Herbert M. Collins Boathouse

Herbert M. Collins Boathouse. . , Successful Rescues used Surfboats , Along the North Carolina coast thousands of successful rescues were carried out by Surfmen in the U.S. Lifesaving Service. One of the main pieces of equipment used during these rescues was the surf boat. The boat was hand-launched into the surf and road out to sea, most of the time during storms or treacherous conditions. After the U.S. Coast Guard was formed in 1915, surfboats continued to be used throughout the early years of the service until gas powered engines were supplied. Successfully launching the surf boat and getting it back to shore was a daunting and arduous task that could only be safely performed by a highly skilled and well-seasoned crew., The surf boat type in the boathouse is a Monomoy, named for Monomoy Island off Cape Cod, MA, where the design originated. The surf boat was constructed during World War II by Mort Johnson of Bay Head, NJ. The hull planks are cedar. The hull frames, rub rails, cap, and stemps are oak. The keel, keelson and centerboard trunk are mahogany, and the thwarts are all ash. The boat would have had a mast, tiller, and rudder with bronze hardware. It has been repainted and refurbished to allow visitors to sit and stand in it., Herbert M. Collins, The Last Surfman at the Station , Herbert M. Collins was born in Manteo, NC on January 1, 1921. It had always been his childhood dream to enter the service, a dream made true when he joined the U.S. Coast Guard on February 2, 1939. When Collins enlisted in the Coast Guard, the only way for African American men to join was as a Mess Attendant, so this is how his career began, serving food, shining shoes, making beds and being a servant to senior officers on a ship., In March 1940, Collins was transferred to Station Pea Island. Shortly after his transfer, he was reassigned for a brief period to again serve as a Mess Attendant on a ship. Within months, however he returned to the station where he remained for the duration of World War II. While at the station, in his personal time, he also earned his private pilot's license at 26 years old., Herbert M. Collins was the last surfman stationed at Pea Island before it closed. Although a Boatswain Mate 2nd class at the time, he is often fondly referred to as the last Keeper of the station. Collins was the last official of the U.S. Coast Guard to lock the doors and turn in the keys when the station was decommissioned in March 1947., After leaving Pea Island, Collins served on numerous Coast Guard cutters and at several shore assignments before retiring as a Lieutenant in August 1973. In his private life, Collins also became an accomplished certified flight instructor and taught many men and women to fly. He died on March 14, 2010., Collins' family holds a remarkable record of combined service in the Coast Guard, some 400 years, dating back to his grandfather, Joseph Hall Berry, who enlisted in 1902. Before joining, Berry served as a temporary surfman under Keeper Richard Etheridge., (captions) , Surfboats, a daunting and arduous task. , The Monomoy Surfboat , Herbert M. Collins , Herbert Collins in Surfboat.