The 2025 Windjammer Days will shine a spotlight on the dedicated individuals who have served, are serving, or are preparing to serve in one of the most respected branches of the U.S. military: the Coast Guard. From active-duty members and retired veterans to the bright future leaders currently enrolled at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, we’ll explore their personal stories, their contributions to the community, and the impact they've made on the nation's maritime security. The 63rd annual Boothbay Harbor Windjammer Days will take place on Sunday, June 22 through Saturday, June 28. Visit boothbayharborwindjammerdays.org for the full schedule of events.

I am honored to be asked to talk about my time serving in the United States Coast Guard.  The Windjammers Days have always been a wonderful time for me going back to my childhood; seeing the old Victory Chimes and all the other old schooners was really a wonderful sight for me.  Frankly those days on the water in and around the Boothbay Harbor area weresome of the best days of my life. 

I joined the Guard right out of high school.  I loved the ocean and really wanted to learn navigation and more seamanship skills.  My initiation into service was a tough one as boot camp in Cape May NJ was not a walk in the park! I will never forget one incident there; someone (it wasn’t me) stole a long sword off the wall in the admin office.  The overly loud drill instructors had us out on the beach in full dress whites with our rifles at 5am.  We stood in a line at the water’s edge and were ordered to throw our weapons into the surf.  We then had to wade in, find our personal weapons (known by our memorized weapon serial number) or throw what we’d found back in the water!!  It was miserable and took hours!!  Soaked, filthy, and cold we ran back to base and then had to clean up our dress whites and weapons!!  Great times!! 

After Boot Camp we were given 10 days of home leave.  The very last night of leave sealed my fate as a North Sea Guardsman!!  I was involved in a car accident that night and broke my ankle!  My orders were canceled, and I spent 40 daysat Base Boston.  Ironically, my canceled orders were to go to Hawaii!!!  So much for that!!  Once healed I was billeted onboard WHEC 33 – US Coast Guard Cutter Duane – a 327 footweather cutter.That’s where it all began!! 

My first patrol was a BRAVO Patrol…..in February no less!!  This patrol area was a 210 square mile area of the Labrador Sea akathe North Atlantic Ocean just southwest of the southern tip of Greenland. With the sinking of the Titanic, Canada and the US set up weather patrols to track Icefield and Iceberg movement, along with sea state and weather data. Allto be reported back to Washington andthen disseminated out to all ships transiting the North Atlantic.  Also, the ship would act as a beacon for transatlantic flights.  Sometimes when transiting to the patrol area, we would heave to right over the wreck of the Titanic for a moment of silence for all the loss of life. It was a very strange feeling knowing that 1500 people and all the wreckage was over 2.5 miles beneath me in that cold dark water! 

The winter weather on Bravo’s was always glorious! Winds of 80 knots and higher with balmy temperatures of 40 to 60 below zero LESS the windchill!  Seas of between 30 and 50 feet in the winter were considered fairly normalwith the highest wave I’ve seen recorded at 74 feet.  The ship would get so covered in icethat it would become unstable meaning I and other boatswains went onto the weather decks to rig lifelines. The deck crews would then go on deck, tie onto lifelines and clear the ice with baseball bats and shovels.  Sea water temps were in the low to mid 20s so when it froze solid it was very brittle and some time the ice would shatter like fine crystal! We went through cases of Louisville Slugger bats on every winter patrol!   

I made many, many winter Bravo Patrols on that ship and luckily I was one of about 6 crewmen who never got seasick!  As a boatswain mate I was on deck at all hours and would go up to the bridge at night and light a cigar;  mean, I know, but pretty funny…….guys heaving over the side was a common occurrence on the Bravo!  Of course just after I got off the ship, they got rid of the Bravo Patrol as it was determined to be too dangerous and, with the advent of GPS and better radar systems, less dangerous for shipping in that area in winter. 

I transferred off the ship and finally got my choice of the Boothbay Harbor Lifeboat Station!!  I knew the entire area of water from Sequin Island to Monhegan like the back of my hand so I felt like I was adding value to that Station.  I ran the 40 and 44 foot rescue boats now and again and also serviced all the lighthouses in that area.  When needed, we would help the lobstermen stuck with warp in their props and of course help any other vessels that needed assistance.  I had a good time at the Station with lots of memories – both good and bad!  Late one Sunday afternoon, in solid fog and drizzle, we got a call from a sailboat that was floundering “ inMuscongusBay”……..they had no idea exactly where they were and couldn’t see anything!  After 17 hours of searching, we finally found them two miles southwest of Monhegan, a long ways from the Bay!  Too rough to take them onboard the 44, we towed them back to Boothbay Station…….seasick, scared, wet and cold. we finally got them onto the boathouse dock………older parents with son and new wife, we all got hugs and kisses of thanks…….along with lots of apologies for not listening to weather reports!!   

As I writeI realize I could write a book about all the exploits I had while in The Guard.  Trips to Cuba, Faroe Islands, Norway, Sweden, at least 20 trips to Saint Johns Newfoundland as well as Halifax; a truly adventurous time of my life.  I am still in love with the Coast of Maine and find myself feeling truly “centered” when on the water.  I totally recommend a stint, or career in the Coast Guard for anyone who loves the water and wants to help anyone who might need assistance on the ocean. 

Thanks for this opportunity to share. 

Fair winds and following seas!