story & photos by Maren Schober

"Hi, everyone, and welcome aboard the "Patriot". I am your captain Jim Reyburn and we will be passing by the Coast Guard Academy, Thames Shipyard, Naval Submarine Base, the Nautilus, Ft. Griswold, Electric Boat, Pfizer's, and the Naval Underwater Sound Lab."

Jim Reyburn is realizing his long time goal of becoming a captain of his own boat and he is loving every moment of his experience. This has been his dream.

Jim also gives me a hand onto the Thames Yacht Club launch in summertime and drives Al and me out to our sailboat, the "Sea Cup." I have a hunch that Jim has an interesting life story to tell and today I am following up on that hunch.

Jim grew up in a house 400 yards from Long Island Sound in New London and all his growing years he has spent on the water and in boats.

Born to Maury and Mary Louise Reyburn at L&M Hospital in 1938, Jim remembers coming home from Harbor School and rushing right down to nearby Pequot Beach.

"I took off my shoes in the month of June and I never put them on again until September", Jim smiles in remembrance. "I loved the beach and water excursions with my parents on their sailboats and motor boats."

"There were five of us kids, " Jim continues, "and I was the oldest. "Then came Eleanor, Georgie, Bill and Charlie. Eleanor and I were the closest in age and we palled around a lot together. There were 16 years between me and my brother Charlie. I remember the day I got my driver's license I picked up my mother and new baby brother Charlie at the hospital and drove them home. Then I drove all over town until the gas tank was empty! "

From Harbor Elementary School in New London Jim went to Bulkeley Jr. High and graduated from the 8th grade. From there he went to Westminster School in Simsbury until he graduated.

"I hated math but I was good in English and writing. I also inherited the gift of singing from my parents and I sang in the school chorus as a tenor."

"I finally decided I wanted a college education and attended both Mitchell College and U Conn. graduating in 1964. I joined the "Seanotes" in 1957 and loved the barbershop quartet singing."

Jim has been a journalist for more than 40 years.

"I was a newspaper reporter for the Norwich Bulletin, a magazine writer, and I spent 16 years as a news and information specialist in the public affairs department of General Dynamics Electric Boat. I produced the company newspaper and served as a company spokesman. I also handled press operations for 33 nuclear submarine launchings."

Recently Jim has written and published his first book! His book Electric Boat Corporation traces the earliest history of Electric Boat to the present through pictures.

"In 1996 I passed my test for Master of steam and motor vessels of up to 100 tons. I had many adventures and fun serving on boats over the years such as the "Camelot" Cruise Boat, and the Fox Navigation Boats, "Sassacus" and "Tatobam" which made high speed runs to Martha's Vineyard, Glen Cove, NY and Liberty Landing, NJ. I also crewed on the Fisher's Island Ferry and gave boat tours to our local lighthouses."

"One day while on the "Sassacus" speeding down the East River in NY at about 60 mph, I remember going faster than the cars on the East Side Drive!"

Jim met Emily Brent Randolph at Connecticut College and they were married in 1962. Although they were divorced in 1990 they are very proud of their two beautiful daughters Mimi and Lisa and their four grandchildren.

Jim, your knowledge of boats and waterways has brought you a long way. May you continue to spend your years doing what you love most: running boats, writing histories and helping others on our waterways.