today
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.
OUR BEAUTIFUL GLOUCESTER
Scenes from the Gloucester Schooner Festival Challenge August31, 2023
Schooners Isabella, Ardelle, and Thomas Lannon – all three schooners were built by Harold Burnham
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY FROM #gloucesterma
You’re a Grand Old Flag!
Piping Plovers arriving soon :)
Dear PiPl Friends,
Looking out the window at snow covered scapes, it’s hard to imagine that in just about a month little feathered friends will be arriving at our local beaches. For the past several years our original Piping Plover pair at #3 have arrived on March 25th. It’s very possible they may have flown directly from their wintering sites, hundreds of miles, if not over a thousand (we know this from banding programs at URI). The pair are usually weary and in need of quiet rest, at least for the first several days… then comes the business of courting and establishing a nest. I am so hopeful our handicapped Mom will be returning for a second summer after losing her foot. It’s unlikely we will see HipHop, not because he wasn’t strong enough to return, but because offspring don’t usually return to their exact birth location. We may see HipHop though at area beaches.
As usual, we will be providing Plover updates in emails, on our new website, Facebook, and Instagram. We are so appreciative of the Gloucester Daily Times’s Andrea Holbrook and Ethan Forman for their recent article highlighting the upcoming Plover season and helping to get the word out about our Ambassador program!
Welcome to our new friends and possible volunteers, George, Meah, Susan, Leslie, and Terry! Thank you so much for offering to volunteer and/or support us in other ways through getting the word out about our Ambassador program.
At our recent Plover organizational meeting, hosted by Jonathan and Sally, we decided our areas of focus are: Safety, Education, Volunteers, and City Support (thank you for organizing the topics Sally!) Jonathan added April/May strategies, which as we seasoned volunteers know, poses a different set of challenges. City Councilor Jeff Worthley was in attendance, and it was a huge help to have someone who can provide insights into what can be accomplished through working with the City. Jeff shared that in the 90s he worked at Good Harbor Beach for five summers and he was also the chairperson of Beach Parking and Traffic Committee that brought us the advance ticket reservation system, so he also has great historical perspective on the ongoing issues at GHB.
The Creek is still closed due to storm/sewage runoff and it appears the City is no closer to determining the exact source. The fecal matter levels are 14,000 times what is acceptable. This may not seem like a Plover matter (so far, it does not appear to affect their well-being) but it often falls upon the Ambassadors to let people know how unsafe it is to swim there. The high levels are frequently reported on in the GDTimes, but if the City posted the actual levels on the signs at the beach, people might not be so quick to dismiss the warnings. We also discussed that it is probably not safe for swimmers at the mouth of the Creek either as a bunch of surfers that were recently surfing there are reportedly ill. We’d like to thank Councilors Scott Memhard and Jeff Worthley for addressing the contamination at the Creek issue, including walking the beach to let people know, and ensuring the warning signs are in place.
Here is a link to our new website – The Piping Plover Project. Many thanks to PiPl Ambassadors Paula and Alexa for sending along their most frequently asked questions, it was super helpful in putting the list together (link to FAQs). Please let me know if you have any FAQs you would like added to the list.
Happy Sunday and warmest wishes,
Kim
GLOUCESTER SCHOONER FEST COMPLETE RACE RESULTS 2022
Congratulations to the winners and to to all the participants!
DAZZLING GLOUCESTER SCHOONER FEST PARADE OF SAIL
A picture perfect day for Gloucester’s 38th annual Schooner Festival Parade of Sail. The Harbor was dazzling with boats of every kind, including schooners, fishing boats, sailboats, pleasure boats, tour boats, kayaks, and more.
Spectators lined the shoreline from Stacey Boulevard to Eastern Point.
With thanks and deepest appreciation to Daisy Nell Collinson and the Gloucester Schooner Festival Committee – Daisy and Stan Collinson’s Schooner Redbird in the foreground
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
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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International Dory Committee Exhibition – 9:00 am – Maritime Gloucester, 23 Harbor Loop
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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.
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Schooner Viewing and Deck Tours! – 10:00am to 4:00pm
THREE Locations:
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Maritime Gloucester, 23 Harbor Loop
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Schooner Floats – I4C2 parking lot, 65 Rogers St
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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
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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.
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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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
GLOUCESTER HARBOR SUNSET
July’s evening sky
BEAUTIFUL ICONIC BEACON MARINE BASIN – THE FIRE IS CONTAINED
Fire broke out early this morning at Gloucester’s iconic Beacon Marine Basin. Everyone escaped unharmed. Sending love and prayers to our friends David and Bob, and to all who call the building home. We’re hoping so much the Beacon Marine can be restored and rebuilt.
