Ship 65 - the S.S.S. Sea Eagle - was first commissioned in 1941 and based out of Mountain View, California. In the early 1960s, the unit became a leading Regatta powerhouse winning many first place awards and the Old Salts Wheel. Sometime in the early 1970s the unit decommissioned. Beginning in 1969, Kenny Murray Jr joined Ship 51, the Intrepid of Palo Alto (later earning his Quartermaster in 1973). Learning of the Sea Scout program, five additional Murray clan members (Keith, Kelly, Kraig, Kevin, Kenneth Sr. ) would also serve aboard the Intrepid.
Upon joining the Intrepid in 1974 as a Mate - Ken Murray Sr had just completed four-years as a Scoutmaster and four years as a Cubmaster. The then Skipper of the Intrepid, Mr. LJ Harvey, offered Ken Murray one of his vessels to start a new sailing unit. Instead, Mate Ken Murray Sr opted to serve as a Mate for two-years and learn of the ropes of the Sea Scout program.
In the fall of 1976 - Skipper Ken Murray Sr resurected the charter papers of Ship 65 - the SSS Sea Eagle. The unit sailed under his leadership from 1976 until 1990 where after fourteen active years as a Sea Scout Skipper, Ken retired from the position. In the absence of no others willing to take on the Skipper role, the unit was descommissioned again.
In the Spring of 2001, after an eleven-year absence, the Ship 65 flag was hoisted again - this time under the Skippership of Kevin L. Murray.
The Sea Eagle has trained several generations of sailors and produced five Quartermasters under the Skipper Ken Murray years. The Sea Eagle won the Old Salts Wheel again in 1988. Today, we hope to continue the "sailing" tradition of high adventure, leadership, good citizenship and forging life-long friendships that is fostered under the fun and rewarding experiences of cruising and living the Sea Scout program.
1975 Old Salts Regatta
Ken Murray Sr.,
1976. The Sailing Crew of the Intrepid - an initial vessel and crew source for the soon-to-be recommissioned Sea Eagle. From Left to Right: Kevin Reeds (first Boatswain of the newly formed Sea Eagle), Don Strong, Kevin L. Murray, Skipper Ken Murray Sr., and Kirk MacAfee. Sailing South to the Palo Alto Harbor aboard the sloop Tortoise. Photo by crewmember Mike Woodard.
Palo Alto Yacht Harbor, circa 1975
Skipper Ken Murray aboard the Tortoise, Palo Alto Sea Base, 1976.
1975. Mate Ken Murray Sr aboard the Boxer, Ship 51
1982. Sea Eagle Meeting at the Palo Alto Sea Scout Base. Left to right: Steve Duca, Scott Horton, Mate Kevin L Murray, Skipper Murray, Executive Officer Kraig Murray, Penderhouse, Peter Carrick, Gary Von der Linden.
1982. Reviewing South Bay piloting, bouy systems, and local knowledge. Steve Duca and Mate Kevin L Murray. Palo Alto Sea Scout Base.
South Bay Rendezvous, 1980. Clockwise from front to back: Dave Easter, XO Kraig Murray, Mate Les Loderer, Skipper Murray, Jeff Frane.
1979. Broad reaching out of the Palo Alto Harbor aboard the Tort. Skipper Murray with log book and Engineering Officer Kelly Murray at the helm. Note the "dolphin" structure off the port bow marking the end of the channel and turning point North for the Dumbarton Bridge - out bound.
Sea Eagle Junior Officers at the 1988 AMR regatta on Government Island (aka Coast Guard Island), Alameda, California. Left to right: Paul Andrews, Scott Carney, Steve Volk.
1980 South Bay Rendezvous. Tortoise, a Viking 28, was our twenty-eight foot sloop built about 1958. Palo Alto Yacht Harbor at low tide. Clockwise from front to back: Mate Les Loderer, Dave Easter, Jeff Fraine, XO Kraig Murray, Skipper Murray (on Tortoise).
1988 Bridge of Honor - Palo Alto Elks Lodge, Palo Alto, CA.
Left to right: Executive Officer Kraig Murray, Skipper Murray, Mate K.L. Murray.
1980 Summer Cruise. Crew member Mike Easter and Skipper Murray - San Pablo Bay - outbound from the Delta aboard the Tortoise, June '80.
1982 Hospital Cove (aka Ayala Cove), Angel Island. Skipper Murray in this "I Shall Return" photo op coming ashore again for another liberty tour. Crewmembers (clockwise) are: Greg Jorgensen, Dan Bruso, Skipper, Gary Von der Linden.
