Howard Blackburn: Gloucester's Most Legendary Fisherman

Gloucester, Massachusetts is America's oldest seaport. For most of its 400 year history, Gloucester was the fishing capital of the world. Its lifeblood is dangerous & costly. More than 10,000 people have left this port & lost their lives in the Atlantic. When disaster strikes, few live to tell the tale.
But one fisherman's story of survival at sea surpasses all others. And his ambition & daring made him a legend in Gloucester & one of the most celebrated seafarers in history. This is the story of Howard Blackburn.
From producer Kory Curcuru of 1623 Studios, the public access station serving Cape Ann, we present the full installment of Timeline: Cape Ann - Howard Blackburn.
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1623 Studios is a #nonprofit organization dedicated to producing community programming for #CapeAnn-Gloucester, Rockport, Manchester-by-the-Sea, and Essex-and to providing a forum for the free exchange of information and ideas. We also provide a full spectrum of creative services to support our mission. Learn more at 1623studios.org

[@maecarpenter6735]

Mad lad with a heart o' gold! Legend of the Gloucester Fisherman.

[@ososkid]

This was really well done. You had me the whole way! Thanks!

[@bradlycassidy-bs2dz]

Im from the Midwest and I spent 6 months working in Gloucester back in 2012. It's such a beautiful place I bought a camera just to have something to look back on along with my memories. Spent a lot of time at the Crows nest and met a lot of great people and heard many stories of the sea, good and sad. I'll always cherish my time spent there and long to return someday to visit.

[@roberteells5269]

Mr. Howard Blackburn is a legend I just heard about today. Quite a character to say the least. I will have to dig more into the history of this great explorer and adventurer.

[@MPLS_Andy]

What a great story and great documentary.

[@1623Studios]

Thanks so much!

[@RobertMacpherson-t7m]

What a great story watching from Cape Breton Island Nova Scotia great man pretty proud he’s from Nova Scotia

[@mjdeedles341]

Whistling Blue Bonnets by Natalie Mac Master

[@adon2424]

What a courageous and confident lad at 11 years old to become a lumberjack. That set the stage for his lifetime of adventures.

[@sheddski2942]

this Guy was a Big deal Back in the Day i read lone Voyager many years ago and that was a big deal to me he Allways helped the ones that were down on there luck and took Care of the hospital through out his life you cant but hold back tears knowing what he went through and didnt let it break his Spirit Glouchester Pays the most Homage to Howard Blackburn and the Fisher man

[@georgemiller2396]

This is a Great adventure story the stuff movies should aspire to or even, giant mini series, series of short movies.

[@charlessmitley4388]

M.

[@jawilson28able]

D

[@pfrancis7483]

Punctuation. Never too overrated.❤

[@KenH737]

Incredible story. . Thank you for uploading.

[@kathrynvanwormer6547]

Fascinating story. Thank you.

[@1623Studios]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@EvilBill]

Great vid, as a lifelong Mass resident, never knew this story, absolutely amazing.

[@georgemiller2396]

Great Legendary sailor amazing story of old fashioned survival, an amazingly eventful life truly a wonderful life's journey pilgrimage

[@worthgiller510]

What a wonderful story. A real inspiration. The added effects in the background helped keep. my interest Thanks for sharing

[@pedenmk]

What a great story. Thanks for sharing.

[@bbsara0146]

its crazy how free america was back then, when you could literally go from seafaring to gold mining to meeting carnival workers and getting them to go prospect for gold randomly. today all that would be banned by the government immediately

[@lestersabados1306]

Demorats and Harris yes. Trump would encourage this guy.

[@MarlinWilliams-ts5ul]

I was thinking the same thing. What a great place America was then.

[@willthomsen7569]

You can still do whatever you want man just go do it deal with the trouble as it comes in waves

[@hurithinkbefore1340]

What a time! What a life! Wow!

[@gregsanford3848]

Some people have such great innermost strengths ❤❤❤brilliant documentary

[@robjohnson59]

My maternal great grandfather was Captain Albert Pico who skippered the Elizabeth Howard out of Gloucester. Ben Pine was her owner and skippered her during the schooner races, but Pico was her master when fishing the Grand Banks.

[@bbsara0146]

This is an amazing documentary! Thanks for making it. I feel like there could be countless of these documentaries made on characters from new england. Another that comes to mind is lord timothy dexter. this documentary really was captivating. hoping to see more documentaries from 1623 studios

[@1623Studios]

Thanks so much!

[@david9783]

The folks who sold provisions and equipment to the Klondike miners were the ones striking it rich. It was called, "mining the miners".

[@andrewsegovia1226]

Same in San Francisco during the gold rush. The merchants selling shovels & mining equipment struck it rich!

[@dadadrew]

Great documentary very well produced. Bravo!

[@lavishlaneproductions6880]

This was absolutely amazing to watch. Great job making this. Great stuff. What a legend Howard was.

[@kittybitts567]

My step parents had a house in Lanesville for years when I was young. My mom immigrated here from Nova Scotia. This is such a rich and fascinating story that makes me proud of my heritage and makes me love the good people of Gloucester even more.

[@desirader1968]

Very well told story! I enjoyed every minute! Thank you. I’m a subscriber now 😊

[@KingsleyGallagher]

Legend ❤

[@LongdistanceRider22]

Hero ! He inspired a generation of people….

[@carlclarkarmyret137]

Very Cool!

