As you can see Buzz needs a little paint but the boat is out of dock too often to get a brush on it! Here are some pictures of Family and Friends on fishing outings, I think it is fitting that the boat was built in the Bay Area, went off to war and now spend it’s golden years making folks happy, I have had tourist walk by and say, “This sure looks like WHIRL-A-WAY” Imagine their surprise when I tell them they are correct. Through the years I have found several folks that say, “I used to own that boat” and still others that say “I used to fish on this boat when I was a kid”. Captain Bill Beckett of Huck Fin Sportfishing at Pillar Point Harbor calls Buzz “Jack’s Little Boat” which is the name of a Captain two owners back. A trusted source told me that there is a picture of Buzz when it was the Queen of Hearts at Fishermen’s Warf, the book is titled San Francisco: The City’s Sights and Secrets (Paperback) by Leah Garchik.
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Photo: (L) 40′ motor launch that might have been the Buzz before retrofitting; (R) the Brother Buzz today. Courtesy Fran Young.
You may recall a decade or so ago we also found a Dog at sea, it made The Review Every Dog Has It’s Day…
I have included a picture of “BROTHER BUZZ” and a US NAVY photo of a 40′ motor launch that might be Buzz before “his” retrofitting, ( I know boats are usually referred to as “She” but my oldest Son Francis III once quizzed me, “Dad why do you call the boat her, when it’s name is “Brother Buzz?” I changed my behavior at least when referring to “The Buzz”
The boat has a substantial history,
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“Brother Buzz” Built-1941 Mare Island Naval Ship Yard (40′ Motor Launch)
Served until decommission in 1951, Sold at auction Mare Island;
Names in Chronological Order:
“WHIRL-A-WAY” 1951-64, Party Boat Sausalito
“KW” 1964-65, Party Boat Sausalito
“CORINNE II” 1965, Party Boat Fishermen’s Warf
“PATTIE L” 1966-71, Party Boat Fishermen’s Warf
“QUEEN OF HEARTS” 1971-86, Party Boat Fishermen’s Warf / Halfmoon Bay
“BROTHER BUZZ” 1987-present, Party Boat, Private Fishing Boat Halfmoon Bay
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“Explosion and subsequent fire on a navy crash boat anchored near the Princeton wharf Friday seriously burned two navy personnel and threatened the lives of two others.
“Walter Hall received second degree burns about his head and body. He was taken to the Montara navy station hospital.
“Force of the explosion blew George Duffy, seaman, first class, literally out of his shoes, tore his uniform to shreds, and pitched him some 12 feet to the forward part of the ship.
“Names of the other two crew members who rescued the unconscious Hall from a flaming pool of gasoline and Duffy from the forward part of the ship could not be learned. These two crew members used fire extinguishers to put out the blaze and then placed their wounded companions in a rowboat, rushing them to shore and into an ambulance summoned by the coast guard stationed nearby.
“An accumulation of leaking gasoline in the engine room caused the explosion.”
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You can see the historic anchor from the “Rydal Hall” in the garden area fronting the Half Moon Bay Brewing Co. The old anchor was brought up by abalone diver Ernie Mangue.
From the “Alta,” 1876
“Intelligence reached us yesterday of the loss of the British ship, ‘Rydal Hall,’ at the whaling station near Spanishtown (Half Moon Bay). She went ashore on the 17th …late in the evening, and the latest news received states that she will be a total loss. Unfortunately, nine men were lost by the diaster, and at last accounts, the Captain was still on board. She was bound from Cardiff for this port [ed. San Francisco] with a load of coal and was a fine iron ship of over 1800 tons built at Liverpool in 1874, and was owned by the Sun Shipping Company of Liverpool, and she will be a heavy loss on the Underwriters, as she is fully insured.”
