Shellback Club member Victor Wejer hosted the viewing of two videos, and answered questions afterwards. The Voyage of the Gjoa Roald Amundsen through the Northwest Passage (1903-1906) [The Fram Museum] https://youtu.be/R4nZMW6KmJY The Gjoa was the first ship to navigate the Northwest Passage, with Roald Amundsen as captain. The Voyage of the St. Roch Through the North-West Passage 1940-1942 [Vancouver Maritime Museum] https://youtu.be/r-vn0-xjMDI The RCMP schooner was the first ship to completely circumnavigate North America, and the second vessel to transit the Northwest Passage. Noel Lien presented a video showing the rescue of the passengers and crew of the Olaf Bergh, among which was his father. Olaf Bergh [O.C. Life-Saving Station Museum] https://youtu.be/ysizvOc6VRQ Ocean City Coast Guard rescuing the crew of the Norwegian freighter Olaf Bergh by breeches buoy in 1941.
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Gord Laco visited the Shellback Club to describe his career in rigging, starting with work with Tom Taylor Limited in Toronto, gradually specializing in rigging using traditional and historic systems and materials. From rigging historical sailing vessels, to rigging reproductions, to consulting in the film industry, Gord owns this specialized nautical niche. About Gord Laco
Gordon Laco served on the Board of Directors of Tall Ships America 2015 to 2021, and currently sits on the Board of Tall Ships Canada. He supports the operations of sail training ships and maintenance of classic yachts in every way he can. He began his career in the marine industry in 1979 after studying history at the University of Western Ontario when he joined the staff of Toronto’s Tom Taylor Company, following in the footsteps of his late uncle, Con Costas. Gord has long-held respect for seamanship and an appreciation for traditional rigging. He began importing gear for sail training and museum ships in 1999 when he was Captain of HMS BEE, the reproduction gunboat schooner operated by the Ontario Government on the Upper Great Lakes. He began distributing rope and rigging across North America on a full-time basis in 2003 after returning from 18 months as Lead Technical Adviser to the production of the feature film ‘Master and Commander, the Far Side of the World’. He has served as historical advisor to over 60 film and television productions, recently working with Tom Hanks on the production of the WW2 drama GREYHOUND. Gord was co-founder of Atlantic Challenge Canada, served as Executive Director of Toronto Brigantine and has sat on the boards of Huronia Museum and Midland Public Library. Even though, as a professional mariner he dislikes shipwrecks, he also sits on the board of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society. Gord is a frequent public speaker on issues involving seamanship, nautical history and youth development. He served eleven years an officer in the Royal Canadian Navy and was, at the time of his commissioning, the oldest person to complete the RCN’s tough Basic Officer’s Training Course. Core to his operations is his company G. H. Laco & Son Ltd, which specializes in traditional gear for ships and yachts. He is proud that his son, Robert, has joined him in the business. When he has time, he races and cruises on the waters of Georgian Bay. This is the third time Gord has spoken to Shellbacks, but it has been ten years since he has joined us as a speaker. The Shellback Club viewed the documentary "The Mysterious Disappearance of a Sea Pioneer" about Joshua Slocum's life and sailing career. Patrick O'Brien introduced and showed his copy of Gary Jobson's documentary "The History of the America's Cup (1851-2007)" to the Shellback Club. Gary had mentioned to Patrick that he would be making a video of the AC history so Patrick asked him to be on the waiting list for it. Happily, a video arrived from Gary, at no charge, about a year later. Here it is, with the unmistakable voice of Walter Cronkite narrating. Patrick O’Brien kindly contacted Gary to gain permission to show it to Shellback’s today. Patrick joins us regularly, as you probably know. He may answer a few questions after the viewing. About Patrick O'Brien Patrick was educated at boarding school in the UK both during the war and for eight years after. Following two years National Service in the Army, partly in Sierra Leone, he returned to the UK and took up a career in sales for various companies. In 1968, he started his own business, The Point of Sale Centre and in 1981 opened a subsidiary in Canada, where he lived until 2018. He owned a C&C 27 for five years and in 1996 joined MCC with his beloved C&C 35 which he enjoyed for over 20 years. In 1958, in the UK he was invited to join the Royal Southern Yacht Club in Hamble, near Southampton and happily crewed for other members, mainly on SCODs (South Coast One Designs). They were designed by Charles Nicholson, who was a Club member. In 1960, he was invited to join the crew of Flica 2, a pre-war built 12 metre. That year had seven 12 metres racing in the Solent (a narrow stretch of water that lies between Southern England, SW of Portsmouth, and the Isle of Wight). Late Summer Patrick went on to the West Country to race in Torbay Week. Sceptre, which had been defeated by Columbia in 1958 was in the fleet too. After racing in 12’s for two years, Patrick became very interested in the America’s Cup and tried to fundraise for a UK challenger. In 2007, he cruised on Silversea’s Silver Whisper, the only cruise ship with permission to be on the racecourse in Valencia. Gary Jobson was on board doing a commentary from the bridge. Additionally, he did an analysis of each race afterwards in the theatre. Also on board was John Rousmaniere, the official historian of the America's Cup, from the New York Yacht Club. Patrick dined with him several evenings and swapped yarns about the 60’s. About Gary Jobson
