The Newsletter of US Coast Guard

Auxiliary Flotilla 52, Jupiter, Florida

Volume 2, Issue No 8, August 2017

NOW THATS A DEEP SLEEP: A pod of sperm whales - and a freediver - are caught
napping off the coast of Dominica in the Caribbean. The creatures normally nap
vertically for between five and twenty minutes but are awake 93%of the time.

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Flotilla Commanders Chat Show

In spite of the heat Flotilla

52 continues to achieve
by Flotilla again in the fall with a 27 SEP 2017 start
Commander date.
Greg Barth AUXOP Classes On 15 JUL 2017 we had
our 2nd class in the Patrols (AUXPAT)
About Boating Series which ties in with our Boat Crew
Safely (ABS) Classes Program. The next class will be on 19 AUG
We have now 2017 from 0800-1200 with the exam on 23
completed (8) ABS SEP 2017.
Classes. (175) Mandatory Training - (28) members have
students have graduated, (29) in the last completed all of their mandated training.
class. Additional Monthly Others are getting closer.
ABS Classes are Please note that this is a
scheduled for the balance must for this year. Mark
of the year through Cleveland, Mort Mullins and
November on Saturdays at myself are here to help those
the Loxahatchee River members that have not yet
Center. The next class is completed the requirements.
on 12 AUG 2017 and the Vessel Exams (285) Year
initial signups look good. to date with a few more to
Our instructors continue to be processed by month end.
a great job. We are running ahead of last
Boating Skills & year. Carol Floyd, Ed
Seamanship (BS&S) Schiffbauer and Norm
Classes So far, (15) of Sheriff have all completed
the (18) students from the last (8) week class over (60) each this year. Norm will probably
which started on 12 APR 2017 at the Jupiter be awarded his RBS Device this year with
High School under their Spring Adult (120) in total for (2) years. Good going
Education Program have graduated. (3) Norm.
more will take the test in the next (2) Program Visitors (192) Year to date with
months. This class series will take place To Page 3

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 From Page 2
a few more to be processed by month end.
We are running ahead of last year. Carol
Floyd has completed over (60) this year. Ed
Schiffbauer and I have completed over (40)
each this year
New Members One new member turned in
their application. Bob working on (2) more.
Ken gets Five-Year Award
Ken Bolsch receives his Five-Year Award at the July members meeting from FC Greg
Barth, left and VFC Mark Cleveland.
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Facebook Page Please go to the Flotilla
52 Jupiter Facebook page. Mark Cleveland
continues to do a great job. He will be
sending you the link. Please like it and
follow it. Very important for growth.
Jupiter Guardian This will be the 19th
Issue of the Jupiter Guardian all be it a little
shorter than usual. Once Again and again,
again and again, Great job Norm.
Photo: Bob DiPaolo
When a boaters dream
turns into a nightmare
Internet News Service

W HEN Richard Ogilvy of Moray, Scotland,

decided to spend his retirement restoring a
pre-war yacht, his dearest wish was to see it
take to the high seas once more.
Five-thousand man hours and three years later - not to
mention $20,000 poorer - his dream finally appeared to
be a possibility.
But once in the sea, the 75-year-old's nostalgic vision
for the vintage yacht Sea Wraith quickly became a
nightmare when it began to take on water and sank
within five minutes of being launched.
The sinking was just the latest drama in the life of the
yacht - one of 100 built before the Second World War
to train German sailors.
Originally called Zeegeist, she was seized by the Royal
Navy along with others in war reparations and almost
all British service personnel who sailed offshore for the
next two decades were trained on what were known as
Windfall yachts, because they were procured for
nothing.
It is a name which continues today.
These yachts were built in Germany in the 1930s to
provide training for the country's armed services.
Owned by the German government, they were taken by
the British as reparations and were initially allocated to
Navy, Army and Air Force of the British and
Commonwealth Services in 1945.
Many were sailed to England and formed the core of
post-war services offshore sailing clubs before
branching out into a wider outside world. GOING, GOING, GONE:
A surprising number are still sailing, as classic boats, Everything was going well until
while others have simply disappeared. disaster struck.

