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“Castine predates the Plymouth Colony by 7 years and, being one of the oldest settlements in America, has a rich history. Founded during the winter of 1613 as Fort Pentag枚et, named after the French Baron of Pentag枚et, Castine is located in eastern Maine or 鈥淒own East,鈥� as it is now popularly called. During much of the 17th and 18th centuries, the French Parish of Acadia included parts of eastern Quebec and the Maritime Provinces. The pine-forested land of French controlled Maine extended as far south as Fort Pentag枚et and the Kennebec River.
That same year, 1613, English Captain Samuel Argall raided Mount Desert Island, the largest island to be found in present-day Maine, thus starting a long-running dispute over the boundary between French Acadia and the English colonies lying to the south. In 1654, Major General Robert Sedgwick led 100 New England volunteers and 200 of Oliver Cromwell's soldiers on an expedition against French Acadia. Sedgwick captured and plundered Fort Pentag枚et and occupied Acadia for the next 16 years.
This relatively short period ended when the Dutch bombarded the French garrison defending Penobscot Bay and the Bagaduce River, thereby dominating Castine in 1674 and again in 1676. It was during this time that they completely destroyed Fort Pentag枚et.
After the Treaty of Breda brought peace to the region in 1667, French authorities dispatched Baron Jean-Vincent de Saint- Castin to take command of Fort Pentag枚et. The community surrounding the fort served as the capital of this French colony from 1670 to 1674, and was named Castine after him.”
― Captain Hank Bracker, "Seawater One...."

“After the better part of a month working in the fringed cold, we were ready. There were still a few minor things to do but the ship was now completely primed and painted, with her name outlined with spot welds on each side of the bow and the stern. That morning, prior to sailing from Boston, I slipped ashore and bought a case of Budweiser beer. There was a lot of activity around the ship so no one noticed when I returned with beer in my sea bag. I distributed the three six-packs I had sold to classmates and the remaining one was for the guys in my room. I hung the brew out of the porthole, wrapped and tied securely in a towel. For us the porthole wasn鈥檛 just a small round window to the outside, it was also our refrigerator for keeping things cold!
We didn鈥檛 get going until after dark, expecting to be on the Penobscot River back in Maine by daybreak. I was on the afterdeck trying to free lines that were solidly frozen from the cold, when I felt a jarring under foot. Looking over the railings, I saw one of the tugboats right outside of where our room was. He had bumped into us, and now with his engines roaring in reverse, was backing down. What the hell was going on? Instinctively, I knew what had happened. I dropped the mooring lines onto the deck and left the flaking down of them to others. I quickly ran to our room and opened the porthole, confirming what I already knew. Our beer was gone! Damn it, the tugboat was disappearing into the dark and they would be the ones drinking our beer that night! At least we still had some cold pizza. Free of the dock, we headed down the Inner Harbor, past Logan International Airport and Deer Island towards the Atlantic. We had worked hard to get our ship ready, and had every reason to be proud, as we steamed out of Boston Harbor that night. We were on our way back to Castine and to the Academy. By the next morning, we were sailing under the Waldo-Hancock Bridge into Bucksport Harbor.”
― Captain Hank Bracker, "Salty & Saucy Maine"

“The TS American Sailor was built in Seattle, Washington, in 1919. Like the TS American Seaman, she was launched too late for World War I. Originally the two ships were intended to be used as dry cargo ships, but not knowing what to do, the government assigned them to the United States Coast Guard. In 1941, with the start of World War II the Bethlehem Steel Company in Baltimore, Maryland, converted both vessels into Maritime Commission training ships. By the time I arrived at the Academy, the TS American Seaman had already been scrapped, and the TS American Sailor was well past her time. During my first year at the Academy she was towed to the breakers, thus making room for a newer training vessel. To accommodate the expected ship, coming from the government鈥檚 鈥淒efense Reserve Fleet,鈥� a new sturdier dock had to be built鈥�. In the interim, the school borrowed New York Maritime College鈥檚 vessel, the TS Empire State II. Upperclassmen, including my friend Richard Cratty, whom I have known from my days at Admiral Farragut Academy, were assigned the task of going to New York to bring her back to Castine for our 1953 training cruise.”
― Captain Hank Bracker, "Salty & Saucy Maine"

“Maine Maritime Academy is one of six maritime training colleges in the United States, and one of only two of these maritime academies which has a Navy Reserve Officers Training Corps unit. The college is affiliated under the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.”
― Hank Bracker

“Captain Hank Bracker鈥檚 book, Salty and Saucy Maine, should have been titled Salty and Saucy Hank Bracker. Yup, Hank鈥檚 stories are definitely saucy and salty.

The book is full of stories about Hank鈥檚 time at Maine Maritime Academy. There are plenty of tales that will make you laugh, a lot of interesting history, and then there are those stories I鈥檇 label ribald.

Hank worked for many years, after graduating from Maine Maritime, in the maritime industry, including the navy. And he鈥檚 written four other books, with lots more stories.

鈥淢ore than anything,鈥� writes Hank, 鈥渋t was my time at the Academy that built the foundation for what evolved into an adventurous, exciting career and life.鈥�

He describes this book as 鈥渁 young man鈥檚 coming-of-age book,鈥� and it is surely that. 鈥淣ot surprising, by nature I am a free spirit, who loves the company of most animals and some people. You might say that I love to laugh, hold center stage, and tell my yarns the way I remember them. For years, friends have encouraged me to write these tales as short stories. This is part of that effort!

All I can add is that Hank鈥檚 wife of almost 60 years, Ursula, must be a saint!”
― Captain Hank Bracker, "Salty & Saucy Maine"

“At the bottom of Pleasant Street where it turns to become Water Street, the Academy constructed its waterfront facility. It included a Sail Loft and the Engineering Laboratory that housed a large diesel engine, as well as components for steam engines and steam winches. Maine Maritime Academy, although not comparable in size to the larger more established academies, soon became known and respected throughout the maritime industry. When I arrived at the Academy in August of 1952, the school had already been in existence for about eleven years. The waterfront was comprised of a small rickety dock, to which the old training ship, the TS American Sailor was moored, and an even smaller dock that was home to a retired wooden 鈥淣avy Submarine Chaser,鈥� without a name.”
― Captain Hank Bracker, "Salty & Saucy Maine"