New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
The Dock-u-mentaries film series continues Friday, January 20th at 7pm with STORM WARRIORS: THE STORY OF THE U.S. LIFE SAVING SERVICE. The 55 minute film, tells the dramatic story of shipwrecks and rescues in America’s early Coast Guard, the United States Life Saving Service.
According to the Third Wave Films web site, “These heroes of the surf used iron courage and super-human efforts to rescue ship wreck victims. Their story is told through the imaginative use of a re-created rescue, archival motion pictures, photographs, and interviews with historians. Viewers learn how and why the Life-Saving service was formed, methods they used for rescue, and of outstanding men like Joshua James and Owen Chase. Noted authors Ralph Shanks and Wick York appear in the film with Life-Saving Service historian Maurice Gibbs. Shot on location in seven states, the film captures the national significance of this great humanitarian organization.”
Local history buffs will be interested to note that the Coast Guard Academy got its start in New Bedford in 1877 with the Revenue Cutter School of Instruction located at the north end of Fish Island.
Dock-U-Mentaries is a co-production of New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park and the Working Waterfront Festival. Films about the working waterfront will be screened on the third Friday of each month beginning at 7:00 PM in the theater of the Corson Maritime Learning Center, located at 33 William Street in downtown New Bedford. All programs are open to the public and presented free of charge.
The Working Waterfront Festival is a project of the Community Economic Development Center of Southeastern MA, a non-profit organization. The FREE festival, a family friendly, educational celebration of New England’s commercial fishing industry, features live maritime and ethnic music, fishermen’s contests, fresh seafood, vessel tours, author readings, cooking demonstrations, kid’s activities and more. It all takes place on working piers and waterfront parks in New Bedford, MA, America’s #1 fishing port, on the last full weekend in September, this year on September 24 and 25. www.workingwaterfrontfestival.org.
