Friendship, Maine
William Henry Zuber, II began his final expedition on June 19 at the age of 88, after a short illness. Born in Manalapan, N.J., the son of Ethelmae (Kroll) and William Henry Zuber on March 10, 1936, Bill grew up on a farm in New Jersey, attended Manasquan High School, Admiral Farragut Academy, and eventually Rowan (Glassboro) University. He learned to sail at a young age, and at the age of 18 got his U.S. Coast Guard Captain’s license, which he held into his 70’s, eventually attaining his 100-Ton Ocean Masters license.
With his father and brother-in-law, he captained charter fishing trips off the Jersey shore, and owned and operated Zuber’s Seacoast Yacht Basin in Brielle. Always having been enamored with Friendship Sloops, he made his way to Friendship, Maine. He was an early member of the Friendship Sloop Society, where he served as commodore, and in other offices of the Society over the years.
In 1967, he bought the Friendship sloop Gladiator, which he maintained and sailed through the rest of his life. He moved to Friendship to be an educator and Waterfront Director for the Hurricane Island Outward Bound School (HIOBS) in the 1970s. Gladiator was with him at HIOBS, as his favorite classroom and place to share special times aboard with others. After his retirement from HIOBS, Bill worked for the Sea Education Association (SEA), where he helped design and build the research vessel SSV Seamans, sailing he and his wife on a tour through the South Pacific. He remained active in retirement, working for the Apprentice Shop, Prock Marine and other endeavors involving captaining, building and sailing boats. As an avid seaman, boatbuilder and educator, his life revolved around the sea. He was a member of the Meduncook Masonic Lodge, in Friendship, and Nativity Lutheran Church of Rockport.
