10/29/2008 Does Tuffy's ghost haunt the Yacht Club?
By Bob Lassahn

Charles "Tuffy" Mumford and his wife Zaidee once owned property upon which the Ocean Pines community would emerge. The Mumfords Landing area in Ocean Pines was named for the family, what is now known as the Ocean Pines Yacht Club was originally Mumfords Landing Yacht Club and the lounge on the first floor of the club, "Tuffy's Tavern" was named for Charles, who once worked for Boise Cascade, the developer of Ocean Pines. The Tuffy's Tavern sign still hangs in the bar area of the present day Yacht Club.

According to the best available sources The Courier could locate, Tuffy was a "facilitator" who provided inroads for the development company with sometimes resistant locals. He was not the skipper of the paddlewheel vessel Boise Cascade once used to transport potential customers from Ocean City, as some versions of this story relate. Additionally, to the best of anyone's knowledge he passed away peacefully, not in a violent car crash that resulted in the loss of his head in the fashion of Ichabod Crane.

But to avoid destroying its mystique, a good ghost story should never be subjected to really close scrutiny, so the forgoing are the only "facts" that have been checked. From this point on the story of "Tuffy's Ghost" is to be considered fiction. But is there a grain of truth in there somewhere?

The story begins with Tuffy Mumford's untimely death in a car accident on Racetrack Road, leading to his being decapitated. The macabre death causes  his restless spirit to take up residence on property he once owned and bears the name Mumfords Landing Yacht Club.

Tuffy is a mischievous apparition, but always avoids being observed by his intended victims. His ghostly tricks involve moving objects around, opening or closing doors, heavy footsteps and occasionally a friendly poke to let someone know he is around. It is reported that according to Phyllis East, longstanding employee and resident expert on all things regarding the Ocean Pines Association (OPA), one former manager of the Yacht Club was so intimidated by Tuffy that he refused to be alone in the building after dark.

According to OPA Food and Beverage Manager Joe Rinehart a Honduran prep cook named Mary, with a limited command of the English language, excitedly tried to relate that she felt someone push her in the kitchen, obviously empty except for herself. For three weeks they were unable to persuade her to go back into the kitchen area. A former chef also had some run-ins with Tuffy in the kitchen area. Spices would jump from the racks, objects would move without obvious assistance and he felt something brush against him in the otherwise empty space.

Brandy, a bartender was recently cleaning up after closing and experienced a bit of Tuffy's tomfoolery. Alone in the bar area, she watched dumbfounded as two empty wine glasses moved across the bar without visible assistance, finally crashing to the floor. Brandy also says after physically checking the upper floors during closing, verifying that no one is there, she has often heard the distinct sound of footsteps and of doors closing above.

Joe Rinehart personally had a recent encounter with Tuffy when a flower pot seemed to physically lift itself from a pair of brackets and crash to the floor. Joe checked and found the brackets were still securely fastened, leaving no reasonable explanation for the incident: except perhaps for Tuffy. Joe has also experienced the footsteps and doors slamming without earthly explanation

The mysterious Tuffy has never to Joe's knowledge manifested while customers are present in the Yacht Club. At least none have complained of ectoplasm in their soup, nor run screaming into the night. Even those who might have indulged in spirits of another sort have not complained of ghostly pranks. The incidents seem isolated to the hours after closing, as staff go about their duties preparing for the following day and securing things for the night. That is when the heavy footsteps are likely to be heard, doors slam and Tuffy might even take a poke at an unsuspecting worker.

To celebrate Halloween the Yacht Club is hosting a party on October 31 from 7 to 11 p.m. with dancing and an optional "Ghostly Buffet." Joe says costumes are optional for those attending, but strongly encouraged. The thinking goes: maybe if enough witches, ghosts and goblins are around, Tuffy might feel comfortable in showing himself at long last. But then other "spirits," courtesy of the crew at the bar, might contribute to a customer finally having an encounter with Tuffy.

Does Tuffy's ghost really haunt the Ocean Pines Yacht Club? Is this just another work of pure fiction derived from someone's overactive imagination? Perhaps the answer will finally be found on this All Hallows' Even, when the boundary between the alive and the deceased is dissolved and the time is ripe for spirits to come out and play.

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