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FAA visit was a
towering success
By Flotilla Commander
Greg Barth

O N Thursday,
July 6th six
members of
Flotilla 52 Jupiter visited
the Federal Aviation
Administration Tower at
Palm Beach
International Airport,
seen right.
The tour was arranged
by Norm Sheriffs son-
in-law Jack Tingle who is an air traffic
controller for the FAA. The facility is
relatively new and has a lot of room for
both expansion and training. Of interest
is that FAA members must retire at 56
due to FAA Rules.
Hence our tour guides who were Mike
Sabatino and James Crukshank, both
retired FAA employees who are trainers
for prospective employees as well as
keeping existing employees up to date
with the latest changes
There was a general meeting prior to the
tour where a lot of the basics were

To Page 6

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explained. After that we

were broken down into two
groups.
One group went up to view
the airport from the tower
while the other toured the
radar room and then we
reversed.
What a view from up top.
Flights that are taking off,
on final approach or on the
runways/taxying are
controlled by the tower.
PBI is not very busy at this
time of year with only three
employees up top compared THE VISITORS AND THEIR HOSTS: Left to right Flotilla
to seven or eight in season. 52 Members: Ken Bolsch, Greg Barth, Michael Bolanos,
The radar room was also Mike Sabatino (FAA), James Crukshank (FAA), Carol
quite interesting with a lot Floyd, Jesse Bush & Bob Dipaolo.
more activity going on at the
mid and higher altitudes. Lots happening here with quite a few people. This is the much more
familiar room that we see on TV.
We thank the FAA for the tour and perhaps will get another group together in Oct. Nov.

Improving your nautical vocabulary

THIS months term:
Crazy Ivan
DOING the Crazy Ivan is US Navy slang for a
sudden, extreme turn by a submerged submarine.
It was used to mean what a Soviet submarine
captain did during the Cold War when he wanted
to check if an American sub was following him.
He would turn all the way in a circle (to port or
starboard), using his sonar to check for the
supposed "stalker" (American sub). Then he
would go back to his regular course (if he didn't
find them). This slang was explained in the 1990
action movie "The Hunt for Red October" based
on the 1984 novel by Tom Clancy.

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Old Ironsides afloat again
Internet News
Service

T HE USS
Constitution, the
world's oldest
commissioned warship
still afloat, returned late
last week to Boston's
waters.
"Old Ironsides" has
been in dry dock for
two years for
maintenance and repairs. WOODEN
The wooden ship was WONDER: The
launched in 1797. USS Constitution
After a restoration in dry dock and
process that took more left, Flashback to
than two years, the USS two years ago
Constitution first and Norm Sheriff
launched in 1797 was signs the copper
eased back into Boston plating before it
Harbor on Sunday night. was attached to
Called Old Ironsides the hull.
because a British sailor reportedly shouted planks and rebuilding 42 gun-carriers
Her sides are made of iron after throughout the ship. Refurbishment of the
cannonballs bounced off the ship during the rigging and masts is to be done before the
War of 1812, the process to float the USS ship is due to reopen to visitors later this
Constitution began when the dry dock in month.
which she had been repaired began to be The USS Constitution, which was named by
flooded. President George Washington, won three
At about 9:45 p.m. ET, the ship was afloat in major battles during the War of 1812 against
the dock. At about 11:15, it began moving England.
into the harbor, the Navy said. The ship was retired from active military
According to the Navy, the $12-million service in 1855 before becoming a training
project included replacing most of the ships vessel and then a touring national landmark.
copper cladding a process that required Since 1934, the ship has been based at the
2,200 sheets repairing the outside wooden Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston.

