Cape Cod

I meant the Gulf of Maine, we set out from Eastport and head out to sea via Grand Manaan and the shipping channel. We proceed WSW to Isle au HAut, then to Seal andMatinicus Islands, then we "park" a bit on Monhegan the SSW strait to the cape cod canal and Buzzards Bay. About a 5 day steam with a day on Monhegan.. Depending on the tropical weather sitution, we will sail back by Nantucket and "Downeast" back to Eastport in time for Labor Day. Well see. I have a feeling that this hurricane season will be active in the atlantic rather than the Gulf.of Mexico. If iTs so, we will have to hug the shoreline all the way home. That can be a drag because of the quick tides and currents. Im a fan of the Woods Hole bottom scans. They are fantastic and some of the best resolution available anywhere.

Been reading up on rogue waves - FREAKY!!! They say that you're safer in shallow water........

and youre a;so safer where there is not so much "fetch" or distance for winds to kick up and reinforce rogues. Downest in the outer Gulf of Maine, tropical storms blow from the S , then SE so you have a huge amt of fetch to darw water into high waves. Whenever wed run into a storm, wed look at which direction its blowing and head for cover by putting land between us and the wind direction. In the West Gulf of Maine, there are thousands of islands in which to duck in and hide while it blows over.

and also watch for Mooncussers. Don't let them lure you to the shore.

Mooncussers of Cape CodRumor has it that during the 18th and 19th centuries, one word filled the hearts of sailors with dread and brought them to their knees in prayer: mooncussers.

Now, mooncussers were scoundrels, akin to pirates. However, it can be argued, the former were a lazier, less adventurous lot. Pirates, you see, usually extended some effort for their plunder. After a hot and often dangerous pursuit, pirates had to board their quarry, subdue its crew, maybe supervise the "walking of the plank," then set about the hard work of looting the victim ship.

Mooncussers, on the other hand, found a less taxing, perhaps even more despicable, way to abscond with the valuables deep in the cargo holds of ships travelling the high seas.

Centuries ago, about one ship per week wrecked along our shores. Lighthouses were few and far between; the fog and mist often all but obliterated their weak candlepower. But these beacons spaced along the coast--Highland, Nauset, Chatham and Monomoy Point--were the only reliable guideposts for sailors navigating off our tricky and dangerous shores.

Knowing this, a band of local scoundrels united to deliberately wreck, then plunder, passing ships. During the darkest hours, especially on wild stormy nights, these land-loving pirates criss-crossed the coast on horseback and planted large decoy lanterns at strategic points. After spotting a ship in distress, the despots grabbed the nearest decoy lantern and began waving it, beckoning the distressed sailors closer to the shore.

Once wrecked, the mooncussers simply needed to do away with the crew and steal the ship's cargo before benevolent lifesavers arrived on the scene.

So, now you know why the name mooncusser instilled fear in the toughest of sailors, but have you guessed as to the origins of that name?

Because the moon's rays reflect and magnify the water's surface, sailors can see very well on moonlit nights--or even when the moon is only partially full. Therefore, the scoundrels' decoy lanterns would fool no experienced seaman under these circumstances. As such, when the villians' trickery did not succeed, they often shouted, "Cuss the moon!" into the moonlit night. Over the years, these plunderers eventually became known as mooncussers.

Nameqiout Chef
For somereason I think his name was John Huron. We did have an end of the summer banquet, with lobster newburg and a big ice sculpture. We also had to eat yucky fried bluefish a few times a summer that we would catch on the deep sea day fishing day trips. Remember bunk inspections! So stressful. Remember the counselors would go on pizza and DQ runs to make a few bucks from the campers. Remember they would play that scratchy old bugle record to wake us up and (taps) when it was lights out? Remember those green vans to take us to Nauset on Wednesday afternoons? Ah, memories.

Re: post1557036 from TimJ
I'm still working my way through the topic, trying to help.
TimJ has it right: Karl A. Zeuner was studying for the Catholic priesthood. It looks as though TimJ and I were there at the same time as well. I remember the program director scrawling "The Second Coming of KAZ" on the blackboard outside the program office. Karl worked only the second half of that summer.

Incidentally, he was one of several counselors who were studying for the RCC priesthood. The counselor of the Craft shop (Jim) was another.

Other counselors included Al Davis (we called him BAD, for Big Al Davis). He lived in a tiny two-person cabin with the archery counselor, whose name escapes me.

John Worgan was the head of sailing, he lived in the Flying Bridge (we called it the Flying Bilge) with his wife and their infant son. Mrs. Worgan had an English or Australian accent, as I recall.

