Tag Archives: gloucester
American Eagle takes Esperanto Cup again
The Adventurer and Calabash were among the schooners that joined the American Eagle in the winner’s circle for the 39th annual Gloucester Schooner Festival races over Labor Day Weekend. The American Eagle captured the marquee Mayor’s Race, winning the Esperanto Cup for large schooners, in an elapsed time of 1 hour, 10 minutes and 49 seconds. >>click to read<< 11:53
Parade of Schooners ‘a real gift’ to Gloucester
Thousands lined Stacy Boulevard from Stage Fort Park to the Fort neighborhood Sunday morning under blue skies with light wind to watch the Parade of Schooners on the final day of Maritime Gloucester’s 39th annual Gloucester Schooner Festival. The event celebrates schooners small, medium and large, including a few historic Gloucester sailing vessels that used to fish for cod on the Grand Banks. Sunday’s schooner event also took place against the backdrop of this being Gloucester’s 400th anniversary as the nation’s oldest seaport. Five schooners sailing in the parade, Thomas E. Lannon, Lewis H. Story, Fame, Isabella and Ardelle were designed and built by 11th generation shipbuilder Harold Burnham in Essex. Photos, >>click to read<< 07:45
Two Friends: A Tragedy In Gloucester
In the summer of 2001, my wife Jan and I lived in a house on the highest point of East Gloucester, known as Beacon Hill. It had once been a visual landmark for ships navigating the approach into Gloucester harbor. One July day as I turned onto East Main, I noticed something that had not been there before, a tall crane behind some buildings. There was the crane and the reason for its presence: a burned-out and rusted fishing trawler pulled up to the shore, its name “Two Friends” still visible on the bow. The boat was being stripped for salvage, and as pieces were severed from above its hull, the crane deposited them in the lot to be hauled away. I found the history of the vessel online, because it had been in the local news and in the courts. 18 Photos, >>click to read<< 18:44
‘Wicked Tuna’ captain honors fallen firefighter
A star of National Geographic’s reality series “Wicked Tuna,” Capt. Dave Marciano of Beverly, fished out a winning raffle ticket at Gloucester Fire Headquarters on Sunday, Aug. 20, to help honor the memory of a fallen Gloucester firefighter. Marciano had donated a half-day charter as part of efforts to honor the late Gloucester firefighter Gregory G. “Headly” Marchant as his family and firefighters plan to travel to Colorado Springs, Colorado, next month to see Marchant’s name added to the wall of the International Association of Fire Fighters’ Fallen Firefighter Memorial. >click to read< 09:11
‘We were never alone, the Coast Guard was always there with us’ — City celebrates Station Gloucester
As Gloucester 400+ committee members and speakers honored the long service of Coast Guard Station Gloucester during an Appreciation Day at the station Friday morning, rain and wind lashed the windows of the mess deck where the ceremony took place. As the squall intensified, the wind drove water under the outside door and onto the floor as if the small boat station on Harbor Loop were taking on water. Some said this symbolized the way Coast Guard Station Gloucester has been watching over Gloucester’s fishing fleet and boaters caught in storms since 1901. and station members appreciated being a part of America’s oldest seaport. Photos, >click to read< 11:52
Hundreds gather to remember those lost at sea
More than 200 people, many family and friends of fishermen who died at sea, listened to the stories of two men who each lost their brothers aboard the trawler Starbound over two decades ago, during the 2023 Fishermen’s Memorial Service along Stacy Boulevard on Saturday afternoon. They reminisced about fishermen who never returned in recent memory and those who died at sea during Gloucester’s 400-year history. Under increasingly cloudy skies against the backdrop of the Outer Harbor, those gathered around the the Man at the Wheel statute of the Fishermen’s Memorial listened to speakers paying tribute to the thousands of men whose names are on the cenotaph. 5 photos, >click to read< 14:15
“Wicked Tuna” and lucky number 13
Number 13 is a fortuitous number for National Geographic’s hit reality television series “Wicked Tuna.” The show is now shooting its 13th season. And it is a lucky number for Gloucester Capt. T.J. Ott of the vessel Hot Tuna who won the title of G.O.A.T. — Greatest of All Time — at the conclusion of season 12 by hooking a total of 13 fish valued at $70,148. He edged out by $218 Beverly’s Capt. Bob Cook who caught a dozen fish valued at $69,930. The hit show, based out of Gloucester, America’s oldest seaport, chronicles a competition among fishermen and fisherwomen in search of giant bluefin tuna. 7 Photos, >click to read< 16:24
