The Military Years-1940 to 1960

There are in fact two slightly different accounts of this period, the first, passed on by previous owners, which states she was donated to the Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, in January of 1940, and then subsequently transferred to USCG Group New London, in 1944 and Cape May NY in 1948.

From an official USCG Domument 5750, we find Curlew was recorded as donated on the 31st of January 1940 to the US Coast Guard Academy at New London CT for the grand sum of $1.00. Here she served as a sail-training vessel and saw coastal submarine patrol duty for the Coast Guard during WWII. Her USCG Number was CG-65016.

The document goes on to report that on January 8th, 1951 Curlew was transferred to the USCG recruit training center, Cape May, New Jersey. There the Curlew weathered nine years of countless recruits bounding over her decks learning basic seamanship. She was decommissioned at the age of 35, on May 26, 1960.

While undocumented, Curlew was reported to have participated in the Coastal Picket Force doing sub patrol duty.

According to William (Bill) Theel, who sailed on Curlew in 1954, every boot camp company got to go out of a one day training exercise. In a note from Robert Nogueira, who spent a week on her late 1956 or early 1957, she was still being used as part of a basic training program, and futher he reports that he had been told that in 1960, she was even sailed by President Kennedy. (This has not been confirmed)

L-R Bill Theel; Dodson; Chaplains father       Bill Theel stands on Curlew's stern with Chaplin, 2 USCG officers, Smith Kweder

Recollections from Robert Beare, Cape May N.J.

I served in the U.S.C.G. in Cape May N.J. from September 1954 to 1958. Upon completing boot camp I was chosen to become a seamanship instructor at the boat docks. I was assigned to the Curlew as a seaman in 1955. During this period my rank was 3rd Class Boatswain mate and I worked with 1st Class Boatswain Mate Preston Mason. Approximately 1956, Preston Mason was reassigned to North Carolina. With my comprehensive knowledge of sailing I was asked to skipper the Curlew. I accepted this offer and stayed in charge until my discharge in 1958. During this time period my seamen and I completely refurbished the boat. My commanding officer Arnold Peterson and I took the boat to Dorchester Shipyard where the keel was removed and new bolts and hardware were installed. The hull was then refinished. Upon our return to Cape May all new standing rigging for the boat was accomplished by Arnold and myself. New sails were also installed along with a new power plant, a Detroit 6-71 engine. I continued to sail the Curlew for recruit training until discharge.