1980 at Sea Fox Sea Base. Tortoise and Serendipity on Summer Cruise.
1980 Summer Cruise. Sea Fox towing Serendipity - outbound from the Sacramento Delta. Photo from deck of Tortoise with large Military Sealift Command ship in background.
1980 - Serendipity sailing past Alcatraz Island on Summer Cruise bound for the Delta
Circa 1982 - Skipper Murray and Mate Les Loderer on Tortoise bound for the Palo Alto Sea Scout Base.
1979 - Skipper Murray Sailing Serendipity out of the Palo Alto Harbor
1980 Lost Isles, SF Delta. Skipper Murray aboard the Tortoise on Summer Cruise, June 1980.
1980 Serendipity Bound for Orwoods Marina - San Joaquin Delta. Photo from s/v Tortoise.
Old Salts Regatta Crew of 1978
Front row (l,r) Kalvin Haqq, Dale McCourt, Peter Carrak, Gary Vonderlenden, Dave Easter
Back row (l,r) Fraine, Scott Horton, Jeff Fraine, Greg Jorgenson
South Bay Sea Scout Reunion
Palo Alto Elks Lodge, 1999
1st Row L/R: Engineer Tim Stephens, Tom Gibson, Mate Kevin L Murray, Skipper Ken Murray Sr., Executive Officer Kraig Murray, Mate Dave Stephens.
2nd Row L/R: Steve Volk, Kelvin Haqq, Greg Jorgenson, Paul Andrews, Pete Carrick, Peter Johnson, Gary Vonderlinden, Steve Duca. Missing but present at event: First Boatswian Kevin Reeds and Engineer Kelly Murray.
Peter Carrick at the Helm, Summer Cruise 1980.
Ship 65 Sea Eagle, with their then primary training vessel the Tortoise at Lost Isle, Summer of 1980. The same Union Jack flag on the bow of the Tort flies on the s/v Commodore Murray today.
L/R: Tom Gibson, Greg Jorgenson and Dan Brewso. Running free toward Acker Island (Lost Isle) with our ding in tow. Note the large Sea Eagle flag by the mainsheet cam cleat - ready to hoist once at dock. Summer Cruise, 1980.
Skipper Ken Murray Sr., with chart-in-hand, skillfully piloting the Tortoise (A Viking 28 sloop built in the 1950s) to Orrwoods Resort. Summer Cruise of 1980.
1978 South Bay Rendezvous - Scott Horton and Dave Easter practicing Bosn' Chair. Palo Alto Yacht Harbor.
Peter Carrick, Dan Brewso and Jeff Fraine returning from Liberty at Lost Isle (when the tie-up charge was only $3 dollars). Summer Cruise, 1980.
Spring of 1977 at the Palo Alto Sea Scout Base with the Tortoise in the center (Ship 65 the SSS Sea Eagle) and on the right the BoxL 64 foot tugboat Boxer (belonging to Ship 51, the SSS Intrepid). This will be Sea Eagle's first regatta crew since the 1941-70 era. Palo Alto Yacht Harbor (1928-1987).
The Sea Eagle towing a disabled motor vessel to a guest dock. Summer Cruise, 1980.
Sea Eagle crew sailing the Whitebird II (on loan) just off Alcatraz Island, 1982. Clockwise from center: Mate Kevin L Murray, Gary Von Derlendon, Dan Brewso, Unknown, Ken Murray Jr.
Clockwise: Dan Brewso, Dave Easter and Jeff Frane on the Tortoise during the Summer Cruise of 1980. Dave Easter is being towed astern in the small boat. This was a favorite pastime location for crewmembers. The same can be said for the first Sea Scout crew and unit of the Palo Alto Yacht Harbor: the Mathew Maury; also known by their vessel name, the Alcor (1928-1947). One of their crewmembers (Wiley) was riding in their wherry (they had no engine and sailed a deckover 30 foot whaleboat) and scooped up a fallen overboard crewmember as he fell astern when the tiller snapped as he was correcting for a wing and wing sail toward the Dumbarton Highway bridge in 1941. Vessel in command by Mate, JJ Smith.
