update

Water Taxi plans are right on schedule

Although you may have read last week in the New London Day about the water taxi “taking a vacation until next year,” rest assured that the subcommittee in charge of getting it up and running has been far from idle. The group met on September 21 to review their successes so far which include the receipt of an eligibility letter from the CT State Agency for Federal Property (CTSAFP). Once the DLA (Defense Logistics Agency) has put ICN numbers on the boats they can be formally requested by the CTSAFP.

Subcommittee members have also drawn up a startup and operations budget, including transport, re-outfitting, gear, storage, inspections, painting and operations costs such as personnel, fuel, and insurance.

The demo water taxi at last year’s Maritime Heritage Festival was a huge success

The group also discussed sponsorship opportunities and other uses for the boats that would offset costs – i.e. charters, weekday shuttle, or private harbor tours.

So it shouldn’t be long now before the boats are turned over to the City of Groton . . . and then let the retrofitting begin!

The Maritime Heritage Festival’s Schooner Race was the hit of the weekend

Well, your faithful blogger was on hand (or, rather, deck) for the 3^rd annual Morgan Cup Schooner Race on September 12^th, and though it was a great sacrifice for me, (ha!) I boarded the historic New York fireboat John J. Harvey with 79 other lucky spectators and we followed the fleet around the mouth of the Thames River near Ledge Light up about 2 miles to the start of the race, spewing water as is befitting a fireboat, and generally being the envy of all the other boats, power and sail, who had come out to see these old beauties perform.

What follows is a description of the race by someone who has no idea how to describe a race, but I think you’ll get the idea that this was a great event and one of the highlights of last weekend’s Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival—and it happened within the borderless borders of the Thames River Heritage Park.

So as Marshall Dodge would say, we slithered out into the harbor, leaving behind the absolutely gigantic Oliver Hazard Perry, a 3-masted affair with I believe 11 sails but because of its square rig it couldn’t heave itself out into the Sound to compete with the other “tinier” boats like the 141-foot Columbia or the 75-foot Mary E.

On our way out, the Harvey and the 1947 dragger and race committee boat Roann passed the USNS Trenton, a whopper of a supply catamaran just built this year and at Fort Trumbull for visitors to, well, to get lost in, I suspect.

Then, accompanied by Mystic Seaport’s Brilliant, which unlike any of the other schooners just strolled up the river behind us under sail, we cruised around and waited for the start, which is always fun because everyone has to decide how to get as close to the starting buoy as possible without crossing it before the gun goes off.

So we had a little milling around.

There were three legs: down to around Ledge Light, round the little red thing, back up, around another little red thing, then down again to the finish line.

General Patton’s plucky little 63-foot When and If was in the lead nearly the entire time, though it had taken a position quite close to the New London side of the river so most eyes were on the battle between Columbia and Brilliant.

see When and If way over there? Just quietly taking the lead . . . — *See* When and If way over there? Just quietly taking the lead . . .

Which was pretty exciting on the first leg, with Brilliant doing something quite clever (no, I have no idea what it was, but my colleagues in the bow of the Harvey noticed it and she shot ahead for a bit)

Brilliant overtakes Columbia, with a pretty picnic boat watching (I think it came with Columbia)

but little When and If just kept gaining ground way over on the other side, and twirling around those buoys so closely it didn’t seem like anything could touch her . . . until the last leg.

look at that lead! Columbia and Brilliant haven't even rounded the buoy yet. — *Look at that lead!* Columbia and Brilliant haven’t even rounded the buoy yet.

Now, I personally think something happened to that middle sail. It just wouldn’t stay up, or something, and she lost a lot of ground. Sleek steel-hulled Columbia kept gaining and overtook her with less than a minute before the finish. It was a nail-biter, I tellya.

Brilliant was a respectable third, and I have to say, the Mystic Whaler was a stellar performer, sailing beautifully and I do believe with some restraint, given that she had the most passengers on her.

The Mary E is gaining on the Mystic Whaler . . . in this leg, anyway — *The* Mary E is gaining on the Mystic Whaler . . . in this leg, anyway

I’m told she has one of the best crews around. The Lettie G Howard, a dignified old thing from 1893, was a favorite on the fireboat since they’re docked near each other at the South Street Seaport. She hung in there as best she could. And though she kind of got left in the dust, the dear clipper Mary E. was truly beautiful to watch.

So I hope everyone had a chance to go to New London over the weekend and experience some of the many activities and events that the Festival offered. We had a photographer from the Day onboard the Howard, so you can go to their website and see more photos.

Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival: “Four Days of Fun”

“The Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival, a production of OpSail CONNECTICUT, is a celebration of our state’s maritime heritage, history and spirit of innovation. Working with community partners, our purpose is to draw attention to the important role the sea has played in the formation of our state and nation, and to honor the role schooners played in that development.”

Today was the official opening day of this (free) annual event, which marks the end of “Connecticut’s Coast Guard Summer” and celebrates the area’s rich history with four days of activities including schooner races, boat tours, dockside educational exhibits, a chowder contest, sea shanty performances, and lots of other entertainment.

