Sea Tales
[Sea Classics] [Wreck & Rescue] [Mains'l Haul] [La Peninsula] [Classic Casualties] [Anchor Light] [Lighthouse Digest] [Retrospective]
|
|
SEA CLASSICS
FROM DOWN-EASTER TO PIRATE GALLEON:
THE ODYSSEY OF THE CENTENNIAL
Sea Classics – January 2022
This story stems from a rare oral history by a seaman who was
aboard the historic ship Centennial on her final voyage.
Place Your Order with:
http://www.challengeweb.com/
Back To The Top
|
|
|
WRECK & RESCUE
GOLD MEDAL HEROES OF SAINT PETER PORT LIFEBOAT STATION
Wreck & Recue – Winter 2021 & Spring 2021
This story highlights the harrowing occasions when the courage and
heroism of lifeboat crews at Guernsey resulted in Gold Medals.
Place Your Order with:
www.uslife-savingservice.org
Back To The Top
|
|
|
HEROES OF HOLYHEAD LIFEBOAT STATION
Wreck & Recue – Autumn 2016
Established in 1828, Holyhead Lifeboat Station is the oldest lifeboat station on the
Welsh coast. Over the years, surfmen have saved hundreds of lives and garnered
numerous awards for gallantry.
Place Your Order with:
www.uslife-savingservice.org
Back To The Top
|
|
|
ADVENTURES OF THE GOLDEN GATE LIFE-SAVING STATION
Wreck & Recue – February 2016
California's first lighthouses were built in the 1850s. However, the first life-saving facility,
the Golden Gate Life-Saving Station, wasn't established until 1878. Many owe a debt of
gratitude to the brave surfmen who risked their lives to save others.
Place Your Order with:
www.uslife-savingservice.org
Back To The Top
|
|
|
MAINS'L HAUL
SHIPWRECKS AND CASTAWAYS:
THE SHIPWRECK LEGENDS OF GALEN WOLF
Mains'l Haul – Fall 2006
Legends of the Coastland, the unpublished works of Galen Wolf (1889-1976), are brought to the foredeck
and enliven our imaginations. His shipwreck renderings and tales offer a rare portal into early California
coastal history.
Place Your Order with:
Mains'l Haul
Back To The Top
|
|
|
CALIFORNIA LIGHTHOUSES:
A LIGHTHOUSE AND ITS PEOPLE
Mains'l Haul – Spring 2001
The accounts of living in the lighthouse's shadow provide a glimpse into a sometimes bucolic, sometimes
hazardous, and now vanished coastal life. Only the lighthouse itself and these recollections, some
published for the first time, remain.
Place Your Order with:
Mains'l Haul
Back To The Top
|
|
|
LA PENINSULA
THE STORIED WATERS OF PIGEON POINT
La Peninsula – Winter 2008
Highlighted here are historic photos and excerpts from JoAnn's book, "Shipwrecks, Scalawags, and Scavengers: The Storied Waters of Pigeon Point." One reviewer noted that the article is, "An excellent chronicling of a century of tragedy-filled maritime history."
Place Your Order with:
lapeninsula@historysmc.org
Back To The Top
|
|
|
CLASSIC CASUALTIES
Review the stories in the archives of: www.professionalmariner.com
CALIFORNIA LIGHTHOUSE BORN OUT OF TRAGIC SHIPWRECKS
Professional Mariner – March 2009
It took years of petitioning the U.S. Lighthouse Service Board before money was allocated for a lighthouse at Pigeon Point. The most significant events influencing the decision were the wrecks of two ships, Coya and Hellespont, and the loss of many aboard.
Back To The Top
|
|
|
PEWABIC SINKING WAS ONE OF THE WORST GREAT LAKES DISASTERS
Professional Mariner – October/November 2005
She is remembered as the Ghost Ship of Thunder Bay and Lake Huron's Death Ship. The memory of the Pewabic
has haunted mariners since her tragic demise after the end of the Civil War.
Back To The Top
|
|
SAN JUAN SINKING WRECKED LIVES AND REPUTATIONS
Professional Mariner – February/March 2004
The sinking of the passenger ship San Juan in 1929 was one of the worst disasters ever along the coast of California.