Raised in Toms River, New Jersey, Jobson graduated from Toms River High School (now Toms River High School South) in 1969 and was inducted into the school district's hall of fame in 1990. In college, at SUNY Maritime, he won the Men's Singlehanded National Championship in 1972 and 1973 and the Sloop National Championship in 1973; was an All American sailor three times; and was twice named College Sailor of the Year. Jobson covered the 34th America's Cup for NBC. He won an A.C.E. (Award for Cable Excellence) for the 1987 America's Cup on ESPN. In 1988 Jobson won an Emmy for his production of sailing at the Olympic Games in South Korea, and won an Emmy for the 2005–06 Volvo Ocean Race on PBS. His newest book is Chasing Roosters: A Century of Sailing on Barnegat Bay. In 2013 Jobson was presented a Telly Award (Recognition of distinction in creative work in broadcast/non-broadcast video productions) for Unfurling the World: The Voyages of Irving and Electa Johnson. He has won many championships in one design classes, the America's Cup with Ted Turner, the famous Fastnet Race and many of the world's ocean races. Gary is also an active cruising sailor. He has led ambitious expeditions to the Arctic, Antarctica and Cape Horn. He was tactician for Ted Turner on Courageous during the 1977 America's Cup and during the 1980 defender trials. In 1983, he was founder and tactician of the Courageous/Defender syndicate. Jobson was inducted into the National Sailing Hall of Fame (2011) and the America's Cup Hall of Fame (2003) by the Herreshoff Marine Museum. In 1999 Jobson won the Nathanael G. Herreshoff Trophy, US SAILING's most prestigious award. Gary has been the National Chairman of The Leukemia Cup Regatta program since 1994. These events have raised over $50 million to date. In 2012 the University of Maryland Medical School established The Gary Jobson Professorship in Medical Oncology. Jobson was awarded a Doctor of Letters from the State University of New York Maritime College in 2005 and a Doctor of Human Letters from Lakeland College in 2013. Over the past 40 years Gary has given over 2500 lectures throughout the world. He started his career as a sailing coach at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and the U.S. Naval Academy. He is a Past President of US Sailing (2009-2012). In 2021, Gary served as NBC's official commentator for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics Sailing events. Gary and his wife, Janice, have three grown daughters, Kristi, Ashleigh and Brooke and two grandsons, Declan and Franklin. Shawn Bath and and partner Staunene Whelan spoke to the Shellback Club about the Clean Harbours Initiative, Shawn's quest to clean up coastal ocean floors and bring attention to an environmental crisis. Shawn, a retired fisher and professional diver, decided in his retirement to take small steps to clean the NL harbour floors. The story of his determination, their quest for funding, and the growth of the Clean Harbours Initiative is told in the CBC Gem Documentary, Hell or Clean Water. After the showing of the documentary, Shawn and Staunene answered the Shellbacks' questions. Wes Oleszewski spoke to the Shellback Club about the activities related to WWII that were happening on the Great Lakes. It's not well known how important the manufacturing and steel-making of the region were to the war effort, and the consequent efforts to secure them from attack. One interesting story is that of the USS Sable and USS Wolverine. These were ships converted from passenger-carrying expedition boats into aircraft carriers, exclusively for pilot flight training in preparation for flying from and landing on "real" aircraft carrier in the war theatre. These ships, never leaving the Great Lakes, trained thousands of pilots (and left more than 100 aircraft on the bottom of Lake Michigan. Their original vessels were coal-powered side-wheel paddle steamers, and after their period of military usefulness they were scrapped just after the war. Wes Oleszewski's books are available online: https://www.authorwes.com/. Wes also has many YouTube videos on maritime activities on the Great lakes. About Wes Oleszewski
Wes Oleszewski has authored 27 books since 1991. Born and raised in mid-Michigan he is noted for his meticulous research as well as a knack for weeding out the greatest of details from the most obscure events and then weaving those facts into the historical narratives. His tales of actual events are real enough to thrill any reader while every story is technically correct and highly educational. Born on the east side of Saginaw, Michigan in 1957, Wes Oleszewski attended public school in that city through grade nine, when his family moved to the farm town of Freeland, Michigan. In 1976 he graduated from Freeland High School and a year later entered the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona, Florida. Working his way through college by his own earned income alone, Oleszewski graduated in 1987 with a commercial pilot’s certificate, “multi-engine and instrument airplane” ratings as well as a B.S. Degree in Aeronautical Science. He has pursued a career as a professional pilot as well as one as an author. A former airline captain and corporate pilot he holds an A.T.P. certificate and to date has filled more than three logbooks with