Fish tales and tails: Festival celebrates Gloucester Fisheries Heritage
Gloucester’s Jodrey State Fish Pier was hopping this weekend as America’s oldest seaport celebrated its 400+ anniversary during Gloucester Fisheries Heritage Month with a festival. Hundreds took in hands-on demonstrations and exhibits showcasing Gloucester’s part in feeding the world, from net mending to recipes for some of the less well-known species of fish and shellfish landed by the city’s fishermen, during the Gloucester Fisheries Heritage Festival on Saturday and Sunday. >click for 7 photos< 17:38
New Bedford said to be best place for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Is there a better place to site the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Northeast operations than New Bedford? Mayor Jon Mitchell doesn’t think so. And he’s joined in that opinion by a “very broad coalition of business and civic leadership. “Mitchell sent a letter co-signed by more than 50 business and civic leaders to NOAA Administrator Richard Spinrad this month making a pitch to consolidate its Northeast facilities in New Bedford. A similar letter was sent to NOAA in 2016, but recent developments warranted another entreaty. New Bedford’s port accounts for about 70% of the state’s commercial fish landings, according to the letter. While Gloucester hosts most of the NOAA’s facilities regionally, its landings are about one-seventh the size of New Bedford’s. >click to read< 09:54
Gloucester celebrates its finest kind
The launch of Gloucester Fisheries Heritage Month in the city’s 400+ anniversary year in front of the Fishermen’s Memorial on Stacy Boulevard on Tuesday evening celebrated the finest kind of the nation’s oldest fishing port. About 200 people cheered for the fishermen ages 80 and older who sat in the front row of chairs, and who were given a commemorative Gloucester 400+ medal as a way to honor them. “I couldn’t think of any better way to kick off this month than to honor the gentlemen here in front of me. I just want you to know you are all very near and dear to my heart,” said Al Cottone, a commercial fisherman and the executive director of the Gloucester Fisheries Commission. “You blazed the trail for what this industry is and hopefully what it will be in the future, and I just want to say thank you all, and today is for you.” 6 photos, >click to read< 07:47
Gloucester, Massachusetts to celebrate fishing heritage all month
The fishing community always comes together in times of trouble and disaster, but local leaders believe it is time for the community to come together to celebrate the city’s fishing heritage on the occasion of Gloucester’s 400+ anniversary year. In that spirit, August will be proclaimed the Gloucester Fisheries Heritage Month with a public kick-off event this Tuesday, Aug. 1, at 6 p.m. at the Man at the Wheel Statue on Stacy Boulevard along the Inner Harbor. The public is invited to be in attendance along with Mayor Greg Verga, leaders in the fishing community, Gloucester 400+ tri-chairs, and members of the Marine and Waterways Committee. A special commemoration will be presented to senior members of the local fishing fleet. >click to read< 09:52
Gloucester Fishing industry reps raise concerns about wind energy areas
Commercial fisherman Al Cottone, executive director of the Gloucester Fisheries Commission, and Angela Sanfilippo, executive director of the Massachusetts Fishermen’s Partnership and president of the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association, outlined the fishing industry’s concerns with offshore wind development. “First of all the construction process, the areas that are going to be used will probably be lost forever for commercial fishing,” Cottone said. “There are going to be a lot of losers when it comes to activity within these areas. You are not going to be able to find an area to put these arrays where someone is not going to lose their ability to fish and make a living,” Cottone said. He said this was a critical time for the local fishing industry. >click to read< 07:46
Sons of fishing family to deliver Stories on Deck in Gloucester
Two brothers, sons of an extended Gloucester Sicilian fishing family, will be the storytellers when Gloucester 400+ presents Stories on Deck this Saturday. Stories on Deck will take place July 15 from 10:30 a.m. to noon on the deck of schooner Adventure, at 23 Harbor Loop, with storytellers Capt. Salvatore “Sam” Novello and his brother Peter Novello. The event is free and no reservations are required. The son of Capt. Joe Novello and Lena (nee Parisi) Novello, Sam Novello is a Vietnam-era Navy veteran, past president of Gloucester Marine Railways Corp., and current president of Gulf of Maine Ocean Resource Alliance. Sam went to sea with his father, uncles, and cousins — more than 100 family members — on family fleet of fishing vessels. >click to read< 12:47