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Jupiter and the
Barefoot Mailman
By Josh Liller,
Loxahatchee
River Historical
Society

H ALF a
century
after the
last mailcarrier
walked the
beaches of
southeast Florida,
Theodore Pratt
retroactively
attached a name to THOSE WERE THE DAYS: The Barefoot Mailman mural at West
those hearty souls: Palm Beach Post Office. Photo: Florida State Archives
Barefoot Mailmen. In the 1850s and 1860s, sailboats carried
Pratts 1943 novel of that name, a 1951 film mail monthly between Sand Point (later
based on the book, and a series of murals in Titusville) and a post office across from Old
the West Palm Beach Post Office helped Indian River Inlet, known as Indian River or
immortalize this unique part of South St. Lucie (just north of todays Fort Pierce).
Florida history. Early Jupiter lighthouse keepers had to get
What many people may not realize is how their mail to and from the latter post office.
the Barefoot Mailman was linked to the Settlers in the Miami area received mail
Coast Guard through two of its three main once or twice a month via sailboat from Key
predecessor organizations, the Lighthouse West.
Service and Life Saving Service. After the Civil War, William H. Gleason got
The earliest credited Barefoot Mailman was the contract from 1867 to 1869 for mail
John Long John Holman who is said to service between St. Augustine and Miami,
have carried mail from St. Augustine to with several stops along the way.
Biscayne Bay along the beach during the
latter part of the Second Seminole War. To Page 9

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 From Page 8 time. Alfred Smith, nephew of Capt.
Armour (Jupiters longtime head keeper),
Most of this route was covered by sailboat, was one of the Barefoot Mailmen on the
but Gleason hired Miami pioneer resident Jupiter to Lake Worth beach route sometime
Michael Dutch Mike Oxar, a German in the early 1880s. He would leave the
immigrant, to cover the Jupiter to Miami Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse one day and
stretch on foot twice a month. Oxar would returned the next, often accompanied part of
presumably rest overnight in the relative the way by his pet
comfort of the light station as the coast he pig, Denny. This shorter and less well-
traveled was devoid of inhabitants. known Barefoot route was replaced in the
John Milton Hawks wrote of an 1869 mid-1880s by an overland route between
journey to Miami in the company of Jupiter and Juno first a wagon route then a
Gleason, Oxer, stagecoach hack
and J. B. Wells line and finally
(the latter a the Celestial
temporary Railroad in 1889.
assistant Mail came down
lighthouse keeper the river on
earlier that year). steamboats that
Hawks describes docked across the
Oxar as carrying river from the
biscuits, coffee, lighthouse.
tin pail and cup, The Barefoot
hatchet, matches, Mailman route
pipe and tobacco commemorated
in a corn sack, by Pratts novel
plus the mail and the one most
pouch. people are
With no SAFE HOUSE: The Orange Grove House of Refuge in Delray familiar with was
civilization, he Beach. the Lake Worth to
would often walk Miami route that
day and night, resting only as needed and ran from 1884 to 1893. Mary Baum
never knowing when he might encounter a compiled a list of mailcarriers on this route
panther or bear. using Orange Grove House of Refuges
The mail route south of Jupiter is believed to logbook. The Life Saving Service
have lapsed after 1869 and was probably not established five Houses of Refuge on the
resumed for a decade. The first post office Florida East Coast in 1876 and added five
was opened on the shores of Lake Worth in more in 1885. (Only the Gilberts Bar House
1880 with Valorous Spencer as postmaster. of Refuge near Stuart survives
Valorous was the father of Melville Spencer,
Jupiters assistant lighthouse keeper at the To Page 10

