Just came across your lovely little film. I was 1st Mate on her when you made this. That is me at the helm with John Lloyd as we are heading into Nassau. Great memories.
When was this? I worked on her out of Nassau as the Dive Master and deck hand in 1977. I was on her during her FIRST ship wreck in February 1977. We were light with only 88 passengers and 22 crew. A North Easter blew hard. It SNOWED in Freeport. The Fantome sails were blown to ribbons, the engine room flooded and took out all propulsion AND the generators AND the pumps. We began to sink. The entire aft cabin area flooded. ALL of us huddled in the main salon. I had just turned 21. We nearly all perished. Saved by God and a strong steel hull when we hit that reef two miles off shore. Had we been a wood hull, we all would have perished. NO doubt about that!!! ALL our life boats (launches) and every life raft were ripped off the ship by 40 foot swells and 18 foot seas. Both anchors ripped off. No steering, no food, no power. Crackers only. We all slipped in the vomit of the passenger's for 36 hours. There is a brief account of this in the book about her final demise. That account has MANY inaccuracies in it. I was there as a working member of the crew. Lots more to the story and a prequel on how I met Burke in Miami. LMK if you want history, not fiction. I still have the clipping of an aerial photo of The Fantome after the storm. Many other ships sank and people died in this storm. We FINALLY were rescued by a cutter out of Jacksonville that said they came within a few degrees of capsizing coming across the Gulf of Mexico. Diver Dave Retired USCG Captain Retired US Merchant Marine
Our Scottish captain was drunken mess, but the passengers LOVED him. VERY great ring master, entertainer. When I was hired as the new Dive Master, that same day I heard Mike Burke in the office telling the brand new First Mate to totally run the ship while the Boyo Captain entertained them. We flew out to Nassau from Miami on a small private plane later that day. January 1977. I was to turn 21 a week later.
The ship originally sailed as a Barquentine with her first two masts running square sails. To do this you need more crew than PASSANGERS! The very, very expensive, exclusive square rigged S/V Sea Cloud does do this. Three or four crew for every ONE passenger. Small fortune to cruise on her. ALL of the Wind Jammer ships raised a couple rags with a skeleton crew. The passengers crammed in TINY cabins. We crew had coffin sized bunks!!! We would MOTOR sail everywhere. The aft mast was hollow and the black exhaust went up through that. If any passengers asked, we were instructed to tell them that was the generator smoke. Our steering was hydraulic which did not work unless the main engine was running!! Mike Burke's strategy was to sell a total ILLUSIION to the passengers AND crew. Our base pay was $100...a MONTH. Dirt cheap rum and booze was included., Bloody Mary GIANT punch bowl at 6AM. Keep them drunk for 7 days straight so they would not realize how dirty, fetid, and tiny their cabins were. I caught a staph infection on my foot!! The Fantome BLASTED Amazing Grace over the PA system going in to and leaving port.
It's sad that while passengers enjoyed their cruises aboard Windjammer ships, they likely didn't realize that the reason those ships could only make port in third world countries is because the Burke family were too cheap to bring the ships up to SOLAS code and carry insurance on the ships. For $1,200 a person, the passengers should have been able to expect more than hotdogs on the beach and tepid water coming out of the showers.
I preferred these 'third world countries' in the Caribbean thank you....far more character and fewer cruise ships and cruise passengers.....WBC rate the best experience in my book for destinations and fun.
Where have all the young girls gone? Long time passing Where have all the young girls gone? Long time ago Where have all the young girls gone? Taken husbands every one When will they ever learn? When will they ever learn?
How amazing to see my dad at this time! Looks like he was captain
Loved the Fantome,,,,2 glorious weeks at Christmas out of Trinadad in 1989..RIP
Just came across your lovely little film. I was 1st Mate on her when you made this. That is me at the helm with John Lloyd as we are heading into Nassau. Great memories.
When was this? I worked on her out of Nassau as the Dive Master and deck hand in 1977. I was on her during her FIRST ship wreck in February 1977. We were light with only 88 passengers and 22 crew. A North Easter blew hard. It SNOWED in Freeport. The Fantome sails were blown to ribbons, the engine room flooded and took out all propulsion AND the generators AND the pumps. We began to sink. The entire aft cabin area flooded.
ALL of us huddled in the main salon. I had just turned 21.
We nearly all perished. Saved by God and a strong steel hull when we hit that reef two miles off shore. Had we been a wood hull, we all would have perished. NO doubt about that!!!
ALL our life boats (launches) and every life raft were ripped off the ship by 40 foot swells and 18 foot seas. Both anchors ripped off. No steering, no food, no power. Crackers only. We all slipped in the vomit of the passenger's for 36 hours.
There is a brief account of this in the book about her final demise. That account has MANY inaccuracies in it. I was there as a working member of the crew.
Lots more to the story and a prequel on how I met Burke in Miami. LMK if you want history, not fiction.
I still have the clipping of an aerial photo of The Fantome after the storm. Many other ships sank and people died in this storm. We FINALLY were rescued by a cutter out of Jacksonville that said they came within a few degrees of capsizing coming across the Gulf of Mexico.
Diver Dave
Retired USCG Captain
Retired US Merchant Marine
Our Scottish captain was drunken mess, but the passengers LOVED him. VERY great ring master, entertainer. When I was hired as the new Dive Master, that same day I heard Mike Burke in the office telling the brand new First Mate to totally run the ship while the Boyo Captain entertained them. We flew out to Nassau from Miami on a small private plane later that day. January 1977. I was to turn 21 a week later.
The ship originally sailed as a Barquentine with her first two masts running square sails. To do this you need more crew than PASSANGERS! The very, very expensive, exclusive square rigged S/V Sea Cloud does do this. Three or four crew for every ONE passenger. Small fortune to cruise on her.
ALL of the Wind Jammer ships raised a couple rags with a skeleton crew. The passengers crammed in TINY cabins. We crew had coffin sized bunks!!! We would MOTOR sail everywhere. The aft mast was hollow and the black exhaust went up through that. If any passengers asked, we were instructed to tell them that was the generator smoke.
Our steering was hydraulic which did not work unless the main engine was running!!
Mike Burke's strategy was to sell a total ILLUSIION to the passengers AND crew. Our base pay was $100...a MONTH. Dirt cheap rum and booze was included., Bloody Mary GIANT punch bowl at 6AM. Keep them drunk for 7 days straight so they would not realize how dirty, fetid, and tiny their cabins were. I caught a staph infection on my foot!!
The Fantome BLASTED Amazing Grace over the PA system going in to and leaving port.
We've a later presentation aboard Fantome--and a world of difference. What does it mean?
Shot on 8mm ?
It's sad that while passengers enjoyed their cruises aboard Windjammer ships, they likely didn't realize that the reason those ships could only make port in third world countries is because the Burke family were too cheap to bring the ships up to SOLAS code and carry insurance on the ships.
For $1,200 a person, the passengers should have been able to expect more than hotdogs on the beach and tepid water coming out of the showers.
I preferred these 'third world countries' in the Caribbean thank you....far more character and fewer cruise ships and cruise passengers.....WBC rate the best experience in my book for destinations and fun.
Where have all the young girls gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the young girls gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the young girls gone?
Taken husbands every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?