Ship 65 first began its sailing program with a vessel formerly assigned to the Sailing Crew of Ship 51 the Intrepid. The vessel was named the Tortoise. There was also an eighteen-foot wooded sloop owned by the Intrepid called the Hare. The Tortoise was a twenty-eight foot double ender sloop built of wood in the mid 1950s. The class name of the vessel was a Viking 28. She was a doubled ender, beamy (about 8 feet) and had no keel or centerboard. In spite of not having a keel or centerboard, this Viking 28 had a modest skeg (drew about 1 foot) plus a wide beam that allowed us to sail about 45 degrees off the wind. In addition, she sailed very fast on a broad reach or running free. In the latter mode, we often rigged twin headsails. The modern racing yachts of the time could not understand why an old wooden vessel could pass them despite their modern rigs and hull. Our secret weapon was "no keel."
Tacking the Tortoise was always an adventure. We would sail slowly up to the wind on a close-hauled point of sail. You had to "sail her around" not tack hard into the wind. Our large barn-door rudder would only act as one big brake if you gave her a hard right or left rudder. Once she started to luff on the mainsail - we sent one of our Sea Scouts forward (this was my job 1975-76) who would backwind the jib by standing out over the water and, leaning against the jib with your shoes on the often slippery toe rail, you back wind that jib! Once she either started to come around (or went backwards, in which case the helmsman would reverse the rudder to help bring the bow around) you'd pull yourself back aboard with the jib and "let her fly" so the crewman aft would bring in the opposite jib sheet. If this system did not work - we'd either ware-away like the old square riggers (put our stern through the wind, not the bow), or we'd fire up our inboard engine to help us around.
The Tortoise served us for six-years (1976-1982) as are our primary cruising and training vessel. Skipper Ken Murray Sr. once remarked to me in 1998 when we were sailing our then twenty-seven foot Coronado sloop: "Kevin, I have always liked about this size of vessel on the Bay. In fact, my fondest Sea Eagle years were aboard the Tortoise. The scale was just right. I knew I could easily handle her, less complex engineering and electrical systems and a lot of places to park a twenty-eight foot sloop. And, no matter what the weather, the Tortoise always felt secure." Indeed, the Tortoise was a very sea worthy design and heavy too. Her Viking bow, broad beam, deep comfortable cockpit and warm wood - all combined to make a very safe training and sailing vessel.
We slept two forward in the V-berth, one each on the port and starboard main cabin berths' and two more on the floor of the main cabin (there was no head room on the Tort, only about a four foot height in the cabin). Just aft of the main stateroom was a small galley table and opposite that was a small head and navigation locker. In short, we could only sleep six aboard the Tortoise. As a result, we often cruised with up two or more sailboats. In particular, Skipper Ken's personal sailboat, (a 1973 Aquarius 21 sloop that he purchased new from the San Francisco Cow Palace show of 1973) was quickly commandeered as our overflow boat that provided another five berths. This was the vessel Serendipity - our oldest and continuously serving Sea Eagle vessel still in service today.
Palo Alto Harbor, circa 1972.
History on some Stanford Area Squadron Vessels, 1980
The first vessel (center of photo) is the sailing vessel Tortoise. The Tortoise (aka the Tort) was a Viking 28 (twenty-eight feet in length) sloop built of wood in about 1958. She was first acquired by Ship 51, the Intrepid, in 1968. The Tortoise would serve as the "sailing crew" vessel of the Intrepid until 1976. The Tortoise would then serve as the primary training vessel of the newly re-commissioned Ship 65, the Sea Eagle, from 1976 until 1982. Thereafter, the vessel was put on the reserved list until dryrot finally made the vessel no longer sea worthy. The vessel was scrapped in 1984.
Off the immediate port quarter of the Tortoise is the See Adler (Sea Eagle in German) also belonging to Ship 65. The See Adler was a twenty-seven foot wooden (full keel) narrow sloop acquired in about 1979. Her rustic and basic down below design made her a weekender and day sailer. She could sleep two comfortably and four in tight quarters. Her primary role was a day sailer training vessel. However, she also acted as an "overload crew boat" sailing in convoy with the Tortoise on weekend cruises. The vessel was skippered by one of the Sea Eagle mates. Dryrot also spelled the doom of the See Adler. She was scrapped in 1983.
Astern of the See Adler is the twenty-four foot sloop Nesbit. The Nesbit is a wooden sloop built around 1960 and acquired by Ship 65 in 1978. The vessel was named after one of the former skippers' from the first Palo Alto Sea Scout unit (formed in 1928), known as Ship 58, the Mathew Maury (aka, the Alcor). Skipper Mark Nesbit was skipper of the Alcor in 1939 and 1941 and also the Palo Alto Harbormaster for about ten-years thereafter. The Nesbit was a day sailer with berthing for two. She was easily singlehandled. Like her other old wooden comrades, she too suffered from various leaks and dryrot requiring she be scrapped in about 1984.