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 From Page 9 Thursday, Friday, and
Saturday the mailman
today.) These retraced his steps to
stations existed to Lake Worth and
aid shipwreck rested on Sunday
survivors, but also before repeating the
provided a vital process.
resting place for the Twenty different men
Barefoot Mailmen. are known to have
Barefoot Mailmen carried mail on the
passed Houses of Barefoot Mailman
Refuge at Orange route during its
Grove (Delray heyday. About half of
Beach), New River those were substitutes
(Fort Lauderdale), hired to give the
and Biscayne Bay regular carrier some
(Miami Beach) badly needed rest.
during their journey. In some cases, two
The Mailman had a mailmen split the job
standard schedule. by alternating weeks.
On Monday, he Charlie Pierce is
rowed or sailed to probably the best
the south end of known. His father,
Lake Worth then Hannibal Pierce, was
walk 5 miles to an assistant keeper at
Orange Grove HOR. the Jupiter Inlet
Tuesday, he walked Lighthouse in 1872-
16 miles to Fort 1873 before the Pierce
Lauderdale HOR, family homesteaded
including a crossing on Hypoluxo Island.
of Hillsboro Inlet Hannibal was
(modern Pompano Hypoluxos
Beach), usually postmaster for many
via a rowboat kept at TRIBUTE: The Barefoot Mailman years and Charlie was
the inlet. monument outside Hillsboro Post Office. a postmaster for many
On Wednesday, he Photo: Josh Liller more at Hypoluxo and
covered the last 38 Boynton.
miles to Miami, much of it sailing across He wrote a famous memoir that was
Biscayne Bay to the post office at the mouth published as Pioneer Life in Southeast
of the Miami River. Florida and his

To Page 11

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 From Page 11
experiences, including his time as a Barefoot
Mailman, are the basis of a series of award-
winning childrens books, The Adventures
of Charlie Pierce. Charlie contributed a
great deal of information for Pratts novel
and is also believed to have been the model
for the Barefoot Mailman post office murals.
Although Charlie may be best known, the
person most associated with the Barefoot
Mailman route is the only one who lost his
life in the line of duty: James Edward Ed
Hamilton. Hamilton died in 1887 while
trying to swim across Hillsboro Inlet; it was
never determined if he drowned or was
attacked by a shark or alligator. Hamiltons
death was a deeply sad day for the early
pioneer community.
Hamilton should have never needed to swim
across the Hillsboro Inlet. The rowboat that
he usually used had been moved across the
inlet.
Why didnt Hamilton just ask the keepers of
the Hillsboro Inlet Lighthouse to take him
across the river?
Ahoy All Members
Remember Folks, there is
NO
meeting in August. The next
Members Meeting will be on
Thursday, September 21st at
The River Center.
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Although the Lighthouse Board had
repeatedly asked for funds to build a
lighthouse at Hillsboro Inlet as early as the
1850s, the project was never funded until
after the turn of the century and the
lighthouse was not finished until 1907.
In 1936, the Lake Worth Pioneer
Association placed a plaque in memory of
their late friend and honor his service and
that of his fellow mailmen. Today, a statue
of the Barefoot Mailman stands near the
base of Hillsboro Inlet Lighthouse.
The Barefoot Mailmen were made obsolete
by the opening of a stagecoach line from
Lake Worth to Miami which carried the mail
instead. The stagecoach was itself made
obsolete a few years later by the arrival of
Flaglers FEC Railway.
*Josh Liller is the Historian and Collections
Manager for the Loxahatchee River
Historical Society that operates Jupiter Inlet
Lighthouse and Museum. He joined the
lighthouse family in 2013 and is currently
writing a book about the nearly 200 civilian
and military keepers of Jupiter Inlet
Lighthouse.
The many misfortunes of
Cape San Blas Lighthouse
By Flotilla
52
Historian
Judy
Brammer

T HE Cape San Blas

lighthouse in the
Florida Panhandle is
probably the one with most
misfortunes.
The first lighthouse built 1847,
it lasted four years but
collapsed in a gale.
This also happened to the
second lighthouse, when the
great storm of 1856 toppled it.
The third brick tower was built BUILT TO LAST: The Cape San Blas lighthouse with
in 1859, but Confederate troops lightkeeper dwellings today.
took it over at the start of the
Civil War and burned everything in sight. It Life on the cape was obviously difficult for
lasted 12 years. a lighthouse, and it wasnt much easier for
Next a movable iron skeleton tower was the keepers and their families. The station
finished in June 1885 but this too was not was quite isolated, with a trip to the nearest
without drama. The tower was fabricated in settlement requiring a one-way trek of
the North, and then loaded on a ship for its twenty-three miles.
journey to the cape. Keeper Ray Linton found the lonely vigil
En route, the ship went down along and wide expanse of the Gulf too great a
Floridas west coast, but fortunately the burden, and in 1932, he took his own life.
wreck was in shallow water, and most of the
material was salvageable. To Page 13

