Marinero News |
Winter 2024-2025
Great to move somebody from Lost Marineros to Guests and Crew after all of these years.This from Helen Mills:
Hello Tony,Thank your all you have done to preserve the history and experiences on The Romance.
I was at the Savanna Ships of the Sea Museum yesterday and it rekindled memories
from the adventure of a lifetime aboard The Romance waking to the Galapagos Islands.
I was inspired to see what was on the web about The Kimberleys and The Romance
and found that I was among the missing Marineros. Glad to have discovered you.
I would love to connect with my fellow voyagers of almost 53 years ago! Terri Sanders visited the Brigantine Romance Facebook page and shared that she had taken her group of Girl Scouts from Louiseville, KY on the Romance out of Tortola for a week in the Summer of 1982. Aboard were Mike and Susan Kenney, their two daughters, Terri and Dennis Sanders, Dona and Sonny Gans and other Girl Scouts. Bill Smith was along as Dive Instructor.Summer 2024A quick search of YouTube yielded 4 short videos. "The American Adventurer" TV series a TV show filmed aboard Romance, Brigantine Romance Trailer which is our 2011 documentary trailer, Don & Lee Gillum, 1974 aboard Brigantine Romance which is a travelogue with some good crew photos and videos and Brigantine Romance a song by Christopher Reising who is now deceased.A flurry of emails recently about sailmaker Jim Brink, with Marineros curious about his whereabouts.
Also some talk about Capt. Kimberly and his early days at Mystic, CT.
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![]() Keith, Kelly, Rob, Mac |
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Picton Castle Reunion |
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Michael Graff's Brigantine Romance tee shirt was lost many years ago. He shares,"However, in the fall of 1974 the Romance was in Martinique. Dan Moreland and I were ashore and we both bought brown button down shirts. On board Dan drew a beautiful rendition of the Ship on the back of his shirt. He asked me if I wanted him to do the same on mine. I'm so glad that I still have this souvenir. |
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This gem from Steve Hopkins from his trip in 1972 from Hawaii to Long Beach at the end of the Grenada to Galapagos - Pitcairn - South Pacific trip that started in Nov. '71. Film starts in Long Beach at the end of the voyage in April '72 and has multiple scenes. Skipper checking the outflow of the engine cooling water, North Pacific Albatrosses in flat calm, crew member painting the kedge anchor, setting the stunsails. The watch change was "staged", with maybe Peter Damon at the wheel, with Art Rissburger taking over and Oley (Mark Shenum?) standing by. Thanks Judy for the context and dating info!
During the summer of 1987 I was part of a 12 person crew from CT boarding school South Kent School for 5 weeks July/August in the BVI. There was another group of South Kent students behind us August. I am sure I may be wrong but I believe Peter Wholihan organized the trip. I do know we had a chaperone of some kind. I knew nothing about sailing but along with my fellow students we learned quickly from Captain and Mrs. Kimberly. The experience was unforgettable and my love of sailing and the BVI was borne on that trip. From sneaking on Peter Island resort to take a shower (I can still feel the fresh water through my hair) to jumping off the deck into the water and swimming underneath the boat to look at the barracuda that would congregate underneath for shade. Too many stories to share but needless to say it was incredible.
I returned to the BVI in 2015 and a few times since (hurricane Irma in 2017 devastated the island as many know) including this year in March. We love it so much that we decided to get married this December in Cane Garden Bay, Tortola.
He also wondered if anyone recognizes the person facing the camera in the middle photo. Merrit is at the far right, back row of the right photo, with Mr Peters (faculty), front row, 2nd from right.
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Walter was effervescent, generous, kind, and a true character. He was accident prone and adventurous. Walter was born in Texas and raised in Michigan but lived most of his adult life in Massachusetts, getting degrees at Michigan State and Harvard along the way. He lived many lives, as a 13-year-old on-call bee swarm specialist for the East Lansing police, first mate on the sailing ship Brigantine Romance and International Voluntary Service volunteer.
The Captain's Legacy Society of North Kingstown, RI has awarded a Marinero Fund scholarship to a 26-year-old Martha's Vineyard resident, Chandler Biggs. Originally from Southern California, Chandler came to MV as a summer gardener and has had no previous sailing experience. The scholarship has been granted to Chandler whose ambition is to embark on an 8-week live-aboard internship sailing as a trainee on the Martha's Vineyard schooner Shenandoah. Voyages began on August 8th and Chandler has already completed her first exciting week aboard the vessel.
As an intern on board Shenandoah, Chandler will gain experience sailing alongside the paid professional crew. Once the 8-week sailing season has been successfully completed the captain of the ship will award trainees a sea time letter. This is the first step toward a licensing goal should candidates wish to pursue an adventurous career as a professional mariner. In addition, if Chandler has shown enthusiasm and a desire to continue as a shipmate and crew member both FUEL and Captain's Legacy Society agree to offer a 4-week extended opportunity. The awardee will then complete the season and remain aboard as part of the down-rigging team. While down-rigging the trainee will gain many maritime technical skills and will have a good idea if pursuing a voyage at sea is their next goal.
