DANA POINT : Seafaring Tradition Will Be Celebrated

In 1835, Richard Henry Dana sailed into Dana Point, bringing a taste of ocean adventure to what is now South County.

On Saturday, the adventure resumes in the form of song and storytelling at a concert featuring the nationally known singing group Forebitter.

The 7:30 p.m. show will cost $11 for adults and $9 for children 12 years and younger. The concert will be held at the Dana Point Youth Group Facility on Dana Point Harbor Drive, near the Orange County Marine Institute.

The Connecticut-based trio, named after mooring posts where sailors often gathered to sing and entertain themselves on long voyages, performs at maritime festivals throughout the country.

Through song, they keep alive the rich vocal tradition of seafaring vessels, which before the 20th Century often sailed on the ocean for three to five years.

The group will perform several forms of sea songs, from working to leisure-time chanteys.

“There’s an old saying that a good song was worth 10 men,” said Dan Stetson, institute director of maritime affairs. “A small number of men pulling together with a song could get more work done.”

The program will be run by local storyteller Ed Dobyns of San Clemente, who will spin a few tales of the sea before the concert.

More than 100,000 people visited the institute last year and another 100,000 participated in programs run by the facility.

“Dana Point is a center of cultural maritime history,” Stetson said. “Part of our history is to bring these type of groups to the institute. By doing that we hope to keep some of these maritime traditions alive.”

For reservations and information about the concert, call (714) 496-2274.