ISLAND HUMO/UR: Storm Warning!! Storm Warning!! Storm Warning!! |

The Lois & Isabel – Our Guptill family’s boat from Grand Manan

Have I told you about Willis Doughty and his son Everett Doughty from Deer Island … the one in Passamaquoddy Bay? These were the guys who bought the family herring carrier, “Lois and Isabel”  later in her life,

Well, as my brothers can tell you, we spent an inordinate amount of time at the St. Andrews wharf when we were in the biological supply business and, very occasionally, we would encounter the Doughtys  when they were tied up there for some reason or other.

On this particular and beautiful day, they were tied up at the wharf in St. Andrews listening to the weather in the Lois & Isabel.

“Big storm coming” they advised us when we came alongside. And they were right. You could hear the weather warnings crackling over the radio. So, of course, we tied up and the Doughty brothers spread the word across the Bay … perhaps with our help.

We stayed tied up and a number of other boats came in to get ready for the blast. But there was no blast, no blast, and still no blast. Next morning dawned bright. beautiful and calm … there was no storm … and the Doughty boys were gone.

When next we saw them, we inquired about the storm that didn’t materialize. With smiles that only “Island humour” can produce, they admitted that they had made a mistake … yeah right LOL! Well, they said, “We’re sorry, but the station we were listening to was Wheeling, West Virginia. And that big ole storm happened alright. But it was way down there we s’spect!”

I often wondered if this tale about the trick they played on a bunch of “mainlanders” wasn’t told over and over on stormy nights on Deer Island. I suspect it was. Well just in case it died with the boys, here it is resurrected in print.