See what it was like back in 1937 to beat around Cape Horn against the prevailing westerly winds known as the “roaring 40s” in the 85′ German-built pilot schooner WANDER BIRD. With his young family and only a small crew Capt. Warwick Thompkins made the passage from Gloucester, Massachusetts, to San Francisco (by way of Europe) in 8 months, and besides taking these movies, wrote a couple of books about the experience: Fifty South to Fifty South (1938) and Two Sailors and Their Voyage Around Cape Horn (1939), both of which are available from Amazon.
WANDER BIRD gradually fell on hard times in the Bay area but was brought again to life by Capt. Harold Sommer, her subsequent long-time owner. After he and his devoted friends completed a massive restoration and got her sailing once more, Ben Mendlowitz captured her on film. Here are some of the photographs from that fine day.
The vessel is now back in Germany, shipped there for preservation, and given back her original name. ELBE #5.
Photos by: Benjamin Mendlowitz:
. . . sign up to the right to get immediate access to this full post,
plus you'll get 10 of our best videos for free.
Get Free Videos& Learn More Join Now!!for Full Access Members Sign In
Paul Larkin says:
So thats what life was like without safety labels. I almost forgot we’re the last generation to get here without them.
Scott Dreslerjoinery says:
Those kids!!!! So good.
Jim Heumann says:
Great video.
Dean Wilson says:
Fantastic…
William Loux says:
Well okay I guess I will show my wife this when she worries about the kids falling off of the jungle gym.
Liam and Judy English says:
Wonderful film!
Allan Horton says:
Great video – reminds me of Alan Villiers and the Hiscocks’ voyages, not to mention a host more.
Grey McGown says:
Fun to see her, but cdn’t get video to work. Met “Commodore” and his father in the early forties and then again when he came to Fort Worth to rig and outfit the Chance designed PT 30 for Plastrend..He is a super salty guy and I love the picture of him swinging through the rigging of Wander Bird as a child…he was kind enough to autograph the picture for me and my brother.
Gibby Conrad says:
Great video. Made me pull my well worn copy of Two Sailors from the bookshelf and rekindle some childhood memories.
Ellen Massey Leonard says:
Really enjoyed this video! Refreshing, in our electronic age, to hear the compass referred to as the most important navigational instrument. Though the footage of the breaking waves in the storm off Cape Horn brought back somewhat terrifying memories of rounding Cape Agulhas in 2010…
karenlsullivan says:
So good to see a post tying it all together for such a storied ship. Thoroughly enjoyable. Thanks.
Hugh Bamford says:
How refreshing to watch children running round without the modern constraints of “safety” Reminds me of when I was kid – great video.
Kip Otteson says:
Wow! Thanks for that gem of a video. I always think that people were much tougher back in the day. These clips cement my beliefs.
Peter Marshall says:
Wander bird spent a few years here in the seattle area. Such an amazing boat !