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“The crew of the wrecked ship ‘Rydal Hall’ arrived in town last evening, and in a conversation with the chief officer we gleaned the following facts: The ship was running along with a light breeze, and in a thick fog up to 7 p.m. on the 17th…, when she was hove to, the Captain thinking himself about twenty miles from the Farallones. At 8 p.m. she struck. The men who were lost were drowned in attempting to land in the gig and lifeboat. No fog whistle was heard until about four o’clock on the morning of the 18th. The men state this fact positively, and it is but a continuation of reports of the same kind that have often been made off this point in regard to this whistle, and it is about time that some attention was paid to it. The ship will be a total loss, as she is already breaking up.”
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“The wreck of the ‘Rydal Hall’ recently cast away on the Southern Caost, was sold in the Exchange yesterday; ship and cargo for $850, to Breeze & Loughran, for the divers, Loogee Brothers, who have already gone down to wreck her. If we have fine weather they will realize a good profit on their investment, by saving spars, sails, rigging, anchors, chains and provisions, etc.”
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“The ship ‘Rydal Hall’ went to pieces on the evening of the 25th, without a thing being done toward salvage. Some difficulty occurred between the purchasers and the men they calculated to employ as wreckers, which is the cause of nothing being saved. A large portion of the woodwork of the vessel drifted past the Cliff House on the afternoon of the 16th and went over on the North shore. Quite a lot of the cabin fittings were among the wreckage.”
“In a budget request by President Lyndon B. Johnson, the U.S. Congress this week was asked to spent $1 million for improvements in the breakwater located on Half Moon Bay.
“Congressman J. Arthur Younger said that the appropriation follows a request for extension of the west arm of the breakwater as made by the U.S. engineers.
“The military engineers made their recommendation following a two-year study at Vicksburg, Miss. where a scale model of the local breakwater was built and tests made.
“The research activity was taken after 1962 when complaints were made by some fishermen and others that there was a “dangerous surge” in the harbor that battered vessels when they were moored to the new pier built with county funds by the San Mateo County harbor commission.
“Entrance to the new harbor, under the new plan, will be from the southeast, according to Congressman Younger. The channel will be 900 ft. wide at its opening and taper to 400 feet. The present width of the mouth of the breakwater is 600 feet…”
“Expansion of the present missile tracking station on Pillar Point will be started soon, a reliable report said this week.
“At present the station is regarded as a key observation spot for tracking missiles on the Pacific area. Equipment can also be used for space ship tracking.
“Half Moon Bay is on the ‘great circle route’ between Camp Vandenberg in Southern California and the missile target area in the South Pacific.
“The locally operated equipment has been used to track long-range missiles fire from Vandenberg to an area near Ulithi and other points such as Eniwietok atoll in the South Pacific.
“Among the various types of missiles tracked by the local station is ‘Honest John’ which had a range of 8000 miles.
“The station located on the north end of Half Moon Bay was built in the summer of 1962 and became operational in Sept. Original equipment was built by Radio Corporation of America and civilian operators under U.S. Navy supervision operated the station at the start. The civilian employees were hired by Federal Electric.
“Improvements reported for the present local electronic equipment include two new “dish-type” antennas. One of the largest “dish-type” structures is the million-dollar radio telescope built on Stanford campus to track space ships.”
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“Mrs. Katherine F. Middleton, 96, prominent Coastside resident for nearly 40 years, died Sunday at her home in Princeton-by-the-Sea.
“Although she never held any official municipal posts, she was known throughout the county unofficially as the “mayor of Princeton.” A leader in many activities on the coast, she was in constant attendance at supervisor and planning commission meetings. Her main campaign was for the construction of the Pillar Point breakwater.
“No opportunity was overlooked by Mrs. Middleton to point out the benefits which would accrue by the construction of this breakwater and the creation of a harbor.
“Commemoration of her 94th birthday early in August, 1955, was a county wide event. Scores of Coastside residents and civic leaders from many parts of the county attended. Sheriff Earl Whitmore presented her with a mammoth birthday cake. Several of her children came from as far as Louisiana to attend this party.
“Despite her advanced years, Mrs. Middleton, a native of Kentucky, attended many social affairs and always left the message: ‘Build Pillar Point Breakwater and this Coast will grow beyond anyone’s imagination’….”
