Overview
This group is most often associated with Skip Henderson and the various venues in California that he played regularly. As far as we can tell, as of this writing, Starboard Watch was an ad hoc group of participants who played and sang when they showed up. When Henderson passed away the group became harder to track down, but that is not to say that the loose collective is not still performing somewhere. Another, similar group is the Sons of the Buccaneers, whose members may or may not cross over to the Starboard Watch. As of 20 Sept 2025 there is no clear means to reach anyone representing themselves as Starboard Watch, but that could change tomorrow.
The California iteration of Starboard Watch performed with Skip Henderson at a venue called Speisekammer in 2011. The group typically performed at Quinn’s Lighthouse, but the group moved onto other venues such as Heinold’s Pub in Oakland which were more receptive to hosting live music. See the venue link below for more on that.