A Story Close to Home: My Father's Coast Guard Yarns

My father, Al Bryant, enlisted in the Coast Guard in 1974, and served aboard the 1936 USCG Cutter Duane for the first few years of his service. Eventually he re-enlisted and served on the Willamette River out of Portland, Oregon, but it was very auspicious that he was assigned to the Duane, because it brought him to Portland, where he'd meet my mom. Some of these stories are in their umpteenth telling, but a few were new to me as he spoke. See the slideshow: From Pine to Palm on YouTubeSee what became of Duane at The Water Society's website. More information about my dad: ObituaryOur family would appreciate your support of Dr. Bradley McGregor's Pan-Mass Challenge ride in honor of Dad.

Joee Patterson is one of those rare people who have an exotic, exciting background for her zoom calls that she took herself, in the flesh. She's a capable tall ship sailor with plenty of practical experience working on and around wooden boats, and she's recently been working on her scuba skills, but in this episode she focuses on the work she's done as a marine technician in Antarctica. If that sounds like a diverse portfolio of maritime jobs, hold on to your red beanie. She chats about her particular love for Adelie penguins, her need for meaningful and adventurous work, and we get an account of what it's like to take a scientific diving class at the college level.

Andy Jackson, a schooner bum who who didn’t start cooking aboard boats until a little later than most people come to it, suffered a stroke last year that has kept him off of boats. His special talent was to delight guests and crew with homemade food made from ingredients he'd procure on what was supposed to be his day off.  He tells us about his trips to China, Cuba, and Europe. He also lets us know the trick to delighting passengers who think their cabins are a bit cramped: sticky buns. 

Joe Filipowski shares his meandering and lucky past, during which he took his social skills, his chutzpah, and his love of history everywhere he went. At 72, he still's still learning, he says, and so he attends The WoodenBoat School every summer in Brooklin, Maine, where I caught up with him. Visit thewatersociety.com for more information about The Acadian (this episode's excellent sponsor) and to sign up for the email newsletter. 

Tim shares a thing or two about how one gets news from back home from so far away. He also shares a couple of fashion tips for how to look like a tough guy. He also wonders about how, since plucky animals can stow away or hitchhike, we're going to decide what to do about invasive species as (one hopes) we rally to tackle the effects of climate change.Follow us on Facebook.For pictures of Tim's artwork during the journey and video footage of the container ship on the Red Sea, visit www.thewatersociety.com and click on Extras.

Tim gets right into the meat of the story when he describes the captain's idea about using him as an imposing-looking, 6'3", shaved-head-having threat standing in the most visible part of a container ship as they pass through the Red Sea.Follow us on Facebook. For pictures of Tim's artwork during the journey and video footage of the container ship on the Red Sea, visit www.thewatersociety.com and click on Extras.