Maritime Gloucester is proud to announce that it is starting a new Sea Scout “Ship” effective immediately. It has been many years since Cape Ann operated an active Sea Scout group for youth. 
The Sea Scouts recently celebrated its 100th year anniversary when Governor Deval Patrick declared October 8th, 2012 as the official Sea Scouts Day in Massachusetts. First inspired on the waters of the Massachusetts coast, the program is a national coed outdoor program for young adults ages 14 to 20 that promotes knowledge of our nation’s maritime heritage and provides young people with positive opportunities through hands-on maritime education, training and experiences. The Gloucester “Ship” would serve the North Shore and be a part of the Yankee Clipper Council, BSA, Inc.
“Sea Scouts is a perfect fit for Maritime Gloucester” says Geno Mondello, who directs the dory shop at Maritime Gloucester and served in the Gloucester Sea Scouts as a teen. Maritime Gloucester’s mission is to inspire students and visitors to value marine science, maritime heritage and environmental stewardship through hands-on education and experiences. Located on the waterfront adjacent to the Coast Guard Station at Harbor Loop, it offers boatbuilding and repair, rowing programs, maritime heritage artifacts and exhibits, sails and education aboard the Schooner Ardelle and marine science education and research in biological and physical science classrooms.
According to Amanda Madeira, former Captain of the tall ship Ernestina, who will serve as the Skipper of the group, “I am eager to work with young men and women from the area who are interested in connecting to the sea and developing maritime and marine science skills.” Ms. Madeira is a licensed schooner captain and marine science educator at Maritime Gloucester who has worked extensively with youth on active sailing and seafaring programs.
“We are very excited about the addition of a Sea Scout program on the north shore,” said Laura Moriarty, District Director of the Yankee Clipper Council. “We look forward to working with their team to support a strong program in the historic port of Gloucester.”
Maritime Gloucester is a non-profit organization located at 23 Harbor Loop in Gloucester. Maritime Gloucester prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, age, marital status, national origin, mental or physical disability, political belief or affiliation, veteran status, sexual orientation, and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination under state or federal law.
For more information about serving as an adult volunteer or being a youth member, please contact Amanda Madeira at amadeira@maritimegloucester.org or at 978-281-0470. You can also find more information about us at www.maritimegloucester.org or visit us on Facebook.
Good Morning Gloucester 
Congratulations to everyone concerned with starting the new Sea Scout ship. I’m particular interested because my dad was skipper of Gloucester’s Sea Scout Ship Hesperus before WW-II. and in the late 50s and 60s I helped out with the scouts. Joe Mesquite and I helped John McPhee run the Hesperus. Sea scouting was big in those days. We had a Flotilla on the North Shore with ships in Gloucester, Rockport, Ipswich, Marblehead, Beverly and Lynn. Each year we had a Regatta with all sorts of competition-rowing, sailing,knot tyine, etc.. Our ship had a retired Coast Guard 42′ Picket Boat and a Monomoy Surf boat. Gloucester’s Rotary Club was our sponsor and we had tremendous support from local businesses.
LikeLike
This is great news! My father, now nearly 91, was a Sea Scout in Gloucester when he was just 15! Fabulous program!
LikeLike
I remember as a boy, when I was under the age of 10; As one entered the water front, Sea Scouts!, having an encampment, scouts were practicing semaphore and others were operating radio sets, (SCR-694/GRC-9!?!?) practicing the “morse-code” aka cw. At the time, there must have been 40 or so youngsters! This was before the anti-war feeling set in and patriotism was till running high. My dad nodded approvingly as we stopped and I was taking in the scenes. I think that there was also a Naval Reserve Submarine, too in Gloucester as well. I don’t remember the name ( since this was all circa 1965 to 1967)…
LikeLike
I’m looking for information on the Sea Scout’s history in Gloucester. If anywould like to share, please contact me directly or post your comment here. Thanks!
LikeLike
Bill, I was in the Gloucester Sea Scouts during the 1960’s. I remember John McPhee was the captain. We met for meetings in several different buildings. In the early 60’s it was the old school house on Plum Street and when they condemned the place, we moved temporarily to a brick building near Rocky Neck. I think it was under the building that had a community Play House some years back. Then John found an old building on Main Street where we held meetings. Some of the kids who were in Ship 5 back then were, Harry Williams, Geno Mondello, Angus McFeely, Gordon Lind, and Billy Jones. We had the Hesperus and a 45 foot yawl we sailed to Montreal for the World Expo.
We competed in the annual Regattas, 2 man dory race and monomoy surfboat races. Gloucester had one of the largest ships and usually dominated the the other ships from Rockport, Beverly, Salem, Lynn, and Marblehead.
We also had dances in conjunction with the female Sea Scouts called Mariners. We would visit the other cities every month or two for these dances.
One summer Bill Jones, myself, and kid from the Beverly ship named Murphy got to spend a week on the Coast Guard cutter General Green. We sailed to P-town and had to rescue a sinking fishing boat during a summer storm. That was during the summer of 1966 when I was sixteen years old. I join the Navy in 69 and that was the last I saw of the Gloucester Sea Scouts.
LikeLike
Ralph Gibbs, my dad who turned 95 last July 4th, was in the Gloucester Sea Scoutsthe years of which I am not sure – but likely was in early/mid-1930s. I know they wore the blue wool Navy-issued drawstring pants with the anchor-design buttons – (I still have the pants 🙂 – and that those days were so very rewarding to him, a lifelong boater.
LikeLike