Failure of Doubler-Plated Hull Likely Cause of Sinking of Fishing Vessel
The failure of the doubler-plated hull under the engine room likely caused the flooding and sinking of a fishing vessel near Gloucester, Massachusetts last year, the National Transportation Safety Board said Tuesday. The fishing vessel Grace Marie was transiting to fishing grounds on July 8, 2022, when the engine room began flooding. The seven-person crew was unable to remove the water with the vessel’s bilge pumping system. The crew abandoned the vessel in a life raft and was rescued by a Good Samaritan vessel. The vessel eventually sank and was a total loss valued at $650,000. No injuries were reported. >click to read< 16:00
Retired Commercial Fisherman/Entrepreneur Samuel Asaro of Gloucester, Massachusetts has passed away
Samuel Asaro, 96, of Gloucester, husband of Lousia (Balbo) Asaro, passed away peacefully on July 1st, at Kaplan Family Hospice House, with his loving family by his side. He was born in Gloucester, MA on July 2, 1927, son of the late Peter and Catherine (Ciaramitaro) Asaro. Sam attended Gloucester Schools. He served his country in the U.S. Navy for several years. Afterwards, he was the cook on fishing vessels: F/V Regina Maria, F/V Ida & Joseph, The F/V Eagle, F/V Pat Saint Marie, F/V St. Anthony, and F/V Maria Immaculata. He worked for East Coast Lobster and later co-owned Folsom Seafoods in Salem. Sam’s final job was at the fish auction next to Captain Carlos where he worked until he was 84. >click to read< 11:04
Gloucester: Fishing boat’s exhaust sets it afire
No one was injured but a fishing vessel was damaged when it caught on fire Sunday morning. At 9:27 a.m. on Sunday, July 2, the Gloucester Fire Department received a report of a boat fire at Captain Joe and Sons, 95 East Main St. Upon arrival, firefighters discovered smoke coming from the Pivot and attempted to gain access, however, another boat was obstructing firefighters from being able to, according to a statement from fire Chief Eric Smith. The owner of the other boat quickly arrived to move it, allowing for firefighters to board the Pivot. 2 photos, >click to read< 07:46
Saying ‘goodnight’ to St. Peter
The 2023 St. Peter’s Fiesta concluded late Sunday night with a raucous procession around the waterfront Fort neighborhood where the working-class Sicilian and Italian fishing community first started Fiesta in 1927. About 1,000 people took a loop around the Fort before the statue of St. Peter was returned to St. Peter’s Club and its place of honor in a window looking out onto Rogers Street. Older residents, many young adults and a dad carrying his young daughter on his shoulders marched along and cried “Viva!” Video, photos, >click to watch< 10:58
Gloucester: Blessing of Fleet asks for good weather, a good catch and a safe return
The annual Blessing of the Fleet held Sunday afternoon saw several dozen vessels blessed by the Rev. James Achadinha of the Catholic Community of Gloucester and Rockport. On Sunday morning, hundreds gathered for the annual open air Mass, held before the outdoor altar at St. Peter’s Square. Following the Mass was the procession of several bands, floats and eight men who carried the statue of St. Peter on their shoulders. By the afternoon, crowds gathered along Stacy Boulevard to witness the blessing of several dozen vessels, part of the local Italian-American fishing fleet, one of the St. Peter’s Fiesta’s integral events. 8 photos, >click to read< 09:18
Fiesta: ‘What we are all about’
After a couple of days of carnival rides and musical entertainment, and a day of competition among seine boat crews and Greasy Pole walkers, America’s oldest seaport in its 400th year gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Friday night to officially kickoff the 96th St. Peter’s Fiesta. The celebration by the city’s Italian-American fishing community in the Fort neighborhood dates to 1927 and is hosted by the St. Peter’s Fiesta Committee. It’s held each year on the weekend closest to the Feast Day of St. Peter. The committee’s president, Joe Novello, took to the massive outdoor altar that Novello, an electrician by trade, wired. In opening the weekend’s festivities, he spoke about the thousands who have gathered in the neighborhood over the years to celebrate Fiesta and shout “Viva San Pietro!” Photos, >click to read< 97:47
Dave Marciano Illness: What Happened To His Health?
