Sunday series attendees were enthusiastic about Captain Bob Peacock’s February 6 presentation on US Navy ships visits to Eastport. “After two years of Covid its great to have the Arts Center back in person! We really missed it,” wrote attendee Steve Koenig. “Captain Bob Peacock’s talk was very interesting. I’ve always been impressed with the Navy ships that come into Eastport and had wondered how the tradition started. Bob’s background and stories added to the presentation.”

Jnana Hodson, another attendee, called Peacock’s presentation “impassioned, informative, and delightful.”
“In focusing on the U.S. Navy’s tradition of having large ships visit the Downeast waterfront each Fourth of July,” writes Hodson, “he speaks both from a mariner’s life and discipline and the sailors’ delight in their uncommonly open-hearted welcome to the town, and also from the point of view of the deep dedication and long hours of the many people in the community who make such hospitality happen. His personal vignettes flow naturally, providing detail that suggests a wealth more that could follow, if we weren’t moving ahead in a bigger picture.”
“As I learned, the ships don’t just show up and say hi. The planning and protocols take nearly a year, involving many individuals, offices, and organizations, civilian and governmental, many of them out of sight on both sides of the border. Peacock’s examples now have me looking at some of my new friends and neighbors in yet another fine light and adds to my appreciation of what makes Eastport such a special place in the world, even on a snowy, icy day like the one outside as he spoke.”
“I would like to hear him talk much more of his experiences as a harbor pilot. He knows these waters and the people well, and relates those connections warmly.”

A full video recording of the talk is available below. The Sunday Afternoons at the Arts Center series continues through April, skipping Easter Sunday. To view the schedule, please visit: https://eastportartscenter.org/constituent-groups/the-concert-series/.