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Coming soon... More tales ofthe ancient mariners
Flashback: At the Douarnanez Festivalin France last June. (Reprinted from the Classic Boat).
by H.E. Ross
The old folks' stories are known and sometimesrepeated, but details start to slip because of death or memoryloss, and the point of the story becomes irrelevant. They stopbeing repeated and are lost. Then, a child asks: "Who arewe?" Question is: Who is going to be there to answer what?
That was before. Now, there exists the CaymanMaritime Heritage Foundation and the stories of the sea are goingto be listened to and documented. Mariners will ask questionsof mariners, take notes, guide the conversation and respond knowledgeablyin great detail. And the stories will be recorded, and hopefully,many will be published.
These maritime chronicles will be assisting the rich volumes atthe Memory Bank of the Cayman Islands National Archive. They willbe read on radio, television and in live addresses to the public.The stories are better than any television productions are, moreor less, real, and they are Caymanian.
"Cayman is changing so much. We used to have such a richhistory, a really rich history," mused olympic sailor, DonaldMcLean recently.
"I didn't come up sailing Catboats," he said. "I'mmore into competition. Those guys sailed because they had to sailto make a living. They came here on sailboats. They built them...I mean, people have been sailing since creation, but we have sucha huge history in it, that it would be a shame for that to goby the wayside. That is why something like this is extremely important.We should try to get as many people involved as possible."
McLean made those observations while in conversation shortly beforethe start of the last Cayman Maritime Heritage Foundation SteeringCommittee meeting. This was after receiving the news that ExCohad approved the application for not-for-profit status.
David Foster's response was: "We should get somebody fromeach district to aid in recording this information."
To which Donald replied: "I have a J-22; me and John MichaelStafford. It's called the Radium. Well, the actual Radium wasbuilt in 1932, in East End, as a yawl. It was launched and onit's maiden voyage went to Cuba. It was on the Isle of Pines whenthe big hurricane came through here. When it came back... andremember... a lot of schooners went down in that, when it cameback, well the Radium was like the lifeline between East End andGeorge Town."
"Later," put in Bob Soto, "she used to fish outof Nicaragua and went down to Panama. She left Panama and wascoming home with the Hustler. The last one to see her. She survivedthat hurricane and went into Corn Island."
Donald interrupted: "She was running before these seas, underbare poles and they were going so fast that they were almost outof control. The captain, Captain Arnold Conolly, called for anaxe and chopped out the main mast. Uncle Lester [McLean] was upthere and he went forward and cut the forestay with a hacksaw."
"Could you imagine being out there on that jib boom...? Hadto be mainly underwater." This from Bob Soto, as he shookhis head.
"That ain't a movie, now, is it?" asked Joan Wilson.
"Just putting the history all together would be the greatthing," says David Foster. "We don't have any historyaround here to speak of. It's like running a bulldozer througha forest. What's left? We have to dig up more information. Weare a word-of-mouth people."
During the meeting, several issues were brought up to be focalpoints of the organisation of the Foundation. Cayman Maritimehas to be all-inclusive, promoting participation by everybodyon the three islands.
The Foundation has to be run like a business, with a governingbody made up of the most successful in the technical areas neededto run this type of operation. There needs to be mariners in creativeand active roles in the Foundation. There also needs to a full-time,professional staff.
As Attorney Andrew Reid explained: "We would have a Boardof Governors from any in these founding members who are generallymore active. It would then be a matter of deciding who has thetime for what role. They would have a chairman. It is basicallya company. Once the Governors are appointed, they can create differentmembership classes, of which could be a corporate membership class."
The main thrust in the creation of this organisation is stillthe replication of the Goldfield and other Caymanian vessels.
The quest for funding for these ventures always falls back ona foundation called utilisation. How can it be rationalised tospend $1.5 million to build a vessel? What can the vessel givethe Cayman Islands in place of other things thought to be needed?
A general meeting should sort that out was the common thought.A charter research cadet ship, island touring, charter trips toother parts of the Caribbean, a 'Tall Ships' school ship, a sailingmuseum?
"We could bring in the juvenile problem. Instead of jailtime, they could work the boat," offered Donald McLean.
"Prisoners from Northward can be helped with that too,"added Joan Wilson.
"A school can be made from the construction through the sailing,"Bob Soto subcribed. "This is an opportunity to steer themstraight," he said. "Before, when a kid wasn't holdingup right they figured putting him out turtling on the MosquitoCays a while would straighten him out... and it did."
Bob Soto lost two brothers aboard the 'Hustler' back in 1940,when she went down after she and the A.A. Radium parted company.Tragedy was a definite part of the seafaring life in Cayman'spast. The fact that the seafarers knew this makes their ventureseven more noble.
The idea was to support their families by putting to sea, timeand again, in waters that had probably taken relatives and friends.
Eventually, the seafarers did not have to sail into storms andsit through calms to secure their families' comfort. A collectiveback was turned on the perils of the deep, almost to the extentof being ashamed that fathers and grandfathers and great grandfathers had given their lives hunting the sea turtle to createa foundation that brought on the present prosperity.
Today, in a trick of fate, that seafaring life that was essentiallyrejected now turns out to be the ever-present asset that couldspell a continued prosperity for the Cayman Islands.
Every First World seafaring culture is making a good living offtheir maritime traditions. The 300 vintage and classic replicationsailing vessels that showed up last June at Douarnenez, France,representing ten or more countries, all had to be designed, repaired,restored, sold, sailed, maintained and/or sponsored.
Trickle that economy down to about 1200 to 1500 workers takinghome commissions and salaries for one wooden-boat event. Multiplythat times 12 events, and add a couple of 'Tall Ships' regattasand throw in the classic yacht charter fleets in the Mediterranean,Aegean, and Baltic Seas, the Caribbean Basin and off the coastsof the U.S.A and Canada... and you will come up with very well-paidniche industries.
Meanwhile, back here in the Cayman Islands, there are shaky tourismarrival and return visitations and a banking industry that willhave to become streamlined to stay competitive. This, when thepopulation in growing and very little alternative industry isin sight.
Those old folks' stories tell of courage, resourcefulness, knowledgeand practicality. They tell of pulling a plan together, that containsrisk and challenging that risk to create a business. The business,then, might have been trading, turtling, fishing or maintainingretail outlets all around the Caribbean Basin and the Gulf ofMexico.
The business might also have been transporting cattle from SwanIsland to Venezuela, or sand from Cayman Brac to San Andreas,or building vessels on speculation to sell on the reputation ofCaymanian shipbuilders alone.
The concept of the Cayman Maritime Heritage Foundation, as withits predecessor, the Cayman Catboat Club, is not just the preservingof sentimental memories called sea tales, but also the wisdomsometimes contained in those sea tales.
The wisdom that shows a sense of purpose and a reality in self-sufficiency.The Cayman Maritime Heritage Foundation wants to see young peopleat sea, aboard classic, Cayman-designed sailing vessels with Caymanianmariners imparting what it takes to become responsible adultsin this unique society.
We wish to see the Cayman Islands with vessel construction industries.We wish to see the Cayman Islands as a learning centre for Caribbeanmarine sciences. We want to hear visitors speak of the SisterIslands' culture as more than just a tax haven culture.