February 2006

“Notes from the Old Noank Jail”

Noank’s Renaissance Man by Ed Johnson

Some years ago, at a gathering of the Noank Historical Society, Ben Rathbun was introduced as “Noank’s Renaissance Man.” At first glance, since Ben has spent much of his life as a commercial fisherman and charter boat operator, the application of such a term might not seem appropriate. Thereby hangs the tale.

In the 1992 American Heritage Dictionary, among other variations, the actual word “renaissance” is used to describe “a rebirth or revival” and the noun “Renaissance man” applies to “a man who has broad intellectual interests and who is accomplished in areas of both the arts and the sciences.”

Captain Benjamin F. Rathbun, Jr., was born in 1928 and grew up in Noank where, as he describes it, “a boy who grew up on the waterfront knew better than to get into a jam where an adult had to rescue him. His Mom would really tan his hide if he pulled such a dumb trick.” Ben’s father was a commercial fisherman and the family lived by the water, where “the waterfront area was the least desirable place in which to live…which is rather ironic when you consider the present situation.”

Ben survived the local schools, including the renowned teacher, Mary Virginia Morgan Goodman, survived the 1938 and 1944 Hurricanes with his family, built his first “boat” from a packing box in 1939, became an avid reader of history, and worked with his father as a commercial fisherman, including swordfish charters, before taking over as skipper of the “Anna R” in 1958.

Ben helped show a frustrated President Dwight Eisenhower one of the best local fishing areas on the sound. Mr. Eisenhower was traveling with the Secret Service in a nearby boat and was very upset that he had not caught any fish, while he watched Ben’s clients reel them in. “Ike was slouched down with a GOLF hat on his head…I had this wild impulse to… tell him it was no wonder he wasn’t getting any bites with that GOLF hat on his head…but…I didn’t want my wife to have to raise the kids all alone, so I kept my mouth shut.” In any case, with Ben’s guidance, Mr. Eisenhower did finally catch a fish, to the embarrassment of the Secret Service and, one month later, Ben himself caught a full audit by the IRS…”random selection, my foot.”

Sadly, Ben lost his father to cancer in 1959 but decided to continue with the family business. With technical guidance from boatbuilder Robert Whitaker and some private financial assistance from Captain Jack Wilbur, a new wooden “Anna R” was launched in 1960. Ben quotes his late father’s philosophy, saying “Owning a fishing boat gives you the privilege of being wrong and paying through the nose for the error of your ways.” Ben feels that fortunately he had learned much from his father during his early years, “especially when… very few normal teenage males are able to focus their attention…on any area above their belt buckle.”

Ben then introduced an important business restructure in 1960 which involved rescheduling the “normal” Connecticut inshore boat charter all-day 8 to 12 hour tour. Instead, he shifted the operation into two 6 hour trips daily, which created the new long-term potential of twelve satisfied customers per day rather than just six. Ben was the first to do this and although the concept was initially resisted by the rest of the local fleet, the long term advantage of increasing the customer base gradually became the norm for most of the remaining Connecticut full-time charter boats.

Later, Ben decided to concentrate fully on Charter operations and purchased a new fiberglass “Anna R” in 1972, designed for sportfishing. Then, in 1986, he turned over this operation to his son Franklin in order to focus on their 42 foot charter sailboat along with a marine survey business. In 1988, Ben sold the sailboat and was then later forced by health problems (Parkinson’s) to close the survey office in 1993, and officially “retire.” Either that, or his wife Rosalie probably threatened to kill him anyway, if he didn’t take better care of himself.

However, a person with Ben’s energies and determination does not fully “retire” or cease to be productive, nor did health issues deter him from his literary “renaissance.” Apparently, Ben had totally bypassed the normal college curriculum, holding instead what he referred to as a “Ph.D. in Generalities.” He was well known on the marine lecture circuit and became one of the leading local authorities on Lighthouses. Ben became active, and is currently still fully involved, as a member of the Noank Fire District Executive Committee, the local village governing body. He has served as Chairman of NOAA Sea Grant Review Panel, and was part of a Committee of the Department of Agriculture as well as the New England Fisheries Management Council.

More recently, Ben chaired a writing team which produced the 2002 book “Noank, Celebrating a Maritime Heritage,” after previously authoring the 1996 book, “Captains B.F. Rathbun of Noank,” one of the most enjoyable personal histories I have ever read. Amazingly, Ben is also well versed and very comfortable dealing with computers, both at home and at the Noank Fire District, despite being initially educated in the 1930s.

However, it is perhaps Ben’s sense of humor, sharpened by a sense of irony, that I most enjoy. Some of his stories from the Rathbun history, such as the local minister being accidentally “boiled” in the Church Baptistery, or the pranks played on others by one Webb Eldridge, have had me in stitches. As Frank Socha has noted, “The experiences Ben relates…are told with a bias toward ‘telling it like it was’…not dressed up or polished to seem a fitting history… If a phrase were needed to describe Ben’s message, it could be ‘pay attention, you might learn something.'”

At one point a few years ago, when Ben thought that his illness had gotten the best of him, he insisted on having his Wake ahead of time, so he wouldn’t miss a good party. Without a doubt, it was one of the largest and best “block parties” we’ve ever had in Noank. Ironically, this was a few years ago, and Ben is still here with us, just as busy as ever.

He probably doesn’t want to miss breakfast at Carson’s.

Renaissance, indeed.