Larry Welch was head of gymnastics, which was located at the fresh water front. He was an M.I.T. student during the academic year (as was Bill Shanahan of riflery). I think Mr. Farnham was a coach at M.I.T. (diving, perhaps?), which is why we had a number of M.I.T. counselors.

Mr. Haddad (George, perhaps?) was the program director. Bob McMaster coached general sports. The Tennis counselor was Kevin (can't remember his last name). He was engaged to (and later married) the camp nurse: Julie Wright. Fred Sanders (Sanford?) was another counselor (Leeward, I think); I believe he was another M.I.T.'er.

Re: Namequoit
MAINSAILS SAID: I found this forum on Google after spending an afternoon with Google Earth finding the various places I've spent time. I went looking for Namequoit, and (I think) found the tennis courts and swimming lake. I found this forum exactly the same way. I zoomed in using Google earth, saw that the buildings I remembered were gone, and starting googling Camp Namequoit.

MAINSAILS SAID: I do remember I had a counselor named Froggy!!
Froggy's real name was Craig Fenno. He was a CA with me my second year (1972). There were six of us (in the cabin called Avalon, near the dining hall). Steve Greminger, Doug Kaplan, Craig Fenno, myself, and two others - one I can picture but not name, the other I can't recollect at all.

Re: Namequoit 78 - 82


The head cook in 1971 was a man named Bob Aniello. That was his final year. He was replaced in 1972 by a couple (John(?) and his wife) who were much better cooks. They had a few children with them who helped in the kitchen. I remember the final meal as "The Closing Banquet", and I do remember the ice sculptures! Both years I was there, the whole dining room broke into spontaneous and thunderous applause for the chef toward the end of the meal - a standing ovation!

Pleasant Bay Camp, Cape Cod
Ive been searching the web in order to find any info out there in reference to Pleasant Bay Camp. I have come accross this site which seems to bring up another Sailing camp which i believe was next door. I had worked as a cook assistant in 1974 and had enjoyed that time tremendously. Met some of the most interesting young people and was just trying to see if anyone had knowledge on what has taken place with these camps and old Captain Jim of the PBC .The town of Orleans when i contacted them (possibly the Chamber of Commerce) in 2005 said they had never heard of this Sailing camp. Seems that the best things in life really do disappear before our eyes! Mark

Re: Pleasant Bay Camp, Cape Cod


Sorry Mark - I remember only five camps around Pleasant Bay: Namequoit (boys) & Avalon (girls), Viking (boys) & Quonset (girls), and Lake Farm Camp (co-ed). Those five competed in the PBIC (Pleasant Bay Intercamp Regatta).

However, I should point out that four of the five were on LITTLE Pleasant Bay - the northern extension of the bay. Only Avalon was out on Pleasant Bay. So, my knowledge of Pleasant Bay is limited. There may have been a PBC after all.

Camp Namequoit
I went to Camp Namequoit in '82-'83. I just did a google search to see whether it still existed. Great thread. Anybody know the whereabouts of Al Haddad? I see in a earlier post that is son is a meteorologist in Manchester.

Beat Viking!

PBC
PBC was on Little Pleasant Bay, too. Right next to where Quanset used to be if I remember correctly. They closed up in the late seventies (pretty early in my stay at Namequoit). I seem to remember some boats that Namequoit picked up when they closed. "Bay Birds" Maybe? Gaff-rigged boats.

When I was there, PBIR was Namequoit, Viking, Avalon, PBC (when they were around) and CCSC (Cape Cod Sea Camps - Co-ed). Looks like CCSC is still around and going strong. According to their web site anyways.

Ltl Pleasant Bay Camps
Beware of scurrilous interlopers.

I was at Camp Viking in the early 70's and lived thru many experiences mentioned - Bloody Benny was clearly a CN thing (I went to college with a NC guy who's a dear friend so don't hold anything against you) but we did have some bitchin' sailboats - had to solo a whaleboat to get able seaman credential. I skippered 3 of 5 races in the winning PBIR in 73 or 74 or so - loved that time. Tennis tourneys with Quanset ( i lost the match but found an early love) and dances at Avalon. Clear memories of a midnight cammando raid running all the halyards up the masts of boats at anchor at CN - unsanctioned of course - but considered an honerable thing to do - given the viking legacy or raids, looting, plundering etc.

And Beanie was one of our counsellors - airplane pilot at the time - probably sanctioned at CN and sent over for Lincoln to straightening out - but Lincoln (Tom Lincoln, strapping camp director type) wasn't the person for the job, it seems.

all in all, amazing grerat memories - its a subdivision now - but from revelry to taps was all good fun during that incredible time of life.

any other Viking guys out there????

