If you had the opportunity to see the schooners docked at Gloucester’s gorgeous new floating dock, located at I4-C2, know that it was constructed by Beacon Marine Basin and installed by Brett Ramsey’s company Ramsey Marine and Dock Construction. The floating dock was created by Gloucester Maritime and the Schooner Festival Committee to provide schooners with a convenient place to moor.
Schooners Bluenose II, Columbia, Tree of Life, Brilliant, and When and If, along with the Tall Ship Lynx
The new dock was well utilized during the three day Schooner Festival event. By late Sunday afternoon, there were a total of five schooners, as well as the Tall Ship Lynx, moored at the floating dock!
The dock will be removed within the next few weeks, to be reinstalled next August for the 35th Annual Gloucester Schooner Festival.
Schooners Columbia and Tyrone moored at the floating dock.
The Mayor’s Schooner Festival Welcoming Reception was a fantastic success and wonderful fun. Maritime Gloucester’s dock was overflowing with Schooner Fest friends, well-wishers, and organizers. I think it was the most well attended ever and speaks to the growing success of Gloucester’s Schooner Festival (and to our Mayor’s charisma!).
Mayor Sefatia welcomed Governor Baker, Lt. Governor Karen Polito, Schooner Bluenose II Captain Phil Watson, and both Representative Ann Margaret Ferrante and State Senator Bruce Tarr were in attendance.
Schooner Bluenose II Captain Watson and Captain Mark Ring of the FV Stanley Thomas
The Schooner Festival Committee is simply amazing. Below are listed the members of the committee. When you see any one of these super heroic volunteers around town, tell them thank you for the tremendous job they are doing in producing annually Gloucester’s uniquely beautiful and spectacular Schooner Festival.
Peter Bent, Daisy Nell, and Captain Stan
Gloucester Schooner Festival Committee:
Daisy Nell, Chair, Tracy Arabian, Peter Bent, Alan Bezanson, Ed Boynton, John Borzerelli, Harold Burnham, Jim Caulkett, Elizabeth Carey, TJ Ciarametaro, Charlie Clark, Stan Collinson, Michael Costello, Jo-Anne Crawford, Lee Cunningham, Michaell De Koster, Carol Decker, Stefan Edick, Heath Ellis, Tom Ellis, Chad Johnson, Michael Lipton, James Lowell, Laura Lowell, Amanda Madeira, Allie McCarthy, John McCarthy, Judith Nast, Barry Pett, Christopher Ramsden, Brett Ramsey, Courtney Richardson, Ken Riehl, Suzanne Silveira , Russ Smith, Chris Stepler, Mary Kay Taylor, Brenda Treuhaft.
The Gloucester Schooner Festival committee thanks the following organizations for their tremendous support.
These beautiful baskets are donated by the Schooner Festival Committee and include not only fresh fruit, but freshly baked bread from Virgilios and handmade chocolates from Turtle Alley. The Ramsey’s deliver each basket, via boat, to every participating schooner on Friday afternoon. It’s no wonder schooners from around the globe love to come to Gloucester.
Brett Ramsey readying to deliver schooner welcome baskets (Ellen Ramsey adds this is a 1967 Chevy truck, in case any one was wondering).
What a treat to tag along with Gloucester’s own Schooner Festival welcoming committee Brett Ramsey and his sons Max and Nick. Each year Brett purchases and assembles baskets of fresh fruit. Along with loaves of yummy bread still warm from Virgilio’s ovens (donated by Joe Virgilio), Brett and his family welcome each and every participating schooner. You could tell that the recipients were really grateful and thrilled by the gesture.
Special shout out to Schooner Green Dragon’s Captain Al Bezanson. I was out filming early this morning and stopped by Rocky Neck Accommodations to say hello to Al and his wife Phyllis. This was Al’s idea to cover the Schooner Fest welcome, so thank you Al Bezanson!!
Schooner Lannon’s Captain Heath Ellis
Captains Al Bezanson (Green Dragon), Fred Murphy (Ishmael), and Matt Sutphin (Tyrone)