And a followup:
Chandler Biggs successfully completed her internship as crew aboard the Schooner Shenandoah.
Chandler was asked to remain as a downrigging hand where she also succeeded in being a valuable asset according to the program Director Casey Blum.
As of her departure from the Shenandoah, Chandler anticipated she would indeed be looking for a berth aboard a sailing ship once again.
The Captain's Legacy Society is very pleased with the experience of our first Marinero Scholarship recipient.
We are deeply grateful to the Windship Way and the Marinero social media group for their efforts on behalf of the Captains Legacy Society and in honor of Captain Bert Rogers. Huzzah!
With enormous gratitude,
Dona Giglio, Director
Captains Legacy Society
dona@captainslegacysociety.org
In addition, if the awardee has shown enthusiasm and a desire to continue as a shipmate and crew member both FUEL and Captain's Legacy Society agree to offer a 4-week extended opportunity. The awardee will then complete the season and remain on board as part of the down-rigging team. While downrigging the trainee will gain many maritime technical skills and will have a good idea if a voyage at sea is their next goal. Stay tuned for more details about the Trainee!
Dona Giglio
captainslegacysociety.org
Peter Wholihan shared this photo of the Kimberly's last Christmas aboard the Romance. Anchored at off Prickly Pear island at the North Sound, Virgin Gorda. "We went ashore on Prickly Pear to cut a traditional Virgin Islands' Christmas Tree: Century Plant Flower, brought it aboard. I had much more hair back then!"
I'd like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy & Safe New Year! Over the years I collected a lot of Romance marketing material and Tshirts. Thanks to Phil Lloyd we got a new T based on the Picton Castle reunion T. All of this material was of little value sitting in drawers, so I wanted to share it with Marineros. The remaining printed materials will go to Brigantine Romance museum.....;)
13 Marineros responded to the offer. Rob Peterson, Bob Wallace '75, Adrian Loughborough '68, Michael Graff '74, Dan Humphreys '75, Mark Seski '81, Chris Allen, Owen Hardy '69, Phil Brotherton '83, Mary Roberston '75, Lisa Thomassen '87, Peter Wholihan and Blaine Kopp '85.
T'was the night before Christmas, and far out to sea,
Romance was sailing along silently,
Her sails were set to the royal that night,
Sidelights and masthead, all burning bright,
The moon on the breast of the breaker's below,
Gave the dark sea, a luster of new fallen snow.
The stockings were hung on the fiferail with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas could find us out there,
And what to our wondering eyes appeared then,
A red painted skiff and eight shiny dolphin.
Then in a twinkling, Santa came alongside;
passed up his sea bag. "Merry Christmas," he cried.
He was dressed in red oilskins, his eyes very bright.
"I came a long way to find you tonight!"
His beard was all tangled with seaweed and salt,
And he cleared the bulwarks, in one spritely vault.
He filled all the stockings, then back to the wheel.
"Haven't steered a brigantine in a century, I feel."
Skipper gave him a course, and stepped aside,
And the old helmsman, Nicholas, glowing with pride,
"I wish I could let you try out my sleigh,
But its time I get going. It's soon Christmas day."
Santa whistled to his dolphins, as they came alongside,
And he jumped in the sleigh, for the long briney ride.
They circled Romance, then rose to the sky,
"Merry Christmas ye sailors, fair winds and good bye!"
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Philip Brotherton shared some photos from 1982-1983. Skipper, Mrs. K, Mac Coombs, Angus McCamy, Don Lindsay, and myself. Had to include the traditional picture of hauling on lines! |
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A big thanks to Phil Lloyd for seed money to reprint one of the classic Romance T-shirts. We would like to help Dona Giglio in her fund-raising efforts to provide a scholarship to a 1 month "Rite of Passage" voyage. Anyone making a $100.00 donation will receive a T-shirt while supplies last. They are really nice XL Hanes Beefy Ts. Check out the great video and more information on her GoFundMe page and if you can help, please do.
The Marinero Fund |
Dan Moreland is writing an obituary for Bones for Wooden Boat & Caribbean Compass. You can see a picture of Wesley "Bones" Pilgrim (white cap) with Denis Thomas, Ashley (?) Fitzroy (?) Pilgrim and Dan Moreland aboard Picton Castle in Grenada in 2009 at the Romance FB page. He is requesting: 1: names of Bones brothers, 2. Bones/shipwright stories, 3. Bones/shipwright impact on us. Please comment if you have info...
Marinero Gene Goldman stopped by the Romance FB page. He was on Romance 69 - 70 from Beloit college. He was also with Mark from Beloit, Mark from Kalamazoo, another Mark and Jerome Garretson as well.
Phil Lloyd's sister Mitsou found a treasure trove of photos and slides from the homeward bound leg
of the second world cruise. He sent me this photo of Marineros Crossing the Line. Bert is next to me as the "hangman", Betsy has the mask on next to Jamie Barker,
Davy Jones, Peggy Bibby Cheshire, Mark Craig, Becky Mignano, and Tom Shaffer.
From Gloria's Log #12, Homeward Bound: |
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Peter Wholihan wrote: Was going through some stuff today, found this photo of Skipper in whites.
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