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 From Page 12
Just the previous year, Keeper Linton had
rescued two men and a girl who got into
trouble while swimming off the cape. Linton
secured one end of a line, fastened a gourd
to its other end to serve as a float, and then
waded in to rescue the swimmers.
Six years later, another keeper lost his life
prematurely at the station. Assistant Keeper
Ernest W. Marler, a thirty-eight-year-old
father of four children, was attacked and
stabbed in a workshop at the station. His six-
year-old daughter discovered her fathers
body when she went to call him for the noon
meal.
The identity of the perpetrator was never
discovered. Some claimed he was murdered
Lost in
translation
This sign seen along
the Chinese coast
seems to get its
message across
well kinda, sorta.
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by moonshiners, while others believed the
keeper was killed for testifying against
thieves a few days earlier.
Today one can see the iron skeleton
lighthouse tower and the two nearby six-
room frame dwellings used by the keepers.
The lantern is 96 feet above the ground and
101 feet above sea level. Mariners can see
the light 25 miles at sea as it flashes white
every twenty seconds for one second
A radio beacon also transmits on 320
kilohertz.
The Cape has had more lighthouses than
most other Florida sites, but the latest one
seems distant enough from the sea, flexible
enough for a quick move, and strong enough
to withstand winds so that it should last for a
long time.
New on the Water
FAST BOATS: THE
Vietnamese Coast
Guard has taken
delivery of six new patrol
boats.
Makers Metal Shark of
Jeanerette, LA, recently
delivered the new craft.
The welded -aluminum
Metal Shark 45-foot
Defiant pilothouse patrol
vessels will be used on
law enforcement
missions focused on
smuggling, illicit trafficking, piracy and armed robbery against ships and illegal fishing.
The Defiant class is among Metal Shark's most popular designs having been proven
among military operations with partner craft vessels in service with the U S Coast
Guard, US Navy and the militaries of US partner nations. Internet News Service

NEW CARRIER: CHINA'S giant new aircraft carrier sailed into Hong Kong waters this
month, its latest show of growing military might at a time of rising regional tension.
Tourists and residents gathered to catch a glimpse of Beijing's first carrier on its
maiden visit to Hong Kong, part of celebrations marking 20 years since the handover of
the city from British. The Liaoning was accompanied by two destroyers and other ships
from its strike group, with jet
fighters and helicopters
visible on the flight deck.
The 1,000-foot ship started
life as one of the Soviet
Union's last carriers under
construction, before being
sold by Ukraine as a
stripped-down hulk to private
Chinese interests in 1998.
It was later refitted in a
northern Chinese shipyard.
Internet News Service

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Ahoy Shipmates, its time for the annual

When? Sunday, October 22

Where? At the Burt Reynolds Park N-Waterway Pavilion
What time? From 1pm onwards
Whats happening? Were throwing a barbeque for all the members, their
spouses, partners and small children to say a huge Thank You for all the time
and effort theyve put in over the past year. Its also for any prospective new
Flotilla members, so if you have anyone in mind, bring them along just one
person and their partner per member please. There will be burgers, hot dogs,
potato salad, coleslaw, soft drinks, a play area for the kiddies and some great
camaraderie.
Can we bring anything? Sure! If your last name starts A-J, bring a dessert. If
your last name starts L-Z, bring a salad, but just for about four people. Also,
the area is licensed for alcohol, so you can bring your own beer and wine.
How do we RSVP? This is a project where numbers are critical so e-mail Norm
Sheriff at normbb39@gmail.com, and let him know how many adults/kiddies will
be attending.

See Yall
There!!
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Nautical Signal Flags
This months flag:
Flag L
This means Lima in the phonetic alphabet and has two meanings. In
harbor (normally under a plain yellow Q flag): This ship is
quarantined.
At sea: You should stop your vessel instantly.

August Birthdays
Many Happy Returns to our members with August birthdays.
Carol Floyd, Mark Hammond
and Carmen-Elena Gil

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