Bill Strassberg and I were the other two counselor's aids in Avalon cabin during the summer of 1972. Bill was from New York City and had the accent to prove it. I am not sure which one of us you can't remember. I believe you bunked above me. The head cook was John Heron. Art Farnham was the Director of Athletics at MIT, which explains the large number of counselors from MIT.

I just returned from spending a week in Orleans with my family. Much is the same, but much has changed. The only sailing camp left on the cape is Monomy/Wono in Brewster. They sail on Cape Cod Bay and their program is highly dependant on the tides. Camp Namequoit no longer exists and there are five luxury homes in its place. Nauset Beach is still beautiful. The snack bar is now Liam's instead of Filbert's, but they still have the world's best onion rings. On the negative side, the solitude of the beach is spoiled by the town permitting people to drive their SUVs through the dunes to a remote section.

Forget Peter Paul, son of Saul Paul? Never!
Bill Strassburg was the one for whose name I was scratching my head. You're quite right about his accent.

Bob McMaster was nominally our counselor, although he pretty much stayed in Q cabin with the CT's.

Who was the counselor of the craft shop? I remember that his name was Jim, and he was a tall, quiet, soft-spoken man. I believe he was a RC seminarian - perhaps at the same seminary as KAZ. Do you remember his surname?

Good to hear from you again.

Viking and Pleasant Bay camps
I went to Viking from 1968 until 1977. It was a great experience. The camps on the bay were Namequoit, Viking, Pleasant Bay Day Camp, Quanset with an A not an O and Avalon. This year my son went for his first year at CCSC(Monomoy and Wono). He had a blast but it's such a shame that none of the other camps survived. While up there I did drive as far as I could down the Viking Road, It was rumored that after Ced Hagenbuckle died ( on Pleasant Bay in the Black Whistler?) that his will had some type of provisions to keep the land from being developed. Unfortuantey I dont think that happened.

For a while there was a website, www.campviking.org but it now seems defunct. They even had a reunion.

Viking was a greast place and I remember so much from then:

The legend of Nahan Eldredge and Sampson and sipson islands.
The outer beach trips to the cabin including when you became an AC digging he new outhouse.
A trip tp monomoy where we were caught in a huricane and had to make it to Stage Harbor for refuge
Of course the intercamp regattas ( I wonder if anyone ever retired the cup)
SLS/JLS with Lincoln and Lewellyn
The amazing treasure hunts
small stores
VVA6
Nav Cabin
Rifelry Range
4 square
evening Sail
The great assortment of boats from the mercs to the whale boats to the FD and Whistlers.
Counselors:Lincoln, Buckle, Grant Millard, of course Beanie, Leroyer, Iver, Todd Silberman, Tom Madden, Rankin, Dean Chamberlain, MAtt, MArvin,
The Babe: you dont eat your vegetables you dont get no ice cream.
QYC
Pleasant Bay Day Camp had the big "tin cup" regatta

I'd love to reconect with some of the folks and catch up and share stories.

namequoit 2175807
Two of the missing three are Bill Strassberg and Peter Paul : the third may have been David Nobel. Which one are you?
Froggy

Hello, Froggy!

I am Charles Herman.

Dave Nobil was not in our CA cabin; I think he was a CT (down in Q cabin with Bob McMaster). I remember him well; he was a good friend at camp (and a super sailor).

The six of us in Avalon were: Steve Greminger, Doug Kaplan, Craig Fenno, Bill Strassburg, Peter Paul, and Charles Herman. You were promoted to full counselor halfway through the summer; due to a gap. That left five of us. You went to be Junior counselor in the cabin of Jim the craft shop counselor (who's last name I still can't remember). What was his last name anyway?

Another character I'd like to find is Tom Herr. He was a CA my first year at CN; when I returned as a CA, he was no longer there. I saw him only once more: he came on a school field trip to Washington DC (where I lived), so I went downtown and talked with him for a while. He was from Paxinos PA, and an interesting character. He was into ham radio, and he invented radio station WNQT - broadcasting such things as the gymnastics meet, the swim meet, and the counselors telling a ghost story. He hung around with Larry Welch the gymnastics counselor, and Al Davis (a sailing counselor).

Good to hear from you again!

pleasant bay camp
I was a sailing counselor at pleasant bay camp in 1974. I had been a camper there from 67 to 69 and a counselor from 72 to 75..They were the greatest summers of my life and alot of fun. I have looked for other people who were at PBC in the past but haven found many...I did see another guy who was a counselor on "this old house" many years ago...I think he was there in 1974. I also remember all the other camps on pleasant bay at that time...
Ps..I do remember a guy named Lincoln from VIking camp and PBC would host the tin cup regatta in july. Also lots of the Quanset ladies...and there was a bar in Orleans we used to go to...the rafters I think.....wow....great old memories.....well hope to hear more ///