Dave Marciano is one of the most well-known stars of Wicked Tuna. There are some whispers going around that he is sick at this time. These rumors are unconfirmed and appear to be hoaxes. Despite these rumors, Marciano seems healthy and is regularly engaging with admirers on social media. Commercial fisherman Dave Marciano, who stars in “Wicked Tuna,” is selling fresh tuna. Angelica’s Seafoods, Marciano’s new company, sells tuna and other seafood directly to consumers. Marciano’s kid was born during the filming “Wicked Tuna.” Marciano’s Hard Merchandise and other local boats will supply Angelica’s seafood with tuna. The company will sell lobster, scallops, crab, and sushi-grade tuna. Online seafood orders will be delivered to customers. >click to read< 09:37
New England Fishing Culture
In New Bedford, fishing is more than a business—it is a way of life, passed down through generations of families like a tradition instead of an occupation. Born into a family of fishermen, Tyler Miranda grew up on the water, going out on trips in his father’s lobster boat—a wooden vessel about 14 feet long and half-covered in ocean-worn lobster traps—since he was six. Kellen O’Maley, a fisherman from Gloucester, Mass., chose not to pursue opportunities using a business degree. (Gloucester, a town two hours north of New Bedford, is the second largest fishing port in the state.) Instead, he dove into the fishing industry. >click to read< 10:19
Dear Ed Markey. I called your office this morning regarding our fishermen
First let me tell you who I am. I was a commercial fisherman and in seafood supply for over sixty years. I helped Pat Fiero run for state representative, and also was former Governor Mike Dukakis chairman for Cape Ann. I have severed on many fisheries boards and presently serve on the GF Commission. You helped me get the SKG money out of NOAA’s hands by voting in favor of Senator Sullivan bill to go back to advisory panel as was in 1954. I have supported you in the past and will continue. We need help now. I am going to list our problems and would like you to come to Fisheries Meeting here in Gloucester. We meet every third Thursday of the month at City Hall. >click to read< 21:11
Effort to save Gloucester’s oldest gillnetter sinks
During Gloucester’s celebration of its 400+ anniversary this year, America’s oldest seaport will say farewell to its oldest fishing vessel, the Phyllis A., a 59-foot gillnetter built in 1925. The 98-year-old vessel will not see its centennial. Efforts to raise enough money for its restoration and preservation were sunk in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and a slow trickle of money to support the educational nonprofit doing the work, the Phyllis A. Marine Association. “She fished out of Gloucester for 75 years, never anywhere else, and she was owned by the same family — the Arnold family,” said Gloria Parsons, a long-time member of the association. 12 photos, >click to read< 08:52
Fishermen: Haddock limits to lead to shutdown
In two tows during a fishing trip in March, Gloucester fisherman Joe Orlando caught what could have been almost his entire allocation for Gulf of Maine haddock under catch limits proposed for fishing year 2023, which begins May 1. Orlando harvested 7,000 pounds in those two tows, about a half day’s worth of fishing, Jackie Odell, executive director of the Northeast Seafood Coalition pointed out to members of the New England Fishery Management Council, NOAA Fisheries and others in an email. His allocation for the upcoming fishing year is expected to be 8,000 pounds. >click to read< 07:57
Gloucester eyes higher commercial slip fees but a bad ad postpones the vote
A plan by the nation’s oldest seaport to double what it charges for commercial slip fees has hit a bump. The City Council will have another go to consider the proposed slip fee hike and other changes to Gloucester’s Waterways Administration ordinance ,, The raft of proposals includes increasing the monthly fee from $4 per foot to an $8 a foot for commercial slips at the city-owned St. Peter’s and Harbor Cove (I-4, C-2) marinas. The lack of publicity about the possible changes cropped up when Concord Street resident and I-4, C-2 tenant Arthur “Sookie” Sawyer said he had just found out about the changes that evening. “To increase the rent over 100% on no notice to the tenant is kind of a hard pill to swallow,” Sawyer said. >click to read< 18:43
