MAR 355 – Montauk Lighthouse & Walking Dunes; Oct 15, 2021

Oct 19, 2021

Montauk Point, Fishing Capital of the World
by Sasha Josinsky

When I saw that we had a trip to Montauk Lighthouse planned for October 15th on the syllabus for MAR 355, I was overcome by feelings of excitement and anticipation. These feelings came from my passion for fishing and previous experiences around Montauk. When I first visited the point with my family, we happened to visit on an overcast day during the fall around ten or so years ago. I remember witnessing fishermen wearing waders and wetsuits wielding long ten and eleven foot rods casting bucktails and all sorts of lures into a flurry of birds, landing some impressive sized striped bass. At the time I was still a novice in fishing, and the seven foot rod and Gulp! Shrimp we had on hand were terribly ineffective at catching anything, even though we could see the fish right in front of us. I was debating asking my professors if I could bring a fishing rod, as we would be visiting the Fishing Capital of the World during the height of the fall run.

While at the Point we visited the museum, which was filled with lots of information about the many facets of the history of Montauk Point. I was eager to see the exhibit focused on fishing. Images one, two, and three showcase notable catches in Montauk, placed in their respective places over a timeline of more general American history. Montauk was always known as a destination with awesome fishing, and although the fishing has generally declined, it can still be considered as one of the best destinations in the world during the summer and fall months. Of notable mention is the picture of the Blue Whale in Image one and the picture of Frank Mundus, the inspiration behind the character Quint in Jaws, holding the jaws of a White shark in Image three. There is also a mount of a 63lb Striped Bass, one of the most sought-after species of fish in the Northeast, at the top of Image two.

Images four and five showcase some of the gear used by fishermen in the early 20th century around Montauk Point. It’s interesting to note that while some parts like the rods and reels have greatly advanced since that time, other gear like the lures in Image four and the waders in Image five haven’t changed all that much and have remained essentially the same.

Image 1

Image 2

Image 3

Image 4

Image 5

Montauk Lighthouse
by Kay Berenter

There’s something so unusual about lighthouses and the idea that they seem to always house a spirit. The Montauk lighthouse is no different in that regard. This spirit, named Abigail, was said to have been in a wreck just off the coast by the lighthouse. The legend claims that while she was able to make it to shore, she got no further past the lighthouse when she passed. From what I was able to find, Abigail does not seem to be malicious, but a very classic case of furniture moving on its own, unexplained noises being heard, and visitors claiming they feel someone tugging on their clothes.

I’m not one to necessarily believe in the supernatural, though ghost stories have always been fascinating to me. What is the draw towards these stories of death? Why do we tend to bask in the macabre? Perhaps it’s our interest in the unknown afterwards, or the desperation to cling onto the idea of life after death. Or, perhaps, we just like to tell stories in order to keep our eyes open in the dark. Whatever the pull is to ghost stories, I have a feeling we, believer or not, will almost always listen to them.

Happy Halloween!

“The Ghost in the Lighthouse”
Terry Flanagan
This painting portrays Abigail in the Montauk lighthouse, looking out the window at the wreckage of the ship she was on.

Model Boats!

by Erin Hwong
Image 1: One of the boats on display.  Model boats served as blueprints to plan out the construction logistics and physics behind a boat that was to be built.
This week, we went out to the Montauk Lighthouse and walked around inside the lighthouse museum exhibits. One of the model boats we saw in the museum was the model of the Great Eastern, a vessel nearly 700 feet long that launched out of Britain in 1858. She was the first ship at the time to incorporate a double-skinned hull, a feature that would eventually save her from sinking after a collision. The Great Eastern was powered by paddle wheels and steam engines for the paddles, and had six masts. The safety features of the Titanic, which launched roughly 50 years later, were modeled after the Great Eastern, and so the two were similar in ways, but the Titanic was lacking in a few features that would lead to its tragic sinking. The Great Eastern had enough lifeboats for all its passengers, while the Titanic did not have enough lifeboats for all her passengers aboard her last voyage. This was particularly shocking and insufficient, as the passengers on her last voyage made up only one third of the maximum capacity of the Titanic, and yet she did not have enough lifeboats to save even all those onboard. Just as the Titanic struck an iceberg, the Great Eastern struck a large rock in Long Island Sound in 1862. However, the Great Eastern’s double hull kept the inner hull intact, allowing her to sail safely into New York Harbor after her collision. Ultimately, it was largely due to the incorporation of a double hull in the Great Eastern that led her to survive the collision, something the Titanic was unfortunately unable to do.
Image 2: The model of the Great Eastern.