flight time most of which is in airline category and jet aircraft. Recently he gave up the life of a professional aviator and now enjoys his job as a professional writer. Wes was nominated for an Emmy and has produced three best-sellers to date. His works consist of 18 titles on Great Lakes maritime history, two titles on World War II and the Great Lakes, six books on spaceflight history and one novel: an aviation spy thriller. He has two additional novels awaiting publication. He also operates a YouTube channel which recently topped one million views. The Shellback Club reviewed a couple of excellent YouTube videos: Four Masted Barque rounding Cape Horn, 1928 with Captain Irving Johnson. This is a Mystic Seaport Video – original filmed in 1928, remastered in 1998. (37 min) AND The Endurance: A Legendary Story of Survival – Shackleton’s Captain – A Timeline video. Captain Frank Worsley signs on as Captain of the Endurance to navigate Sir Ernest Shackleton and his crew to Antarctica. When the expedition ship is crushed, Worsley’s seamanship & navigations skills saves them all. (52 min) The final resting place of the Endurance on the bottom of the Weddell Sea is pretty well known, thanks to the careful log-keeping and positioning work of its skipper, Frank Worsley. Efforts to visit the wreck have so far been thwarted by pack ice, but a new expedition will soon make another attempt, using submersible technology that should manage the task beneath the surface of the ice. Details can be found here:
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-60239105 The Shellback Club reviewed YouTube videos on Magellan: Ferdinand Magellan Voyages of Discovery – Circumnavigation, Parts 1-4.* The question remains: was Magellan really the first circumnavigator of the world? Today, that assertion is questioned. The session included two more videos: How Magellan Circumnavigated the Globe (a TED-ED session with Ewandro Magalhaes) and Nao Victoria – First Ship that Sailed Around the World (a look at a replica ship now on view in Malaga, Spain. You may wish to also view: Chile - in the wake of Magellan and the Cape Horners on board the Mare Australis. LINKS TO THE VIDEOS Ferdinand Magellan Voyages of Discovery - Circumnavigation Part 1/4 Ferdinand Magellan Voyages of Discovery - Circumnavigation Part 2/4 Ferdinand Magellan Voyages of Discovery - Circumnavigation Part 3/4 Ferdinand Magellan Voyages of Discovery - Circumnavigation Part 4/4 How Magellan circumnavigated the globe - Nao Victoria - First Ship which Sailed Around the World Chile - in the wake of Magellan and the Cape Horners on board the Mare Australis. The journal of Pigafetta (a sailor on the Magellan voyage). Pigafetta's journal offers invaluable information to our understanding of what happened on the Victoria. A translation can be read here.
Ron Jenkins spoke to the Shellback Club about the 2020 Waterfront Toronto Marine Use Strategy report. The report can be found here: https://waterfrontoronto.ca/nbe/portal/waterfront/Home/waterfronthome/projects/marine+use+strategywaterfrontoronto.ca/nbe/portal/waterfront/Home/waterfronthome/projects/marine+use+strategy. About Ron Jenkins
Ron is a long-time member of the National Yacht Club. His father, Alf (past Purser Shellbacks, Class A Dinghy Sailor and an active keel boat owner) and his grandfather, Herb (NYC treasurer for decades, and active keel boat sailor) carries the Jenkins’ name well back in NYC history. Ron is an active nature and sailing photographer; when hobbies do not interfere, he works in technology marketing. He is an active participant in Waterfront for All, a coalition of groups protecting the Toronto waterfront. Ron’s topic is the History of the Toronto Island Airport, starting in the distant past, through a number of paths not taken, to the present, and finally looking into the airport's possible futures. Cheryl Cooper returned to the Shellback Club to complete her talk, covering the origins of some nautical terms and phrases. About Cheryl Cooper
Cheryl Cooper was born in Toronto, spent her youth in Thornhill, and now lives in Bracebridge with her husband Randy and two cats, Magpie and Fog. Her sons, Evan and Brodie, reside and work in Los Angeles. She holds degrees in English and education from Queen’s University. Cheryl is a former teacher of the deaf, and acquisitions editor for both Blue Butterfly Books and Muskoka Books. She is presently a director of the Children’s Foundation of Muskoka. Cheryl’s articles and stories have appeared in numerous Canadian periodicals, and in 2010 she made her book publishing debut with Come Looking for Me, a work of historical fiction set on the high seas during the War of 1812. She completed its first draft in the 2004 Huntsville Festival of the Arts “Muskoka Novel Marathon,” and earned top honours from the panel of judges. After several more years of research, her greatly expanded and refined novel was published by Blue Butterfly Books. Her second and third novels, Second Summer of War and Run Red with Blood were published by Dundurn Press in 2014 and 2018 respectively. All three of her works are part of the Seasons of War series. When Cheryl is not at her desk writing, she is on the road speaking, addressing various clubs and organizations on the historical backdrop of her books. In her spare time she enjoys journaling, sketching landscapes, reading fiction, travelling, and spending time at her cottage on Browning Island, Lake Muskoka. She has recently, with her husband, purchased a new home in Dallas, Texas to be closer to their two sons. |
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