Spring 2011May 2011 - Here's the most recent scuttlebutt......Picton is scheduled to drop the hook off Great Harbor, JVD May 27. Thus far Marineros attending are Michael Jehle, Jim Webster and Clyde Sanadi. Hopefuls are Bert Rogers, Michael and John Dodge. Skipper will be on JVD May 28-30, Picton plans a short sail on May 29 and Foxy's Wooden Boat Regatta will be taking place on JVD May 28-30. Matt Zacharias, who has been involved in the Romance Documentary, will be on JVD May 27-30 to film interviews with Skipper, Capt. Dan Moreland, and other Marineros. Time is short, but if any other Marineros can attend, please fill out this ONLINE FORM so we can gather a list of who is coming and when. In addition, the Picton Castle's crew will be filming to document the occasion. Spring 2009Great News. The trailer is done and can be viewed in the Documentary Trailer area. Please check it out and if you can, contribute to help make this happen. I'll continue to present Documentary and Reunion News in this area.
Donna Ryen was in touch to say that the trailer is very close to completion with only graphics yet to be added. She and Matt returned to New Smyrna at the end of January for more interviews. Skipper had a lot of items that were photographed and additional interviews were done. The trailer, titled "Romance of the Sea" will be the basis for the fund raising effort and should be available soon, likely before the end of March. Plans are in the works for visitors to be able to see the trailer here and a direct link for contributions may also be provided to assist in the fundraising effort. Donna and Matt are really excited about this project; she says that the breadth and depth of the materials is amazing and the support has been tremendous. Reunion plans are also in the works and will be announced when firm. Tentatively, in July aboard the Picton Castle in the New York area, but again this must be confirmed. Stay tuned for details and in the meantime, please start to look for contact information you may have for other Marineros or individuals you feel would be interested in this event. Any contact information you can provide would be greatly appreciated; please send it along so that I can include as many people as possible in the next email announcement. The reunion will be a special time and the last chance to gather all of the great stories and recollections of friends of the ROMANCE.
Winter 2008-2009Matt Zacharias and Donna Ryen just had a 2 hour visit with Skipper at his home. Matt said he had taken quite a few pictures, Art has a lot of things out to be seen. They'll be back to New Smyrna the end of this month for more interviews, filming of Art on the beach, etc.Winter 2008Mike Dodge reports that the interviews all came out well and that the PBS people are now working on producing a trailer to raise funds for the production. The final cost will likely be $350,000. - $400,000. Peter Wolihan sent along a photo of Skipper as they cruised on John Dodge's boat when everyone was in Detroit. (see below)
Fall 2008Great news about the films, photos and Gloria's manuscript from Mike Dodge. A trust had been established which will preserve the precious written and photographic history of the ROMANCE intact for the benefit of all Marineros and the public. And, a PBS documentary is in the works. Through a chance meeting, John Dodge met Donna Ryen, a 5-time Emmy award winner at a party where her most recent film was being shown. He mentioned the 48 reels of 16mm film, the 10,000 color slides, and Gloria's manuscript and arranged a showing. She was amazed at the professional quality of the materials and formed a production company to produce a trailer. All of the 16mm has been digitized and is exceptional, some even with sound! A few weeks later, a film crew arrived in Detroit. Skipper and his sister Jane flew in. Mike Dodge, John Dodge, Peter Wolihan, Mark Seski were there for the interviews. Skipper was great and hours of these initial interviews were completed. The first production, which will go out to investors, is a trailer/teaser to raise money for the actual documentary. Several hundred thousand dollars must be raised. Also, there is talk of a book to present the best of the photos and writing. Book profits will fund the trust and go toward providing access to sail training for young people. To capture the recollections and great stories of all Marineros in the final version of the documentary, a MARINERO REUNION is being planned. Films will be shown and Marineros interviewed for possible inclusion. DATE, LOCATION, and SHIP for the reunion to be announced.
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