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Alongside the quiet waters of the St. Johns swirling lazily off Green Cove Springs, lived a most unique sailor: an unusually friendly wild turkey named Gobble. Gobble wasn’t your average bird; he had a peculiar passion for sailing. And for the man who charted his course for nearly five years.
It began one sunny afternoon when Gobble’s human companion, a local crabber and sailor Jack Brandt, decided to take his small sailboat out for a spin after a lousy day on the River. He was about to cast off then he noticed that a turkey had followed him down to his dock, his feathers ruffling with excitement. Intrigued, Jack allowed the Tom to board. As the sailboat glided across the water, Gobble settled comfortably on the bow, head high, a look of triumph on his face. Jack’s day was looking up!
From that day on, Gobble became a regular sailor, and the two of them, regular companions. He loved the gentle rocking of the boat, the cool breeze on his feathers, and the soothing rhythm of the lapping waves. Jack saw that while Gobble had a particular preference for sailing, he was equally at home on Jack’s crabbing boat. On work days, he seemed keen to earn his keep and sailing privileges. While the two were working out on the River, he would cluck out whenever any of Jack’s crab pot floats came into view (and yes, he quickly learned which were Jack’s); he would grab up any Blue Crab unlucky enough to spill out on the deck as the pots were hauled in; he pushed lines into neat rows with his beak, keeping the decks safe. And he quickly developed a hankering for the occasional Blue Crab snack Jack would toss his way.
News of Gobble’s nautical adventures special skills spread throughout Green Cove, and he soon became a beloved local celebrity. Gobble, always the showman, would strut on the deck, his tail feathers fanned out like a peacock’s.
People loved him; on one occasion, a group of tourists, unaware of Gobble’s fame, approached Jack on the dock. “Is that a real turkey?” one of them asked, incredulous. Jack smiled. “Yep, that’s Gobble. He’s quite the sailor.” Another time, as Jack and Gobble were sailing past a marina, a small child pointed at the boat and exclaimed, “Look, Mommy! It’s a boat with a chicken!” The mother, embarrassed, tried to shush the child, but Gobble seemed amused. He puffed up his chest and let out a loud gobble, as if to say, “I’m no chicken, I’m Captain Gobble!”
Captain Gobble became a symbol of the unique spirit of Green Cove. His story reminded people that even the most unexpected creatures can find joy and adventure in the simplest of things. And so, the wild turkey who loved to sail continued to glide across the St. Johns, a testament to the enduring bond between humans and animals.
Next door to Jack’s home on the River was a woods to where Captain Gobble lived. Sometimes at night, Jack would hear Gobble’s hushed clucking, and he’d answer in kind. Jack built a small hutch for Gobble, but he never took to it; but he had no problem bedding down once in a while in his beloved Buzzards Bay J-18! So Jack would fold back part of the cockpit cover for him at night.
One sad day in 1983, Gobble simply did not show, never to be seen again. Jack was heartbroken. That November, he and his wife Mary Lib served their regular Thanksgiving meal.
Lasagne.