Behind the Nesbit is the Faith. The Faith was a twenty-five foot gaff-rigged cutter acquired about 1978. She had a flat bottom and a centerboard with some internal ballast. With a berthing of four, she was used primarly as a day sail trainer and participated in one convoy sailing cruise. She had a large and comfortable cockpit for training a large crew but similar to the Tortoise, did not have the best tacking ability. The vessel was sold about 1981 and as of 2011 - was spotted docked up the San Francisco Delta at Isleton. Her name on her tramson still bears the words - Faith! She has survived all these years and is in fair shape considering the passage of time.
Astern of the Faith is the Serendipity. Serendipity is a twenty-one foot fiberglass sloop still serving the Sea Eagle today. She was purchased new by the Murray's in the Summer of 1973. As of three years ago, she received new sails, shrouds, outboard motor bracket, tramsom ladder, running rigging, pop-top dodger, enclosed head area, and a converted double bunk. She remains a low maintenence, tuff little boat for the SF Bay and Delta. In 2008 she served as the primary Sea Eagle summer cruise vessel - where we cruised with 10 crew between two boats for nine-days - old school style.
Off the starboard beam of the Serendipity are two other Sea Scout vessels - the Resolute and the Flying Mist. The vessel most inboard went by many names and served many crews. It is a forty-foot converted Navy launch. Because the vessel served so many different crews, sometimes we referred to her as simply "the forty-footer." Depending on her service, she was named the Captain Wrucke, Intrepid and the Devilfish. Over the course of her 1948-1983 service (thirty-five years), four Sea Scout units operated her out of the Palo Alto Harbor. Their were Ship 40 the Captain Wrucke of Palo Alto, Ship 51 the Intrepid of Palo Alto, the Devilfish out of Mountain View and the Ship 43 the Resolute out of Palo Alto. The Resolute was an all female crew formed in 1972. The Forty-Footer may have been acquired as early as 1945. She was saved by Skipper Doc Downing (later Commodore Doc Downing) as an empty hulk submerged at the Palo Alto Sea Base. He and his crew restored the vessel - found an engine - and made her sea worthy. The vessel was commissioned in 1948 with Mrs Captain Wrucke breaking a bottle over her stem in 1948. Ten years later, in 1958, the same Mrs Captain Wrucke would commission an AVR sixty-three foot USN motorvessel replacing the Forty-footer. The former Captain Wrucke would now become the Intrepid and serve this unit until about 1970. The vessel would then be used by the unit Devilfish until about 1974. The vessel would then become the primary vessel of the Resolute. However, they kept the vessel name as the Devilfish - or "the fish" as commonly called by some of their crew members. Like the fate of so many wooden boats - dry rot claimed another victim and she was cut up in 1983 following the folding of the Ship 43 a year or two before. She had served for thirty-five years and four-units. She remains an ideal sized vessel in terms of low operating costs and onboard berthing space.
Outboard of the "Forty-Footer" is the Sea Scout Ship Flying Mist of Los Altos. She too was a forty-foot decked over US Navy shoreboat. However, she was made about twenty-years later and how a high flairing bow. She also boasted a very fast speed and hence her name the Flying Mist was well deserved. Her "circular" superstructure replaced a smaller two man pilot house in about 1977. The vessel was an active unit until the Flying Mist folded about 1980. The vessel was sold in about 1981 and for about thirty-years, was docked at Pete's Harbor in Redwood City - someone else's project that never seemd to get off the ground (or water in this case). Last seen in 2005, it is believed she too was finally a victim of wood, water and time.
The Sailboat off the bows of the Flying Mist and the Devilfish is the then sailing unit of the Sea Fox out of Alameda. She was a former Naval Academy training vessel and was under the able leadership of Skipper Don Hodgkins. The Sea Eagle and Sea Fox were close units during the early 1980s as two sailing units. The Sea Fox was eventually replaced by a powerboat (the former Thunderbird vessel once used by a all female mariner unit out of San Mateo docked at Coyote Point Marina) and renamed the Sea Fox. As of 2011, the motor vessel of former Thunderbird fame is still active today now sailing under the name of the Sea Fox.