[@cokdnlokd1238]

Excellent. I am a lifetime mariner myself and have worked out of Halifax, Mulgrave and St. Johns yet never heard of him. Joshua Slocum is a hero also even with his so called hallucinations so Howard Blackburn is Slocum without the aliens etc. (although I still honor Slocum immensely).

[@Freddie-pe9nz]

I had the pleasure of staying in Gloucester for a week. I'm from Upstate NY and my friend from Michigan decided to just go away and find a place for a vacation. Don't know how we ended their by Gordon's fish company. We found a old motel can't remember the name of it, but you looked out the window and could see the statue of a fisherman for the men who died out there at sea fishing. Brick paved road that went along the shoreline right by the water were big ships did crab. This was the first time I seen the Time Bandit ship with a picture of a skull on the front of it. After 8-9 later that TV series called Deadliest catch started and when I seen the guy Jonathan and his brother we are at a tiny little bar eating crab and drinking beer and they were in there ringing a bell and buying rounds of beer for people. Nice little bar head carvings all in the walls from all the fishermen over the years you were able to go in a little rowboat go out pull up your own little crab box and get your own crab and take it in and they would cook it up for you it was a great time. Was able to take a trip on a whale watching boat and it was the most beautiful thing seeing the whales and all the dolphins swimming along the side and there was a guy on there they kept track of these whales and the one he hadn't seen in 9 years. He invited us to like a 40,000 acre or something like that butterfly sanctuary that's supposed to be down there and we never did go to it but that's the man that was keeping the tabs on these whales you know he was so excited. I'm amazed I come across this story because I heard a Mr Blackburn while we was there. Just a beautiful little village I loved the statue I was telling you about of the fisherman standing there holding a ships big wheel that you drive the ships with the big round wheel and I bought a bunch of keychains that got that on it.

[@alalouis1]

People were hard back then

[@Evilzionistbabykillers]

What a man 💪⚓

[@user-xh1kz7rm4j]

Wow! Amazing. They don't make them like this anymore.

[@lestersabados1306]

My band played Blackburn Tavern many times.

[@radarhec]

Talk about don't give up the ship ! Wow!

[@philipgregory5392]

excellent job

[@BrianSmith-gp9xr]

My engine so much as sputters . My heart stops.in fear .

[@wesshirlaw8716]

The old boys were tough as nails

[@BrianSmith-gp9xr]

Oh how I hate being wet and cold.

[@mileslong9675]

Both my mom and dad are from Gloucester. I heard this story when I was a kid, but not with all this detail.

[@TheJTTaylor000]

Where we got the “Fist Bump” from. Thanks Blackburn

[@Bess9779]

What a great story! I wish they would make movies from these historical accounts instead of all the regurgitated crap. Lol.

[@JMTrucking1417]

At least the fingers didnt end up in the soup !!

[@vicmorrison8128]

Major dude.

[@BrianSmith-gp9xr]

You gotmy attention.

[@chadsimmons6347]

If it wasn't for his bad-luck,,we wouldn't like the story (thankx-1623 studios)

[@billdauphine951]

A bit of a Barnum $$$.. and PR. genius..❤

[@nativevirginian8344]

Um, Hampton Roads was rocking before Mass. was even a colony.

[@richardlawton1023]

Nice.

[@The67wheelman]

You weren’t a “sour dough” until you had spent time in the North and were experienced, A “green horn” or “tinhorn” was what you were when first arriving

[@godofrock]

Not a very good fisherman but a heck of a bartender if you break it down. Good sailor but gets lost 50% of the time. A survivor for certain and generous.

[@topcat32349]

My maternal family comes from Halifax and Nova Scotia but I’m afraid there weren’t many stories shared. The closest part of my family were all lobstermen so maybe that’s why.

[@End-Putler4eva]

America ? As in The Continents labelled 'the Americas', by ancient Italian & Portuguese explorers? South, Central & North America

[@joeanderson8839]

I would have stayed with my beautiful wife. But it would have made a terrible story. " Man stays home with wife." There is not enough Dramamine on Earth to get me out on the ocean like that.

[@cwavt8849]

Had he been a boxer, he would have died in the ring before admitting defeat

[@richardgatchell2523]

At 13 minutes the narrator says" tom Welch sunk in to a tide pool next minute he talks about how he's looking at his body one last time as it floatsonthesurface (WTF) This guy sound like super man the amount of abuse he has in'duerd In his short time on this story...

[@joeanderson8839]

If you are going to be poor, move to the south where it's warm.

[@thomasmyers9128]

He was a bootlegger….😮

[@stephenolson532]

What 🐃💩

[@doreekaplan2589]

Hernia do NOT "fall out "of anyone

[@picknowell]

Well technically a hemorrhoid is a hernia.

[@topcat32349]

Large abdominal hernias used to fall out until we entered the age of getting medical help for these problems.

[@savage22bolt32]

Constructive criticism, no disrespect; lose the background noise. The subject & your narration of it is great! The addition of distracting, monotonous & annoying music ruined the vid for me. I scanned ahead, but didn't stay past the first minute.

[@bobsmith5109]

No adds and your bitching about background music.... pfffffft

[@calamityjane7699]

I respectfully disagree

[@savage22bolt32]

@@calamityjane7699 we are all entitled to an opinion ❤

[@charlesstewart9246]

And there was a man who lived his best life. How many can say they even tried?🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🤔⛵️🛶🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@vicmclaglen1631]

58:15 orders to sink anything in their path, haven't heard that one