w.calvert ww ma rine mu seu m. com Vol. 41, No. 1 Spring 2016 ne of the tenets of the museum is to conduct research into our themes of maritime history, estuarine biology, and paleontology. Many of the articles you read in the Bugeye Times are the fruit of that original research, and this one is no exception. Tom Wisner was Opart of the Southern Maryland cultural landscape for years. In 2007, he came to the museum to safeguard his life’s work. The Center for the Chesapeake Story (Chestory) Archive is the result of hours and hours of work done to sift through, catalog, and digitize much of what Tom created during his lifetime. This article is another offshoot of that work. What is printed here is an abridged version. The full version with footnotes is available on our website, along with the song lyrics of Wisner’s “The Ghostship Morphy”. Click here for access. Ghost Schooner: The Wreck of the J.R. Moffett By Robert J. Hurry, Museum Registrar om Wisner (1930-2010) was an the ghost of the schooner sailing down environmental educator, artist, the Potomac River. Twriter, and folksinger with a passion Watt Herbert first told his account of for the Chesapeake Bay watershed and the ghost schooner to Wisner in October its people. He loved learning about the 1982, but he had related the story many history and culture of the area from its times before and retold it many times storytellers who lived and worked around thereafter. As the story goes, he was the water. One such storyteller was Capt. helping his father catch seed oysters in Watt Herbert (1911-1989) of Coles Point, Upper Machodoc Creek on the Virginia Virginia, who told Wisner his story of a shore of the Potomac River when a violent ghost ship that he saw as a boy. spring thunderstorm hit. The Herberts were In 1983, Wisner composed a song in their thirty-two-foot Potomac River dory titled “The J.R. Morphy,” later retitled boat and stayed sheltered in the creek “The Ghostship Morphy,” with lyrics that during the ensuing gale that lasted a couple he based on Capt. Herbert’s account of the sinking of a cargo schooner in a Continued on page 2 1919 storm. The accident that sank the vessel claimed the lives of its crew. Just Tom Wisner, left, with Capt. Watt Herbert, 1986 (The Center for the Chesapeake Story, days after the accident, Herbert and his CMM MS 055, Box 72, Folder 12, father witnessed what he described as Ghost Schooner: The Wreck Calvert Marine Museum) of the J.R. Moffett ...............Page 1 Happy Sails to You… Until We Meet Again ............Page 1 CMM Orientation Video Wins a 2016 Telly Award .............Page 4 Happy Sails to You…Until We Meet Again Otter Holding Revitalization ......Page 5 Edited by Sherrod Sturrock, Deputy Director Pub Nights ....................Page 5 Vanished Steamboats: The Maritime t the end of April, Doug Alves is retiring from his position as Director of the Art of C. Leslie Oursler ..........Page 5 Calvert Marine Museum. He has held this post for 25 years, possibly a record It’s Electric ....................Page 6 for a museum director in modern times, and during his tenure has overseen Staff Update ...................Page 6 A Breathing New Life into tremendous change and growth in the institution. Most of that was covered in his article Old Bones ....................Page 7 “Musings on 24 Years at the Helm of the Calvert Marine Museum” published in the Fall Summer is a Comin’! Time to 2015 Bugeye Times issue. Get Out on the Water ...........Page 7 This will be the last issue of the Bugeye Times published on his watch. He is Activities & Events ..............Page 8 confronting many “lasts” these days — some with no regrets and others, like the recent ACT NOW! Register for one of our great Summer Camps .......Page 10 Volunteer Recognition Awards, with marked nostalgia. He has invested 25 years of Development and Membership ....Page 11 his life in this institution. He has fostered the museum with the greatest care, working The Museum Store ..............Page 12 Continued on page 2 Volunteer Spotlight .............Page 13 2 Happy Sails to You…Until We Meet Again (Continued from page 1) tirelessly to make it a happy, productive, So much has changed during my and welcoming place. His leadership career in museums. When I graduated style is not dictatorial or autocratic. He is from George Washington University with the most democratic of leaders, trusting a MAT in Museum Education in 1976, the the people he hired to do the jobs they museum field was just starting to become were hired to do. This museum is his “professional.” I can’t believe now how legacy. He has a