Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship Alumni Group

12/06/2019

Do any of the old-timers remember President Kennedy's sailboat the S/Y Manitou? I do. When I was attending the seamanship school (1968) I got to check out the yacht that was moored at the school's marina. What I remember most is the full length mirror that hung above the bed in the master bedroom. I couldn't figure out why anyone would want a mirror above their bed (ha, ha). Here's a little history of the yacht and how it ended up at Piney Point. Enjoy!

Manitou is a 62-foot-long (18.9 m) performance cruising yacht designed and built for racing on the Great Lakes and specifically to win the Chicago-Mackinac Race. It notably served as a presidential yacht for United States president John F. Kennedy and was known as the "Floating White House." Manitou was built in 1937 at the M. M. Davis & Son shipyard in Solomons Island, Maryland. It was Design No. 99 of naval architects Sparkman & Stephens, who built many America's Cup racing yachts.
Manitou was originally commissioned and privately owned by race car driver James Lowe, she was launched in 1937 and promptly won the 1938 Chicago-Mackinac Race in the cruising division (on corrected time), beating all previous records. She came a close second the next year. In 1940 and 1941, Manitou won the Port Huron to Mackinac Boat Race. After these successes, Lowe sold her, and in 1955 she was donated to the US Coast Guard to be used as a training vessel at the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut.
President Kennedy used Manitou while he was in office. Manitou was returned to private ownership in 1968 when she became a training vessel for the Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship in Maryland; the boat took on the nickname: "Floating White House".
In 1999 Manitou was sold to Laura Kilbourne, granddaughter of James R. Lowe, the original owner. Manitou was then given a comprehensive refit at Chesapeake Marine Railway in Deltaville, Virginia.
In late 2010 she was sold to four joint owners and underwent an extensive refit in early 2011, she was then shipped to the Mediterranean where she was raced extensively[4] and made available for charter out of ports on the French Riviera. Owner(s)
• James Lowe (1937–c.1940)
• Coast Guard Academy (1955–1968)
• Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship (1968–1999)
• Laura Kilbourne (1999-2010)
• Phil Jordan, Pat Tierney, Claes Goran Nilsson, and Melinda Kilkenny (2010-)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [wikipedia page]

12/05/2019

I was there that day. I was working in the mess hall kitchen. I got to meet and shake hands with Vice President, Herbert Humphrey (lost presidential race to Richard Nixon). Great memories of Piney Point!

The Paul Hall Center in Piney Point celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, as it has trained tens of thousands of seaman over the years.

01/14/2019

During my time at Piney Point, I got the chance to meet some of the original founders of the SIU. Frank Mangelli, the Bruno brothers and more. These were tough guys! Frank told me stories on the formation of the SIU in New York City. There was intense opposition to forming the SIU. Frank Mangelli got his fingers cut off by thugs trying to shut down union activity. Bruno brothers suffered gun shot wounds.

12/17/2018

How hard is it to get a job on a ship these days? I started out as a messman. Shipped out of Norfolk, VA.

08/09/2016

When I went to the school they guaranteed your Merchant Seaman papers upon graduation and a job on a ship. I shipped out of Norfolk, VA (SIU union hall). Does it still work that way?

05/22/2015

My first ship was a C-4 cargo ship (WWII vintage). Does anyone have any pictures of this type of ship?

12/24/2014

I graduated from Piney Point in December 1968 with my Merchant Seaman papers. I was sent to the Norfolk, VA SIU union hall with four other graduates. We bunked at the YMCA and did janitorial work at the union hall during the day until we were assigned jobs on ships. I got a messman job on the USS James (C4 cargo ship). The ship loaded up ammunition at Sunny Point, NC (near Wilmington) and headed to Viet Nam on a three month voyage. Many good times were had!

12/18/2014

I was in the 2nd graduating class at Piney Point back in 1968. It wasn't a "real" school with classes back then. It was young kids living in barracks in a boot camp type program. We were assigned various details like helping the contractors install water/sewer lines, renovate the old hotel into a seafarer's retirement facility, etc. etc. We all got our Merchant Seaman documents at the end of the program which lasted about 4 months.