Eight Bells: Knight Coolidge

A. Knight Coolidge

A. Knight Coolidge, 78, passed away peacefully November 13 in Damariscotta, ME. Knight was born in Chicago, Illinois, and developed a love of adventure and sailing through reading and dinghy sailing in Belmont Harbor.

Looking for greater endeavors, he set his sights on getting aboard one of the larger offshore racing boats. Finding the Aura II had recently been purchased by Chicagoan Wally Stenhouse, Knight arrived unannounced at Wally’s office asking to crew on his new boat.

This surprise tactic worked, and Knight would use it for the rest of his life. Wally offered him $25 a week to keep the boat clean, and he quickly became an integral part of the crew. When Aura II left Lake Michigan for the Atlantic, Knight went with her. – Full report