My View of Life on the Dock
He had to tie it off to the side of the boat because it was too heavy to get aboard with his lobster trap hauler and davit.
So he brought it to the State Fish Pier where he hooked it up to the industrial sized boom and lifted it enough to get aboard the deck.
Bidding starts at $500. Who wants it?
Rubber Duck has figured out her ride in the Blackburn Challenge is not the fastest boat in the fleet and so is looking to upgrade. But no one wants a quacky duck onboard so it is the scenic ride for her. Duck wants to have refreshments on the way and so she has written up a web page displaying her whereabouts during the day of Saturday, July 23. If you happen to have a cold one and can tell by the dot on the link here, Rubber Duck will gladly pull over to freshen up as Saturday looks to be a hot challenge. Prior to 8AM Saturday and on Friday the dot (and so duck) will be racing about the island for provisions like duck bill gloss and SP 500. (The Duck Tracker will also be turned off or in test mode prior to the Blackburn for battery charging so the map will not start real updating until 7 AM Saturday.)
Rubber Duck entourage will look like one pale blue kayak (Paul M) and one dark green kayak (Ed C). Follow the dot and come down to greasy pole to watch the finish. (Come quite a bit earlier than Rubber Duck Tracker if you actually want to see some racing.)
Not enough links to Rubber Duck Tracker? Here’s another: 
Gala Preview Party – Friday, July 29, 5:30 – 8 pm
Public Viewing – July 29 – August 6
Live Auction – Saturday, August 6, 7 – 9 pm
Featuring Auctioneer Frank Kaminski
Doors open at 6 pm for final preview and light refreshments.
This year’s auction introduces several NEW features!
· Gala Preview Party, Friday, July 29, 5:30 – 8 pm
Join us on opening night for an exclusive opportunity to meet the artists and preview the outstanding selection of auction paintings, while enjoying live jazz music, creative hors d’oeuvres, open wine bar ….and beautiful views of Gloucester Harbor at sunset!
· Live online bidding!
If you can’t come to NSAA on August 6 to attend the Live Auction in person, you can still follow the proceedings live from the comfort of home using your computer, and place your own live bids at any time while the Auction is in progress! (Must register by August 5 to bid online; see instructions at https://www.liveauctioneers.com/sign-up )
· View all paintings online at your leisure, at
NSAA Catalog at www.liveauctioneers.com
Tickets: $15 Live Auction Only * $20 Gala Preview Party Only * or
$30 for Both
· More paintings than ever before with over 100 works of art, this year’s auction offers exceptional variety of subject and style – truly something for everyone!
Seating is limited …please reserve early! Call 978-283-1857 OR register online at http://www.nsarts.org/Auction.html
More information: http://www.nsarts.org/Auction.html
Franklin Cafe
Linda Amero Jazz Trio appearing Friday, 7/22/11 Downstairs at The Franklin Cafe, 118 Main St., Gloucester, MA from 7:00 to 10.00 PM featuring Linda Amero (vocals) with Joe “Sonny” Barbato (piano and accordian) & Bronek Suchanek (Double bass). 978-283-7888 reservations (or just sit at the bar).
Click photo for the slideshow 🙂
The historic Annisquam Village Church presents Fado singer Ana Vinagre and her ensemble in an evening of Portuguese Fado music, Saturday, July 23, at 7:30 A traditional folk ensemble accompanies Vinagre on these folk “Songs of Fate” full of passion, pathos, and humor. Viriato Ferriera plays viola, Jose Silva is on Portuguese guitarra, and Peter Pimental on bass.
Ana Vinagre was born in the small fishing village of Figueira Da Foz, Portugal. Following in the footsteps of her sister, mother, and grandmother, she began singing fado professionally at the age of 13 as a member of her local folk dance group, Cantarinhas de Buarcos. Vinagre toured extensively with this group throughout Europe, until immigrating to the United States with her husband and singing partner, Jose, in 1972. Today, she is one of the area’s best known and most respected fadistas. Vinagre performs regularly in the Portuguese community for various community and private events, as well as at festivals and other events for a wider audience. She has appeared at the 2002 National Folk Festival, the Northwest Folklife Festival in 2003 and 2004, and a number of times in the Lowell Folk Festival. In 2005 she won a Massachusetts Cultural Council Artist Grant in the Traditional Arts, supporting her continuning efforts to promote Portuguese music and culture.
