Tuesday, May 6, 2025, at 7 p.m.
On the night of February 18, 1952, during a raging 70-knot snowstorm, four Coast Guardsmen set out from Chatham on Cape Cod on the 36-foot motor lifeboat 36500 to rescue crewmen on the tanker Pendleton that had broken apart in the storm. Incredibly, they returned to the Chatham Live-Saving Station with 32 survivors. The rescue was immortalized by the book and movie "The Finest Hours."
The fate of the CG36500 is a rescue story in itself. The boat was acquired by the Orleans Historical Society in 1981 and was thoroughly restored. There are plans to create a new museum to showcase the boat and the 400-year-old history of lifesaving on Cape Cod. Join Jay Stradal and John Sinopoli of the Orleans Historical Society for this informative presentation about the 1952 rescue and the rescue of the 36500, and learn more about the famous coxswain, Bernie Webber.
The event is free but advance registration is required.