‘Wicked Tuna’: T.J. Ott Pays 5-Figure Fine for Illegal Act
Back on Dec. 7, 2022, the Massachusetts Environmental Police revealed that its officers began investigating the illegal sale of bluefin tuna, a federally regulated species in October 2021. During the investigation, they discovered that bluefin tuna was being sold at a Gloucester fish market, and a captain faced criminal charges. In November 2022, the captain reached a plea deal with the state and paid $13,000 in fines for the illegal sale of the fish. Although the post didn’t mention Ott, the Gloucester Daily Times later reported that he was the captain involved. >click to read< 07:57
Gloucester webinar tackles concerns about wind farm projects
At the nascent stage of wind farm development in the Gulf of Maine, a webinar last week looked at the possible impacts to marine life, coastal communities and fisheries while acknowledging there are many unknowns to such projects. Capt. Al Cottone, a commercial fisherman and executive director of the Gloucester Fisheries Commission, said the industry has “a ton of questions that haven’t been answered yet. And I don’t think these questions will be answered in the time frame that was shown earlier in the presentation and it’s very concerning to the industry.” “We are very concerned about the displacement of vessels,” Cottone said. “Once you start losing access to fishing grounds, it puts a lot of pressure on other fishing grounds.” >click to read< 12:28
Risking it all in the Blizzard of ’78
In early February 1978, the Joseph & Lucia III had been fishing for about a week. Despite storm warnings, Capt. Gaetano “Tom” Brancaleone decided to continue fishing. His crew of seven included his brother and engineer, Antonio “The Chief” Brancaleone; first mate Frank D’Amico; cook Gil Roderick; fish hold man Gaspar Palazola; and deckhands Joe Charlie Brancaleone and Santo Aloi. At the tail end of the blizzard, after days of worry — “we could just look out the window to see the wind whipping up snow drifts 7 or 8 feet high,” recalled Tom — the family finally received a call on the radio. The Joseph & Lucia III had made it! But Tom now needed to get to the Boston Fish Pier to help lump (unload) the boat. >click to read< 10:58
Stability class aims to keep fishing vessels and crews upright
The Burlington-based nonprofit Fishing Partnership Support Services came to Coast Guard Station Gloucester on Harbor Loop to give 13 people who risk their lives at sea to make a living training on how to best keep their boat stable while fishing. Some local commercial fishermen traded a day on the water for a morning in the classroom Friday as they learned from instructors the importance of removing ice from the decks and rigging to prevent raising a boat’s center of gravity, making sure deck scuppers are clear to allow water to drain, preventing loads or equipment on deck from shifting rapidly, and battening down hatches to make sure water cannot get below deck. >click to read< 14:55
16-hour Coast Guard tow brings F/V Miss Trish II home
The crew of a Gloucester fishing vessel spent about 12 hours adrift far from shore after its transmission failed and before the Coast Guard towed it home. Coast Guard officials, responding to an emergency call from the Miss Trish II were able to reach the boat about 75 miles offshore over the weekend and tow her safely back to port. Jim Bridges, commanding officer at U.S. Coast Guard Station Gloucester said none of the six men aboard the Miss Trish II were injured during the incident. Crew on the Miss Trish II called the Coast Guard around 5 p.m. Saturday, Bridges said, indicating the ship’s engine would not start. >click to read< 18:34
