Scuttlebutt

Welcome to The Scuttlebutt, the Overfalls Foundation blog, where you’ll find our newsletters, articles on activities & events, photos & video clips, additional historical information, and Maritime Hall of Fame information.

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Scuttlebutt, the Water Cooler Talk of 19th Century Seafarers

When office workers catch up on the latest scuttlebutt around the water cooler, they are continuing a long-standing tradition that probably also occurred on the sailing ships of yore. Back in the early 1800s, the cask containing a ship’s daily supply of fresh water was called a scuttlebutt (from the verb scuttle meaning “to cut a hole through” and the noun butt, “cask”); that name was later applied to a drinking fountain on a ship or at a naval installation. In time, the term for the water source was also applied to the gossip and rumors generated around it, and the latest chatter has been called “scuttlebutt” ever since.

  • WMDT Visits Overfalls

    Jake Grant, the morning meteorologist for WMDT recently visited the Overfalls and made us part of his Discover Delmarva segment. Check it out!

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  • The Haunted Lightship?

    Our area has a fascinating history filled with unusual (and sometimes spooky) stories. Throughout the year, WBOC’s Bill Mich has been tracking down some of these stories and looking into reported haunted locations on the Delmarva Peninsula. Working with a paranormal investigator, he and his team visited six of them – including the Overfalls! Find…

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  • August 4th – Happy Birthday Coast Guard!

    1790 – Born of Necessity In the early days of the American republic, the young nation faced a serious problem: smuggling was draining its revenue. To combat this, Alexander Hamilton proposed a fleet of cutters to patrol the coast and enforce tariff laws. On August 4, 1790, Congress approved the creation of the Revenue Marine,…

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  • Overfalls Lightstation in 1957

    If you can find a Delaware Bay nautical chart from years ago, you may be able to discover the location of the Overfalls Lightship (about 3 miles due east of Cape Henlopen). This detail of a section of a 1957 chart shows that location. If you look closely at the image printed on the chart…

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  • Blessing of the Fleet

    Passed down through generations of sailors, fishermen, merchant mariners, and navies around the world, the centuries old “Blessing of the Fleet” ceremony is intended to safeguard crews and their ships.

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