Protecting the Montauk Lighthouse

by Amanda Tepper

This past week our class went to visit the Montauk Lighthouse. Visiting the lighthouse made me think about why do we visit the lighthouse? And why is the lighthouse a tourist destination? The Montauk Lighthouse was commissioned in 1796 to help sailors navigate around Long Island. With time the Montauk Lighthouse evolved to be a symbol for Long Island. The lighthouse became a place of cultural and historical importance for the Long Island community, especially here on the east end, and a part of the local identity. Upon the lighthouses creation it was not built to still stand today because the land that it was built on was supposed to erode away by now. Montauk Lighthouse sits right at the end of Long Island and faces the full force of the Atlantic Ocean’s waves and winds that slowly chip away at the land there.

So then why are we still able to visit the lighthouse, how does it still stand if the land is eroding away? It is all thanks to the preservation efforts of people who want to save this important landmark of Long Island history, but more specifically it is because of the efforts of Giorgina Reed. Giorgina Reed, dubbed the Woman Who Saved the Montauk Lighthouse, was a one-woman army who understood that the lighthouse was not just important for navigating our local waters, but was a significant part of Long Island culture and history. Because of that she really pushed for the preservation of the lighthouse and to stop/slow erosion that threatened it. She did many things, such as planting grasses that hold the sand in place and creating a wall of boulders in front of the lighthouse to protect against erosion. Giorgina Reed worked very hard so people like you and me can go out and learn and experience an important part of Long Island.

Currently, there are still restoration efforts happening at the lighthouse to keep it standing, efforts to reduce erosion and to reinforce the structural integrity of the lighthouse so that generations from now people can come and visit it. These recent efforts started in the spring of 2021 and are expected to conclude sometime during 2023. It is thanks to people like Giogina Reed that I was able to experience this and if you have the chance, I highly recommend visiting the Montauk Lighthouse and exploring it and its museum so you too can learn all about its history.

The Indigenous People of Montauk

by Aaron Ohm
Montauketts lived in Montauk long before the first settlers arrived. The land that is now used for the lighthouse used to be an important hill where even the Montauketts would set up bonfires to be seen from the sea to aid navigation. Until the colonists forced the Montauketts to flee to the North, they had their own gathering and fishing culture which they had kept for centuries.
This is Red Thunder Cloud. His name at birth was Carlos Westez, but later adapted the fierce name because of his unending interest in Native American culture. His mother was a Catawba Indian. For years he studied the cultures of Montaukett and Shinnecock tribes, including the storytelling methods of each tribe, along with important language data. He continued his work until he passed away in 1996 at the age of 76.

This is a model of a groundnut plant. This plant was an important source of nutrients and calories for the native tribes. They would use the tools which can be seen in the image, such as the mortar and pestle to grind up the nuts which can be found along the plants roots, and would prepare them for consumption.

The Mysterious Walking Dunes of Montauk

by Samantha Aplin

I was surprised when Dr. Bretsch and Dr. Rider told us that for our last stop in Montauk, we would be stopping at the walking dunes. These dunes (Pic #1) are formed from predominant northwest winds that have pushed sand for over a hundred years towards inland. They are called the walking dunes not only because people can walk on them, but also because over time they appear to be “walking” through the forest. The sand dunes move roughly 3.5 inches a year, move directly through the land regardless of what is in the path, and they can get up to heights of approximately 80 feet.

Pic 1
The trek up to the top of the dune was tough, but the view at the top was totally worth it. When we all reached the top, Dr. Bretsch all told us about the importance of the grasses on the dune (Pic #2). Just like a regular dune, you are supposed to stay off the plants growing on the dunes because walking on them can damage the plants that help keep the dune together. Without these plants, it reduces the effectiveness of the dunes as natural barriers. Dr. Bretsch also told us that the nearest tree might be the “bush” to your left. Dead trees that were once buried in the sand and have been uncovered by the dunes’ movement is named the Phantom Forest. Below is an image of the trees that have not been suffocated by the walking dunes and shows how high up the dunes can get (Pic #3).
Pic 2

Pic 3

School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, SoMAS, at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5000, USA
Phone: 631-632-8700
somas@stonybrook.edu