A tradition dating back hundreds of years, fado singing is “the soul of the Portuguese people”, as described by Vinagre. The emotional core of the fado is saudade, an indefinable yearning or nostalgia for love, times past, or a lost home. Accompanied by a twelve string Portuguese guitar and a bass guitar, the voice of a true fadista embodies and expresses the soulfulness of this music tradition. The traditional fadista dresses in black and uses a shawl as a prop to accentuate the passion of her voice and words. The genre developed in the port city of Lisbon where it was performed at waterfront clubs and bars frequented by sailors and seamen.
The Annisquam Village Church stands at the head of Lobster Cove at 820 Washington Street in Gloucester. Known for its fine acoustics, the Series is in its 24th year, and is dedicated this season to the memory of Houston/Annisquam artist, Colin Kennedy.
Donation $15. For information: www.annisquamvillagechurch.com or 978.283.6416
Check out Al’s by clicking the link below
Here it is “high summer” and I’m getting a hankerin’ for some Blackburn Challenge Salty Stew. In fact, this upcoming weekend, those venturing to Cape Ann, Massachusetts should find all of the ingredients at their peak of ripeness. With that in mind I’ll share my recipe for cookin’ up this mess.
The first thing you’re gonna need is a big ole pot or, better yet, a great big vat. Next, get yourself a paddle, or perhaps an oar, for stirring. In addition to these items, you’ll need a heat source such as a fire, or, if using the Native American method, some good-sized “boiling rocks”: Twelvefoot, Bass, Brace, Normans Woe, Black Bess, and Tablet (any or all will do). These rocks will need to be gingerly added to the pot after having been heated in the fire.
To get started, fill the pot with some Annisquam salt water and rockweed. Throw in a small cape. Cape Hedge will do. Now add the following coves: Goose, Lobster, Hodgkins, Plum, Lanes, Folly, Hoop Pole, Gap, Whale, Loblolly, Brace, Lighthouse, Old House, and Freshwater.
Using your paddle or oar, stir the pot while adding some heads: Biskie, Gap, and Stage followed by some points: Stanwood, Thurston, Wheeler, Babson, Wigwam, Folly, Halibut, Andrews, Gully, Flat, Emerson, Eastern, and Mussel.
Next grab hold of some necks and toss them in: Davis, Brier, Dolliver, and Rocky.
At this point things will be coming to a boil. Now add a few islands: Straitsmouth, Thachers, Milk, Salt, and Tenpound. It’s important that they be added in this exact order.
Let all of this boil for 3 to 5 hours and then let simmer. If it starts to boil over the top, cool it with a little Good Harbor water or Cape Pond Ice.
And don’t forget the two most important ingredients. Remember to stand back, before throwing in a Dog Bar Breakwater and a Greasy Pole!!
Lastly, allow this concoction to cool to taste and wash it down with an Ipswich Ale on tap. See you on Pavilion!!!
What would you’d rather have?
What we’re experiencing now?
Or This?
Have you subscribed? We must be doing something right. 
If you haven’t subscribed (for free) click here to do so-
Ingredients:
10 cups cold water
3 ½ cups sugar
5 mint leaves (optional)
36 tea bags
10 cups ice
Juice of 1 lemon (optional)
Yields 6 quarts
Perfect for these hot summer days and nights. This Ice Tea is a delicious refreshing beverage, sure to compliment any summer time meal.
From USCGNewEngland
BOSTON — The U.S. Coast Guard is looking for a hoax caller that made a false distress call earlier this month in the Gloucester, Mass., area.
On July 7, 2011, Coast Guard Sector Boston received the Mayday call via VHF-FM radio channel 16 around 10p.m., stating a 24-foot pleasure craft was taking on water with two people aboard roughly 20 to 40 minutes outside Gloucester Harbor. Before losing communication with the Coast Guard, the caller stated both boaters were going to put on their life jackets. No other communications were received.
