Ron J
Active member
Don't know how many of your were kicking around at this time,but in 1978,New England got whacked with a 100 year storm, The Blizzard of 78. I was around 28.It snowed for days.24 hours aday,the news on tv was regarding the storm.Emergency management took over,Gov Dukakis was "in charge".He declared the Commomwealth of Massachusetts is under National guard/state of emergency.This meant NO driving any vehicles,unless it was Military,Red Cross,etc.Hundreds of people were stuck for days in Boston,In cars on highways.The snow was so deep,no plows could get through.I owned a 73 Datsun 240Z,at the time,and all i could see of it was the little ball on the top of the antenna!I lived across the street from Beverly Harbor at the time.Breakers were in the harbor.Extremely rough seas.About a mile out of the harbor,near Mysery Island,the Global Hope,a 400ft or so freighter had been anchored for a few days before the storm,with engine failure.This was not a normal place for a ship that size to be.Well it certainly got caught in the storm,dead in the water.Anyway it had started to drift,extreme sea's,and wind made it drift towards Beverly.It got caught on a rocky ledge,that's visible at low water.Somewhere along the line,during the storm,the ship,must of put out a MAYDAY for help.We found out after the storm,a Coast Guard rescue boat,from Gloucester,(10 miles or so away),had tried to reach the ship.The rescue boat was tossed on Dane St. Beach in Beverly. No one got hurt.(I later saw that rescue boat moored at a pier.It had to been submerged,it was covered,and full of fresh green seaweed.Neversaw anything like it.Anyway,while this "rescue" was being attempted,another civilian vessel,heard the MayDays from both the C.G.,and the Global Hope. The Pilot boat,"Kan-Do" set out of Gloucester,to help both vessels,with a crew of three i believe.The Crew were all lost,the Kan-Do was lost. I don't know what anyone could of done even if they reached the frieghter.It was jammed solid,and couldn't budge.Thier crew was safe. I don't remember how long after the storm,maybe a few weeks,a spotter plane found the remains of the "Kan-Do".I don't think any of the crew was found.The Global Hope was salvaged a few months later,heard it was towed to Texas,for scrapping. The Kan-Do was raised,and salvaged,by Burnham Contruction.They have a barge,and equipemt for bridge repairs,underwater salvage etc. They still have the vessel,renamed "GRAMPUS".It has been moored in Beverly Harbor all these years. If that vessel,ever visited Gloucester Harbor,i doubt any fisherman there,would ever go out again.Fisherman are very superstious about this type of thing. (Off track for a second,i gotta tell you a little tidbit of history,,In 1928 Massachusetts had the 3d profile of a Codfish on every 1928 License plate.Problem was 1928 was a poor fishing year,and the fisherman blamed the fact,the fish was 'swimming from the "MASS" printed on the plates,in 1929,the state,only stamped the 3d Codfish on commercial/truck plates only,making them extremely rare,but the Codfish was "swimming towards the "MASS" printed on the plates.)Here is a photo of the "Ghost" ship.[attachment 35091 HPIM0175.JPG]
