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Dark Noon: The Final Voyage of the Fishing Boat "Pelican"
Saturday, Labor Day weekend, 1951, dawned mild and cloudless over Montauk. Hundreds of passengers tumbled from the Long Island Rail Road's weekend express train, the Fisherman's Special, when it pulled in from New York City. The weather only confirmed the postwar optimism of the blue-collar workers who had thronged to this fishing village for a holiday of deep-sea angling.
In America, in 1951, it was easy to believe that anyone could make money and enjoy the good life, and no place suited that mood better than a fishing town. The Montauk fishing business was booming. The dock the arriving anglers swarmed over had been named, without a trace of self-consciousness, Fishangri-la, and the waiting fishing boat captains could see no obstacle to a record weekend.
Maybe it was naive optimism that propelled Captain Eddie Carroll away from the dock that morning with sixty-two passengers aboard his fishing boat Pelican, some thirty more than safe capacity. He was everyone's favorite skipper, a handsome World War II veteran with an easy manner, an endless supply of fish and war stories, a sturdy forty-two-foot boat, newly rebuilt engines, and an uncanny ability to find good fishing. In his pocket that day he carried the ring that he would soon slip on the finger of his Swedish bride-to-be.
But Eddie's luck was about to run out. Even as the Pelican cut its outgoing swath through the sun-spangled Atlantic, a jet-stream trough of Arctic air high overhead, undetected by forecasters, was pressing down on the pool of warm air beneath it like water building behind a dam. The Pelican and forty-five people aboard, including Captain Carroll himself, would never return to shore.
Dark Noon is a suspenseful and ultimately heartbreaking sea story. It's also a journey back to the America of the early 1950s, when a laborer could buy a round-trip train ticket from Queens to Montauk and fish all day with Captain Eddie for $8.00. The Pelican's passengers, like postwar America itself, were blinded by hope. They baited their hooks and waited, wondering what they would find in the deep and shining waters of the Atlantic, unaware of the dark storm gathering overhead.
Tom Clavin was editor of the East Hampton Independent and the Southampton Independent, two of the country's most award-winning weeklies, for ten years. In addition to fifteen years writing for the New York Times, he has authored numerous articles appearing in such periodicals as Reader's Digest, Golf Magazine, Parade, and Family Circle. Mr. Clavin has written and edited hundreds of pieces on fishing and boating.
In America, in 1951, it was easy to believe that anyone could make money and enjoy the good life, and no place suited that mood better than a fishing town. The Montauk fishing business was booming. The dock the arriving anglers swarmed over had been named, without a trace of self-consciousness, Fishangri-la, and the waiting fishing boat captains could see no obstacle to a record weekend.
Maybe it was naive optimism that propelled Captain Eddie Carroll away from the dock that morning with sixty-two passengers aboard his fishing boat Pelican, some thirty more than safe capacity. He was everyone's favorite skipper, a handsome World War II veteran with an easy manner, an endless supply of fish and war stories, a sturdy forty-two-foot boat, newly rebuilt engines, and an uncanny ability to find good fishing. In his pocket that day he carried the ring that he would soon slip on the finger of his Swedish bride-to-be.
But Eddie's luck was about to run out. Even as the Pelican cut its outgoing swath through the sun-spangled Atlantic, a jet-stream trough of Arctic air high overhead, undetected by forecasters, was pressing down on the pool of warm air beneath it like water building behind a dam. The Pelican and forty-five people aboard, including Captain Carroll himself, would never return to shore.
Dark Noon is a suspenseful and ultimately heartbreaking sea story. It's also a journey back to the America of the early 1950s, when a laborer could buy a round-trip train ticket from Queens to Montauk and fish all day with Captain Eddie for $8.00. The Pelican's passengers, like postwar America itself, were blinded by hope. They baited their hooks and waited, wondering what they would find in the deep and shining waters of the Atlantic, unaware of the dark storm gathering overhead.
Tom Clavin was editor of the East Hampton Independent and the Southampton Independent, two of the country's most award-winning weeklies, for ten years. In addition to fifteen years writing for the New York Times, he has authored numerous articles appearing in such periodicals as Reader's Digest, Golf Magazine, Parade, and Family Circle. Mr. Clavin has written and edited hundreds of pieces on fishing and boating.
- GenresNonfictionHistory
256 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2005
15 people are currently reading
152 people want to read
About the author
Tom Clavin
44 books513 followersTom Clavin is the author/coauthor of eleven books. His most recent is That Old Black Magic: Louis Prima, Keely Smith, and the Golden Age of Las Vegas.
His articles have appeared in Cosmopolitan, Family Circle, Men's Journal, Parade, Reader's Digest, and others.
He was a contributing reporter for the New York Times for fifteen years.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 30, 2020
Fun read on a snowy day...
August 31, 2025
Story of an overloaded party boat, the Pelican, that sank off montauk point as a result of an unexpected storm on Labor Day 1951. Extensive before and after accounts of the people who survived and those who did not. Lots of dramatic telling of the rescue operation by fellow fishing boatmen
January 28, 2019
Absolutely shocking book. I will forever change my view on water safety after reading this.
May 5, 2020
Well written account. Near and dear to my heart given my families presence on Long Island from the 1600s to today - a history of rum running, long lining, tugboats and charter boats.
decided-not-to
April 22, 2023OG Book Club
July 18, 2024
Enjoyed the book. Admired how the author made the individuals in the story "real" in a brief amount of time. Could easily visualize events.
December 6, 2012
Interesting book about the fishing vessel, The Pelican, that went down Labor Day weekend 1951 off the coast of Montauk, Long Island. I picked up the book last year on Labor Day weekend out in Montauk where the author was having a book signing, and was quietly surprised to find it compelling and interesting.
April 6, 2010
A must read for Montauk lovers! Could not put this book down! True story about the Pelican disaster of 1951. The Pelican was a party boat that capsized off Montauk Lighthouse. Lots of Montauk history contained in this book.
March 3, 2023
If you liked Perfect Storm, you will love this book. Although you know what happens, there is still suspense. Recommend this book for all. If you were disappointed by "The Lost Boys of Montauk" because there was very little talk of the boat, this is the book you expected.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews