Gloucester Captain Joseph Trupiano Grateful to Have Survived Tugboat Sinking Off Colombia
Joseph R. Trupiano Jr. of Gloucester escaped with three crewmembers when the tugboat Spence sank off the coast of Colombia while towing a barge to Cuba. COURTESY PHOTO
By Terry Weber / Special to the Beacon
Dec. 28, 2015
Looking back at 2015, the members of the Trupiano family of Gloucester are especially grateful that the year ended in happiness and good fortune instead of tragedy. That’s because Joseph R. Trupiano Jr., a tugboat captain, survived the sinking of his tugboat off the coast of Colombia in mid-December.
Trupiano, 54, had regularly served as a tugboat captain for TransAtlantic Lines but on this particular assignment, he was serving as a First Mate on the tugboat Spence. The intended mission and route was to pull a barge from Cartagena, Colombia to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Coincidentally, the tugboat had just undergone inspection and repairs in Cartagena before being deemed seaworthy for the trip.
In addition to Trupiano as First Mate, the team included Captain James Stock, Engineer William Wakefield, and Able Bodied Seaman (AB) Kenneth Williams; all except Trupiano were from Florida.
On Dec. 13, the Spence crew headed for Cuba and the next day at 2 p.m., a back (stern) compartment flooded causing a 25-degree list or tilt to the right (starboard) and the stern began to sink. “It happened quickly,” said Trupiano. “The stern was almost submerged in less than two minutes. We still don’t know what caused the flood but it was massive and we had to act immediately.”
The crew placed a May Day call but no one responded, so they put on their life jackets and decided to steer the sinking boat toward the barge they were pulling so they could board it. “We decided against the survival suits, because our last resort would be to swim for the barge which was about 1,600 feet away,” said Trupiano. “Survival suits are great for floating, but not for swimming or attempting to climb up or onto a barge. The barge offered the most safety.” Although the tugboat was sinking, Trupiano steered the boat close to the barge and all four crewmembers prepared to jump to the barge’s deck.
Joseph and Shelia
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
Look Who I Found!
Undoubtedly one of the very best bartenders ever!
I spy with my little eye, the one and only, Jack Muniz!
Jack is now tending bar at the pretty fantastic Turner’s Seafood at Lyceum Hall in Salem.
I had a yummy lunch up there the other day…made that much better by being able to chat with Jack.
Great food, great location, great ambience, a great raw bar, and Jack. Win, win, win, win, win.
Check out their menu and more HERE! Â Turner’s Seafood.
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
@MattNoyesNECN 4:35AM #GloucesterMA Snow Report From The Dock. All You Snow Lovers- Happy Now?
About a half inch of snow. Sleet/snow mix currently. 100% need to exercise caution when driving.
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
Cape Ann Special Olympics Paint Nite
More Cape Ann Community News-
http://www.capeanncommunity.com
CAPE ANN SPECIAL OLYMPICS
We are hosting Paint Nite fundraiser Wednesday, February 10, 2016 at 7pm. As a new program we need to raise money to offset the cost of uniforms, gym time and equipment. Please show your support by indulging your creative side. Tickets to this event can be purchased on https://paintnite.com/events/936109.html
Through sport, Special Olympics is building communities of acceptance and inclusion for all people.
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
YET ANOTHER GLOUCESTER SNOWY OWL SIGHTING! And Lemmings
Another Snowy Owl sighting, this submitted by Kim Bertolino in East Gloucester. Thanks so much to Kim for sharing her beautiful photo!
We were talking about Snowy Owls and lemmings in Sunday’s podcast when questions about where lemmings live and what do they look like came up. Lemmings are a small rodent that comprise the bulk of the Snowy Owl’s diet in their northern breeding grounds, the Arctic tundra. They are about 3 to 6 inches long with silky fur and short tales, and are closely related to voles and muskrats. The Snowy eats between three to five lemmings per day in the tundra! Read more about lemmings here.
Although we can’t offer the Snowies a diet of lemmings, we do have lots of mice and rats readily available to hunt during the winter months. Cape Ann’s open shoreline, of beaches, dunes, and rocky outcroppings, are a somewhat similar terrain to that of the tree-less tundra. Snowies are diurnal; they have evolved to hunt during the day and night because in the tundra during their breeding season the hours of daylight are continuous. A Snowy couldn’t survive in the Arctic if it could only hunt during night time like most other species of owls.
The following BBC article about lemmings is super interesting and well worth reading: The Truth About Norwegian Lemmings
Photo Credit: Nature Picture Library / Alamy
Adult male Snowy Owl delivering a lemming to a female on the nest. The female is feeding a chick. Bathurst Island, Nunavut, Canada. JuneGerrit Vyn Photography
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
Selfie on the Beach
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
Magnolia right before sunset
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
Kids Yoga Classes for the New Year
More Cape Ann Health, Fitness and Wellness news-
http://www.capeannwellness.com
Let’s face it, being a kid can be tough these days. Let’s give our kids the tools they need to manage their bodies and minds!
Yoga benefits children in so many ways and really helps them connect their bodies and minds, while building confidence and love for themselves inside and out. Not only does it improve strength, balance and flexibility, it really helps children to concentrate, focus, relax, be creative and imaginative, and channel their energy more effectively.
Some of the MANY benefits of for yoga for children are:
- Increases strength and flexibility
- Promotes self-esteem, self-respect and inner-strength
- Increases focus and concentration
- Teaches respect, compassion, gratitude and sharing
- Increases coordination and balance
- Teaches breath awareness, meditation and relaxation techniques
New 6 week session of KIDS yoga start January 5/6th
All classes offered at Treetop Yoga Studio:
Little Yogis, Wednesdays, 3-3:45pm Ages 3.5-5
Your child will use their imaginations and go…
View original post 186 more words
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
Caught In The Trap
A young couple who just moved to Gloucester with relatives from New York.
