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Bottled Ship Builder

Chasseur

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Yesterday my good wife suggested we take in the movie Finest Hours!

 

This movie has to be one of the best dramatizations of the 1952 rescue of 32 crew of the T2 tanker SS Pendleton, (which had broken in half in a winter Nor’easter in the Atlantic off Massachusetts). This event has never been produced on the big screen until this year to my knowledge. The storm off Cape Cod quickly turned into a hurricane and broke not one, but two, oil tankers in half.

 

I highly recommend this movie as it kept us on the edge of our seats at times!  :o 

 

The crew was rescued by four Coast Guardsmen in the CG36500, a 36′ wooden motor lifeboat, under the command of Coxswain Bernie Webber. Just to reach the crippled tanker, Webber and his men had to cross the Chatham bar in horrific conditions. They then succeeded in locating the tanker at the height of the storm and rescuing 32 crew in a boat designed to carry 12, including the crew. Their actions are considered by many to be the greatest small boat rescue in history.

 

In 1967, Bernie Webber sat down for an audio interview on radio station WOCB, Yarmouth. He describes the amazing rescue in his own words.

 

Here is the link  http://www.cg36500.org/Rescue-story-Webber-oral.html

 

Enjoy the interview it's outstanding and a true act of heroism on Mr. Webber's Part!

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I have a friend who served at Chatham a couple of years afterward and knew the whole crew of CG36500. The Coxswain always regretted the one man he lost on that rescue. WBUR recently had an interview about the fact that CG6500 was restored and is still around. I think Hingham Lifesaving Museum has it and still runs it on the water.

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Yes I believe you are correct it is in fact in Orleans.

I marvelled when I heard the interview and how humble Mr. Webber was and how he referred to the workings of God. It was really cool at the end of the movie as there were actual pictures of Bernie and his crew, his wife, the Coast Gaurd station, the commanding officer etc.

I am wondering if the original vessel was used for the photo shoot or if another one was fabricated specifically for the movie?

Or if everything was digitalization?

Jeff

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