Lost in the wreck were an historic ship, a captain's reputation, and many productive and promising lives.
Back To The Top
|
|
ANCHOR LIGHT
NOSTALGIC TRIP ABOARD A MILITARY TRANSPORT
Anchor Light – April 2004
Having served in World War II, Korea, and Viet Nam, the General E.D. Patrick was one of the largest
and finest vessels afloat. Assigned to military sea transportation duties, she is also the shimmering
reflection of a significant and nearly forgotten maritime era.
Place Your Order with:
frances@thronson.net
Back To The Top
|
|
|
LIGHTHOUSE DIGEST
Order your copies from the archives of: www.lighthousedigest.com
PIGEON POINT LIGHTHOUSE – LOTS TO CELEBRATE!
Lighthouse Digest - March/April 2020
This year, Pigeon Point had more to celebrate than ever! Recently, over $9 million was
allocated in state funds to begin the next phase of restoration of the historic lighthouse
tower. After nearly 20 years on the "doomsday list," work will begin soon. Already
underway are "ground level" projects and a new exhibit written by JoAnn has opened in
the historic fuel bunker.
Back To The Top
PIGEON POINT CELEBRATES 145TH ANIVERSARY
Lighthouse Digest - January 2018
Pigeon Point Light Station marked another historic milestone, celebrating the
145th Anniversary of the first lighting of its brilliant first order Fresnel lens.
Also celebrated was the recent approval of Pigeon Point’s General Plan which
is a significant step in moving forward with critical restoration efforts.
Back To The Top
REMEMBERING THOSE WHO SERVED
Lighthouse Digest - December 2016
The 75th Anniversary of the start of World War II is a time to remember those who served their
country. During the war, many lighthouses became Coast Guard posts, including Año Nuevo,
Pigeon Point, and Point Montara.
Back To The Top
A PORTRAIT IN TIME
Lighthouse Digest - May 2015
Those who served at historic Pigeon Point Lighthouse often return. Somehow, the lofty beacon
calls them back, allowing us to share their stories. This "portrait in time" is about
Coast Guard Keeper Bud Stevens who viewed the haunting remnants of two shipwrecks.
Back To The Top
POINT MONTARA LENS SHEDS LIGHT ON "SHIPS OF THE WORLD"
Lighthouse Digest - May 2014
The Fresnel lens that once lit Point Montara Lighthouse is gleaming again, shedding light
on a new permanent exhibit called "Ships of the World." Learn how JoAnn, who was
interviewed for a special maritime video, helped launch the exhibit.
Back To The Top
THE NIGHT PIGEON POINT WAS INVADED
Lighthouse Digest - January 2013
Since 1872, many tales have been told about Pigeon Point, its historic lighthouse, and its tragic
shipwrecks. This is an unusual story which surfaced from a man who was a Coast Guard keeper
there during the Korean War.
Back To The Top
PIGEON POINT CELEBRATES 140TH ANNIVERSARY
Lighthouse Digest - January 2013
Pigeon Point Lighthouse is an iconic symbol of our maritime heritage. Read about JoAnn’s
participation in the historic 140th Anniversary Celebration where she continued to help
raise funds for educational and restoration efforts.
Back To The Top
STILL LIGHTING THE WAY
Lighthouse Digest - January 2012
The safety of Pigeon Point's first order Fresnel lens has been threatened since damage to its tower
in 2001. From 115 feet in the air, each panel was dismantled, lowered to the ground by cable,
reassembled, and placed on display. Read about this amazing labor love.
Back To The Top
|
|
|
POINT MONTARA LIGHTHOUSE CELEBRATES MARITIME DAY
Lighthouse Digest - August 2010
Point Montara Lighthouse celebrated National Maritime Day with an event as unique as its lighthouse tower.
This story captures the day's events, reflecting on the area's seafaring heritage and honoring the people
and the ships connected with the sentinel.
Back To The Top
|
|
LIFE AT POINT MONTARA LIGHTHOUSE
Lighthouse Digest - March 2009
Standing only thirty feet high, Point Montara Lighthouse is the nation's only tower to have cast its rays across
both Atlantic and Pacific shores. The children of one of the keepers who served there reveal what life was like
at Point Montara and other California light stations.