Friday, Sept. 11 is the official Welcome Ceremony at City Pier at 2pm. And later that evening City Pier will host the Captain’s Ball, honoring UConn President Susan Herbst and saluting the Coast Guard’s Everyday Heroes.

Saturday, Sept. 12 will feature a variety of activities all day, including 24 dockside maritime education exhibits and programs, the Great New London Chowder Challenge, the Whaleboat Race, and the Schooner Race. 8pm is the start of the beautiful Lighted Boat Parade on the Thames River.

For a complete schedule of events, view the Festival Website here.

A cornucopia of sailing and auxiliary vessels are arriving at City Pier and Fort Trumbull, starting today, and you should go and see all of them. Many will be participating in Saturday’s schooner races In Fisher’s Island Sound. For a quick look and history, go to the Festival’s informative web page that shows photos of all the boats and gives brief histories.

But whatever you do, you MUST get to City Pier to see COLUMBIA, a steel hulled replica of the original 1927 Gloucester Fishing Schooner of the same name.

This is an amazing boat, but she will have some stiff competition from last year’s winner, Mystic Seaport’s BRILLIANT, an offshore classroom for the Seaport’s education programs. Also at the City Pier as of today is WHEN & IF, the 63 foot Alden schooner commissioned by General George S. Patton in 1939. Although this elegant and dignified boat is dwarfed by her current neighbor COLUMBIA, she has a friendly and exuberant crew, who told me that if they did not beat COLUMBIA Saturday, “at least we’re going to look awfully cute while we’re trying.”

New London-berthed MYSTIC WHALER and AMISTAD, Connecticut’s Flagship and Tall Ship Ambassador, will also be participating, and their crews are also busy getting ready.

Other ships that have committed to participation at the Festival (some of whom are already here) are the USNS FALL RIVER, a 338-foot Spearhead Class Joint High Speed Vessel. (Pier 7 at Fort Trumbull State Park), and the 130-foot 1931 fireboat JOHN J HARVEY, which will be taking spectators out Saturday to watch the race. HARVEY assisted during such notable fires as the Cunard Line pier fire in 1932, the burning of the NORMANDIE in 1942, and the ammunition ship EL ESTERO during World War II. Coast Guard Cutter IDA LEWIS, a 175-foot Keeper Class coastal buoy tender, is already at Pier 7 at Fort Trumbull and ready to visit.

The MARY E. of Essex, CT is a 75 foot clipper built in 1906, and the ROANN a 60-foot Eastern rig dragger from Mystic, and one of the few remaining examples of fishing vessels that once worked New England waters. In addition to being available for viewing at City Pier during the festival, ROANN will serve as the committee boat for Saturday’s schooner race. The LETTIE G. HOWARD is a fishing schooner and a designated National Historic Landmark. TREE OF LIFE hails from Newport and has circled the globe twice since 2013. Rhode Island’s Tall Ship OLIVER HAZARD PERRY is a 200 foot long, three-masted sailing school.

“For generations, Long Island Sound has been integral to our commerce, industry, and national defense,” said Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman. “Coast Guard Summer and The Maritime Festival are great ways to experience Connecticut’s rich nautical history, and honor the Coast Guard and Naval legacies, and celebrate the men and women who continue to serve.”

And according to retired Coast Guard Admiral Robert Papp, “There is no better place to honor our seafaring history than in New London, future home of the National Coast Guard Museum, and there is no better way to conclude Connecticut’s Coast Guard Summer 2015, as we mark the 225^th anniversary of the United States Coast Guard, than at the 2015 Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival.”

Forts Trumbull and Griswold are highlighted in the news this week

Forts on both sides of the river got a lot of press this week, and with good reason. Thursday’s “Night and Day” section of the New London Day announced the annual commemoration of the Battle of Fort Griswold (September 6, 1781) that will be held at the Ebenezer Avery House, located on the lower part of the fort on Fort Street. Reenactors will be battling it out this Sunday (September 6th of course), the British side featuring—of course—Norwich native Benedict Arnold. The following week the Avery-Copp House on Thames Street will host Groton History Day, and will feature a soldiers’ encampment, a musket firing demonstration, activities and artisan crafts. Both events are free.

But as former submariner Phil Houk reminds us in his “History Around the Corner” article in the Mystic Times, there’s “lots to learn at Fort Trumbull State Park and Museum.” Extolling the virtues of both the site and the exhibit space, Mr Houk writes that “the stone fort has been used over its 225-year history for striking at British invaders and for storage while the site housed a modern research and development center for anti-submarine warfare. It its current form of restoration it should be visited by young and old and its story told.” A state-issued Charter Oak pass (for residents age 65 and older), as well as museum and state park passes obtained from local libraries, allow you to visit sites like Fort Trumbull free of charge; otherwise the admission is $10.

So even though you won’t be able to get there on a water taxi (yet!) why not plan to spend the weekend soaking up history at two incredible forts just minutes away from each other?

Want to know how the Transition Team is doing? Come to a meeting!

The Thames River Heritage Park Transition Team meets every 4^th Wednesday at 8AM at the beautiful Fort Trumbull Visitor/Conference Center, 90 Walbach Street, New London. You’re welcome to attend a meeting to see how progress is coming on establishing the non-profit entity that will eventually be coordinating the Heritage Park’s activities.

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