great deal to be proud unprepared I was for an administrative of. We hope the next chapter of his life is position. I had little training in budgeting, as rich and fulfilling as this one has been. and no training in dealing with boards, Earlier this year, Doug was invited personnel issues, and staff management. I to participate in a survey that was used in learned a lot by the seat of my pants. an article on museum leadership in the Leadership is the ability to get people forward to having time to do the fun stuff Winter 2016 History News: Magazine of to be on the same page, to accomplish an — working with the Patuxent Small Craft the American Association for State and agreed upon mission/goal, while having Guild, crewing for the Dee, volunteering Local History. The following is drawn fun. Hiring the best and brightest, finding in the store — the stuff that, as director, I from his responses to that survey and the resources for them to do their job, never had the time to do. subsequent conversations. mentor and guide when needed, and then The museum is in the best shape // get out of their way. I don’t take credit for it’s ever been in — financially, in terms I have always been a museum the museum; it is always a team effort — of visitation, the exhibits, quality of director, though in my first job as always a “we”. programs — by every measure. I feel “director,” I was the only paid staff, Sometimes I think I should have good about that. Being the director here which meant that I did everything moved around more. I have had only three has allowed me to shape and guide this from lead the local historical society professional jobs in my career, but didn’t wonderful place and feel confident that to clean the toilets. I’ve been at the want to uproot the family, take the kids when I retire, the institution will go on. Calvert Marine Museum since 1991 out of school and away from friends. Plus, I am really proud of my people; they are — the longest job I’ve ever had, the I have never been out to make a name for my family, my kids. The goal is to make longest time I’ve ever lived anywhere. myself and advance my career. Advancing the institution, volunteers and staff, a This is where my kids grew up and my museum is more important to me. better place when you leave than when went through school. Mary and I have I love this place, and leaving is you came. It must be able to stand on its put down roots and plan to be here for bittersweet — although as I keep telling own and not fall apart when the director years to come. It’s been my life. the staff, I’m not going away. I am looking is gone. C. Douglass Alves, Jr. Ghost Schooner: The Wreck of the J.R. Moffett (Continued from page 1) Quarterly Newsletter of the days. While in the creek, they learned the They never did find the northwest breeze Calvert Marine Museum (A Division of Calvert County Government) storm had caused the loss of a schooner, and were convinced the schooner they and the which he called the J.R. Morphy, and its had seen sailing was the ghost of the J. R. Calvert Marine Museum Society, Inc. crew off the mouth of the Wicomico River. Morphy. Herbert said he knew watermen (ISSN 0887-651X) When the weather finally improved, who had reported seeing the ghost of the C. Douglass Alves Jr., Director Sherrod Sturrock, Deputy Director and Editor the Herberts entered the river and began schooner on this and other occasions. Robert Hurry, Assistant Editor sailing downstream past Nomini Cliffs, Watt Herbert was just an eight- The bugeye was the traditional sailing craft of the tacking against a strong southeast wind. In year-old boy when the incident occurred Bay, and was built in all its glory at Solomons, the distance, they spied a freight schooner and was not an eyewitness to the actual the “Bugeye Capital of the World.” Membership dues are used to fund special museum with all its sails set and running with a accident. To fill in some details and make projects, programs, and this newsletter. Address northwest breeze through Kettle Bottom the story more dramatic, Wisner used a comments and membership applications to: Shoals. They slackened the dory boat’s bit of poetic license while composing the Calvert Marine Museum Society, Inc. sails and set a course to cross the river to lyrics to the song. However, Wisner often P.O. Box 97 Solomons, MD 20688-0097 catch the northwest breeze home. After a wondered whether the passage of time 410-326-2042 while, they looked for the schooner, but it had altered Herbert’s recollection and how FAX 410-326-6691 TDD 410-535-6355 Museum Store: 410-326-2750 had vanished.