Back To The Top
|
|
THE PEOPLE OF PIGEON POINT LIGHTHOUSE
Lighthouse Digest - October 2008
Lighthouses are not simply inanimate towers made of brick and granite. Their walls are filled with tales of the
people who lived, worked, and sometimes died there. This story captures the human stories that provide us with
the tower's true story and offers us a glimpse into a vanished way of life.
Back To The Top
|
|
MEMORIES OF A LIGHTHOUSE LOOKOUT STATION
Lighthouse Digest - July 2008
During World War II, the U.S. Coast Guard established beach patrols and lookout stations at many lighthouse sites.
This story offers one seaman's recollections of Año Nuevo Point which formed part of the lookout network along
California shores.
Back To The Top
|
|
NEW INTERACTIVE CENTER OPENS AT PIGEON POINT
Lighthouse Digest - January 2008
Hundreds of people attended the 135th Anniversary Lighting of Pigeon Point Lighthouse and the Grand Opening
of the new Visitor's Center. Relatives of former lighthouse keepers and of a passenger lost in Pigeon Point's
worst shipwreck participated in the event. This story captures their memories, sending a signal that Pigeon
Point's early history is not forgotten.
Back To The Top
|
|
RETROSPECTIVE
SHORE WHALING ON THE COASTSIDE
Retrospective, December 2017
Shore whaling began in California around 1855, prompting the development
of stations in coastal towns everywhere. Portuguese shore whalers established
homes and a whaling station in Half Moon Bay in 1861, maintaining operations
in the area into the 1880s.
Order your copies from: www.halfmoonbayhistory.org
Back To The Top
MEMORIES OF GALEN WOLF
Retrospective, April 2016
Few artists capture the lure and lore of the Coastside as uniquely as Galen Wolf.
His colorful paintings made him a local legend. The Matheny family, who lived
next door to Wolf for several years, share their memories of that special time.
Order your copies from: www.halfmoonbayhistory.org
Back To The Top
MYSTERY WRECKAGE WASHES ASHORE
Retrospective, June 2015
Recently, a large worm eaten board washed onto the beach at Half Moon Bay.
Riddled with large copper spikes, the mystery object seems to be wreckage
from the 19th century when ship planks were copper sheathed. Could it be
from a bark that sank in 1856, or a sailing ship that wrecked in 1881?
Order your copies from: www.halfmoonbayhistory.org
Back To The Top
A TRIBUTE TO THE GONZALES FAMILY
Retrospective, June 2015
When the Rydal Hall wrecked near Point Montara in 1867, Chico Gonzales snatched
a wooden sea chest from the surf. Passed down to John E. Gonzales, it became
an appropriate memento. He was Keeper at Point Montara Lighthouse from 1955 to
1963.
Order your copies from: www.halfmoonbayhistory.org
Back To The Top
FAMOUS ANCESTOR LIT THE COASTSIDE
Journal of Local History – Spring 2014
After sailing to California in 1858, Phineas Frost Marston began building houses
in San Francisco. His work turned to designing historic Coastside lighthouses,
including Pigeon Point, Año Nuevo, and Point Montara.
Order your copies from: www.redwoodcity.org
Back To The Top
A TALE OF TWO VOYAGES
Retrospective – March 2013
For more than forty years, the steamship San Juan passed our Coastside shores. For most passengers,
the trip was filled with adventure and excitement. For others, it meant only tragedy.
Order your copies from: www.halfmoonbayhistory.org
Back To The Top
ECHOES FROM THE DEEP
Retrospective – September 2012
For centuries, ships’ bells have been used for signaling, keeping time, and providing alarm. Nearly a
century after the ill-fated Rydal Hall sank, her bell was salvaged from the deep reaches of the sea.
Order your copies from: www.halfmoonbayhistory.org
Back To The Top
COASTSIDE SHIPWRECKS: UNIMAGINED TREASURES
Retrospective – February 2012
Shipwrecks conjure up thoughts of gold doubloons, jewels, and fortunes beyond one’s wildest dreams.
Yet, the treasures they hold are not what might be imagined. Many ship artifacts hold cherished
memories for generations of local families.
Order your copies from: www.halfmoonbayhistory.org
Back To The Top
|
|