How I Ended up With The American Coast Guard




My time in the American coast Guard In 1974 I was Bosun on the Tall ship "The Pilgrim" in the Miami Dockyard. She lost the foremast in a storm coming from Portugal and we were replacing it. It was a crazy job got hired off the dock and we were owned by some California Company that didn't have any money and we were struggling to keep going often we lived on barracuda which I caught and potatoes. we had a crew of ten and an engineer who was in charge and me second in command and working on the rigging and cooking as I was the only one who could cook. We were only there a few weeks when the Cape Fox a 95ft Coast Guard Ship came in for refit. We soon became friends and it was wonderful. The cook had to cook full meals for his crew even though most of the crew ate ashore. So he would give me his leftovers which were incredible. I spent a lot of time on their ship and soon were friends with most of them from Captain to Cook. They were there for 6 weeks and the last few nighst before they were to steam back to West Palm Beach we hit the local bar. 2 days before they were to leave the cook came back drunk fell off the ladder and broke his leg. Then on the night before they were to leave The Captain asked me to fill in for him just for the weekend and I could get the bus back. I quickly agreed and it was great as the Captain's guest I was allowed a case of beer on board. We start out of Miami on Friday afternoon with takeout dinners for all. and i spent a great deal of time teaching the sailors how to tell the difference between a ketch and a yawl and schooner and teaching them knots and such. We weren't more than 4 or 5 hours out before we hit a huge storm. The Cape Fox was rocking and rolling so I never had to cook at all. It was unbelievable the whole crew was seasick except for me and the old 'Chief' even the Captain was seasick. I wondered how these guys could do their jobs. I made incredible sandwiches and would walk around the ship eating and sipping a beer as the crew ran for the rail. In the late evening, things got touchy. They got a drug call and it looked like we were off for the Bahamas, but it got called off. I settled in with the Chief in the bridge and we had huge waves crashing over us. When the storm abated they took the ship on a bit of run out to test it out. We got to West Palm on Sunday morning and I got the bus and was back on board that afternoon. My friends Hodge and Dee showed up on their Trimaran Isla and invited me to sail to the Bahamas with them. Since I hadn't been paid in 3 months I agreed. Of course the day I quit the pay finally came in and they only paid me half because I had quit. I spent the winter in the Bahamas and came back to Florida in the spring on another Trimaran 'Tao'. We end up anchored at Old Port Cove just a few miles from West Palm so one sunday i went to visit them on the Cape Fox. they welcomed me warmly and I had coffee with the Captain etc. As i was set to leave. he says here i got a present for you. He said we just busted some poachers and these will just go to waste. he threw me a huge bag with 50 lbs. of stone Crab claws. The most sought after florida delicacy. Did we ever have a party when I got back to the boat.
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Hi I am Gary LeDrew
And I am writing a book
I was lucky enough to be in the middle of most things in sixties and seventies and got to hang out with some of the greats and near greats and characters of that time.

I was involved in the Art scene and was friends and hung out with Jack Bush, Harold Town, Gord Rayner Robert markle, Mickey Handy, Gerry Gladstone, Gershon Iskowitz etc. etc. and I have stories about all of them.
I was in the music biz and managed a few bands like Kid Bastien and hung out with most of them. I was a close friend of Murray McLachlan for years, and hung out with Mike McDonald, Danny Marks, Praire Oyster, Irish Rebels, Downchilds, Ian Tyson, Tom Cochrane, Burton Cummins etc. etc. of course I was the Lobsterman and sang with McLean and Mclean. I hung out with Cannonball and Nat Adderly whenever they came to town.
I was Toronto's leading bootlegger for 5 years everybody came to my afterhours club from the Rolling Stones to the premier of New Brunswick. And Joanie Mitchell sang there.
I won an Actress in a poker game, Helen shaver cooked me supper and I went out with a bunch of models and actresses.
Lesley McDonnell introduced me to Leonard Cohen , Rod Steward and Paul Shaffer for a few. I hung out with Leonard for a while. I survived a night hanging out with Hunter S. Thompson (sitting with tom Waites)I basically had backstage passes to Maple Leaf Gardens and Massey hall whenever i wanted and Bonnie Rait kicked me out of her dressing room.
In the Movie biz I was friends with Mike Ironside for years and Winston Reckert, Catherine O'Hara, Michael Sarrazin,I have lain on Elizabeth Ashely's belly while she shoved coke up my nose. I showed Johnny Hart and Jack Caprio a good time. I took Howard Duff to Lunch everyday for a six weeks and was on his xmas card list until he died. I drank with Richard Burton at least a couple of times a week for 3 months and he told me everything.
I lived on a lighthouse as a kid and took off sailing in the caribbean for 15 months. I took and sold all manners of drugs and in the seventies I was The guy to know in Toronto.
I was one of the few white guys go to the Elephant walk club. If there is one thing I hope to dispel is Toronto as a dull place.
To business I am getting old and not in great health, I am living on a basic pension and I have to Hustle with my art and web sites most of the month to get by. I am afraid I might die before I get all these stories down
My friend Richard Flohil is also raising money to write his book so far over ten thousand and well deserved Richard was instrumental to the folk and blues and jazz scenes in Toronto and tells a good story too. In my own way I was too, I helped a lot of people along the way and I never really cared about money , you wouldn't believe the people that never paid their bar tabs for starters. i just might be a little more fearless in my admissions. For I am not ashamed of anything I did there is lots I wish I had never done.