Photo of someone taking a Group Selfie in the tree
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
Winter is Coming!
Cape Ann Health, Fitness and Wellness News-
http://www.capeannwellness.com
Don’t get caught out in the cold.
Choose to be WARM.
There is still time to take advantage of steeply discounted prices at Cape Ann Power Yoga!!!
If you purchase online or in-studio by the end of the day on January 1:
1 Month Unlimited – $100
6 Month Unlimited – $650
One Year Unlimited – $1150
Buy Online Now
Or come in to the studio!
Y Members pay just $5!!!
Email us anytime with questions at capeannpoweryoga@gmail.com
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
Super K Crushed Dinner With This Baked sweet Potato Filled With Chili, aVOCADO AND oTHER sTUFF
The Layers Of Flavor Were Over The Top Delicious. #nailedit #shitwasdelicious
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
“I Made These For You”
Last week I did a post about our “Great Holiday Cookie Giveaway”. Â If you didn’t see it, check it out here. Â It is pretty sweet, if I do say so myself.
My students decided that it would be better to give than receive. They opted to skip the annual gingerbread house making for themselves and instead baked like crazy in class and at home. We then made a list of recipients and delivered holiday treats from Beverly to Ipswich to people whom our school is thankful for. We wish we could have made 100 more stops.
So, the other day, Finn finished his job. Â In addition to delivering cookies as a class on a school day, each child also brought a box of cookies home to deliver to someone special. Â Finn chose to deliver his to the Gloucester Coast Guard Station at Harbor Loop. Â You may remember that my boys have both loved and respected members of the Coast Guard for quite some time.
Here’s another post in case you want to read up on that….
So, here is Finn’s letter…and a photo of him delivering his treats to a Petty Officer.
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
Snowy Owl Atop The F/V Endeavor Photos from Janelle Favaloro
Heard people were looking for the snowy owl in East Gloucester. Located him on top of the F/V Endeavor today and grabbed a couple of shots. Would have loved to climb aboard the ship for a better shot, but the hubby said No! Had to stay on the dock!
Janelle Favaloro
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
It’s not too late to make plans for New Year!
More Cape Ann Dining News-
http://www.capeanneats.com
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
GloucesterCast 165 With Kim Smith, Alicia Cox, Leslie Heffron, Donna Ardizzoni and Host Joey Ciaramitaro Taped 12/27/15
GloucesterCast 165 With Kim Smith, Alicia Cox, Leslie Heffron, Donna Ardizzoni and Host Joey Ciaramitaro Taped 12/27/15
Topics include:
Plunge for Pete Frates Today at Good Harbor Beach
First snowfall tuesday and everyone that loves snow can screw.
One hour at a time gang. sean nolan did niles beach
Two Sisters- patty is still there
Cacciatores soon to be open as AJ’s on the harbor
Polar Plunge
New Years Resolutions-yoga Cape Ann Power Yoga Deal and treetop yoga
Snowy Owl
Debating buying inndividual mics
 Smokers beware: new ‘green economy’ laws approved by the Italian parliament on Tuesday will see those caught flicking their cigarette butts on the ground slapped with fines.
And it’s not just smokers who are being targeted either. Those caught engaging in equally mindless but unfortunately no less common littering activities will also face fines.
Both inconsiderate chewers who spit their gum onto Italian streets and coffee drinkers who scrunch up their receipts and throw them on the floor will be fined between €30 and €150.
The legislation states that fines will hit people found throwing “small pieces of litter any place that isn’t a bin: including the gutter, floor, and water”.
The measures passed on Tuesday with 169 of Italy’s MPs voting in favor, 32 against and 11 abstaining.
Matt Ring got his snow blower so Im hoping that translates to no snow
Alicia Cox’ New Year/New Year’s Eve Restaurant Rundown
I encourage restaurants and anyone that can add to this list!
I encourage restaurants and anyone that can add to this list!
Art Rundown With Leslie Heffron
Doodles Art Emporium
156 Granite St, Rockport, MA 01966 www.doodlesartemporium.com
Morpheus Returns- A Group Winter Show
Closing reception: Sunday, January 3, 4-6 p.m.
Artists represented: Alison Landoni, Thomas Philbrook, Skip Montello, Jim Wickey, Ben Wickey, Nancy Jarvis,Sinikka Nogelo, Pam Courtleigh.Law Hamilton,Dale BlankSho
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
NY Strip Loin Smoked On the @WeberGrills Smokey Mountain Smoker Money Shot
For The Start To Finish Smoke Check Out www.northeastbbq.com
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
Blue Lobster Landed Tonight @CaptJoeLobster #GloucesterMA
More From The Dock-
https://captainjoes.wordpress.com
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
BEAUTIFUL HAWK AT NILES BEACH
I only had my cell phone with and wish so much my movie camera was back from the repair center. He/she was fairly high up in the tree so it’s really not that bad for a cell phone camera. The hawk did not at all seem to mind my interest and stayed for a while before flying towards the Lighthouse.
https://www.instagram.com/p/_sB2BUjyve/
https://www.instagram.com/p/_rsCWgDyk8/
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
Strike out ALS Polar Plunge at Good Harbor Beach
There were 400 registered polar plungers to Strike out ALS. Very inspirational seeing these 400 polar plunges and Pete Frates being at the beach with his wife, child and all those swimmers sending him love.
To help donate please follow the link below:
https://petefrates.com/
20151227 133039
20151227 131242
20151227 123050
Good Morning Gloucester 