The Coast Guard launched boats and aircraft in response to the call and searched the waters of Gloucester throughout the night. The cost of the search totaled approximately $132,000.
The search was suspended the following day after no additional information was found and no missing persons were reported to the Coast Guard and local authorities.
Authorities are now utilizing advanced technologies in search and rescue missions. Rescue 21 is a system the Coast Guard utilizes to locate positions when a distress call is received. This technology helps the Coast Guard locate distressed boaters and has helped locate hoax callers.
When the Coast Guard dispatches its vessels and aircraft in cases of false distress, it not only drains limited resources, but needlessly puts our personnel at risk. Making a false distress call is a federal felony with a maximum penalty of five to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, $8,000 civil penalty and the possible reimbursement to the Coast Guard for the cost of performing the search.
Boaters are reminded that they are responsible for the safety and actions of their passengers and are encouraged to educate them about the proper use of emergency equipment including a marine VHF radio. Oftentimes passengers, especially children, may not understand the consequences of playing on the radio and reporting a false distress.
In response to the high number of calls, the Coast Guard offers a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of anyone responsible for making a false distress or hoax call to the U.S. Coast Guard. Anyone with information regarding false distress calls is encouraged to contact the U.S. Coast Guard at (617) 557-9091.
Click here for audio of hoax Mayday call
Click here for Coast Guard responses to hoax Mayday call
Click here for CGIS hoax pamphlet
Check out CapeAnnSUP
I wonder if any of these folks will be participating in Saturday’s Blackburn Challenge
Life Guards and Medics respond to a boy injured at Good Harbor Beach.
Nathan (from Connecticut) said he observed the boy attempt a back-flip from the sand into the water.
Ed and I preview the Kayalu RAM camera mount before putting it to the saltwater test, using it to film The Blackburn Challenge.
I recently bought a Kodak zx-3 Playsport waterproof video camera. It was the camera that GMG contributor Adam Bolonsky used to tape this year’s Greasy Pole. When I found out that the camera was only $77 it was an absolute no-brainer.
Last week I used it to film my ride to Gloucester in this video-
As you can see in the video there is a decent amount of camera shake with it being hand held. I couldn’t use my Manfrotto Modopocket because that is made to sit on a flat surface.
So then I got to thinking about how much cool footage I could get if I outfitted one of my lobstermen with a saltwater resistant type camera and mount and I began my search. With some advice from Adam Bolonsky I discovered the Kayalu RAM suction mount which uses heavy duty marine grade materials throughout. A simple mount made from ordinary metal would be useless after it’s first use hitting saltwater.
We plan to use the Kaylau RAM saltwater camera mount with an 8 inch toughbar extension and the Kodak Playsport zx-3 to capture some footage attached to Ed’s Kayak for the Blackburn’s Challenge.
Here are some pictures-
I’m looking forward to seeing how it holds up. Look for our review post race. In teh meanwhile check out our preview here-
I put it on my Joey’s Approved Products page if you want to order one from Massachusetts based Kayalu
We are back enjoying Gloucester and Rockport. We loved seeing the Greasy Pole musical just a month ago. Thought it was exceptionally created and carried out. Kudos to Henry for a dream played out. We think the man who played St. Peter was perfect for the part. He should lead all your parades in town, for sure, or at least stand on the platform by the greasy pole.
Today while children played on the beach, we observed the next generation of "walkers" carefully peanut butter the pole. Took about an hour. Then we watched as one of the greasers made it to the end. Very impressive watching them prepare for the future…successfully at that. For some reason, my husband wondered if it was chunky peanut butter…maybe it was a traction thing.
Then we walked the Boulevard and enjoyed watching Firdosh Pathan feeding the sea gulls and greeting people as they walked by. That’s what we love about your town, there is always something for everyone to do and many times, it gets written up. Blessings,
Linda and Rob Castagna
Milford on the Delaware, NJ
Good Morning Gloucester 