“”To reap the rewards, you have to do the work.” In its Zen-like simplicity, this is what PMC Founder and Executive Director Billy Starr took home from a 400-mile hike through the northern and most challenging part of the Appalachian Trail. This knowledge, learned years ago, has not only shaped his life but has enabled him to run what is today the single most successful athletic fundraising event in the nation. “  –from Pan Mass Challenge Website.

The Mariners support a variety of causes each year, two of the most notable being Joe Mawn’s (Vice Commodore) and Dick Walter’s (Chief Bass Drummer) marathon bike rides.  Joe rides across Massachussetts in the Pan Mass Challenge, while Little Dick cruises between Boston and New York in three days in the Tri State Trek, benefitting the ALS TDI, frequently giving up the fabled Deep River Muster weekend to do so.

Last weekend, Joe hosted a sunset cruise around Boston Harbor as part of his fundraising efforts. (and what’s a boat ride without a touch of rum?)

Both ride hundreds of miles during the event and untold miles in training, in memory of friends and loved ones lost to cancer and Lou Gehrig’s disease.  The Mariners have lost more than their share to both, and we (and I) thank Joe and Dick for their respective parts, and indeed, work,  in raising awareness and funds..

Both are still actively fund raising for this year’s events if you are so inclined.   Click here for Joe, here for Little Dick, Rider 29.

What a great show!

Swiss Mariners in Lutry, Switzerland
14th of June 2008

What a great day!

From The Day, May 18th, 2008:

“The Ancient Mariners of Connecticut perform at Waterfront Park during the second annual Jibboom Club Parade in New London on Saturday as part of National Maritime Week. The Jibboom Club Parade has its origins in the late 1800s. The Jibboom Club began as a place where retired mariners, many of them whalers, would gather to recount old stories, play cards and sing. The parade was revived last year.”

Photo by Tim Clark.

More to follow…

Congratulations go out to Bawb and Monique!

Saturday May 1oth the couple exchanged vows at the Branford House in Groton, CT.

Check out some more pictures of our sorted past.

Photos from 1987 & 88

Swiss Mariners Photos from 1987-88

Photos of Swiss Mariners and friends from 1987 and 1988

Photos from 1989 & 90

Swiss Mariners Photos from 1989-90

Photos of Swiss Mariners and friends from 1989 and 1990

Ahhh, Wogs.
 

 
Every Mariner…before becoming a Mariner…starts out as a Wog. Time spent as a Wog gives both the Wog and the Mariners an opportunity to see if the Mariner-Wannabe is a fit for our disorganization. We recently voted a handful of new guys into the wonderful world of Woghood. The above picture captured just a few of their scruffy mugs.

Who are these guys? Fifers, drummers … well I could tell you all about them, but sometimes it is just more fun to listen.

Below are a couple of clips from our gathering at Dan’s Firehouse last weekend. The first, sung by one of the wogs, is a takeoff of and old drinking song called Fathom the Bowl. This version, written by Chris Lussier, another wog, is called Don’t Play the Trombone and has words like…

play fifes from grenadilla
cocobolo for sticks
and drink apple cider until you get sick
and sing lots of chanteys until you will moan
but please at a muster don’t play the trombone

I’ve just included a clip here since the whole song would require me to put up a parental warning and I’m just not willing to do that. If you want to hear the song in its entirety, you’ll just have to become a Wog.
 
The second clip is of another Wog playing a tune called Calliope House on the Mandolin, while a couple of us back him up.
 

 
I like both clips because they represent the type of musical diversity that feeds into our fife and drum repertoire. I also like them because it peels back the curtain on the type of loose fun we have at Mariner rehearsals.

 

 Don't Play the Trombone: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Calliope House: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 
As a response to the Sun and Rain picture in my previous post, one of the Swiss Mariners sent along this photo from the same day. As you can see from the raindrops whizzing by, the picture was taken before the sun came out. These freak rain showers make life really difficult for drummers with skin heads.

There is now a new and easy way to subscribe to themariners.org. Just submit your email address below and you will receive an email every time a new article is posted on themariners.org. Your email address will not be used for any purposes other than sending you new articles. Also, you can unsubscribe any time.

So, try it out!

 
I just found this cool picture from a few years back. Anyone remember which muster this was from? I recall the Swiss Mariners were here and I left the top off my jeep before I started down the parade route…’cause it was like a million degrees out. That is, until the tempest came. Good thing those babies have floor plugs to let the water out.