OBITUARIES: Two Sailing Legends Off to Fiddler's Green Exy]ohnson Electa "Exy" (Search) Johnson died 19 November 2004 at 95. She and her husband, Capt. Irving Johnson, spent most of their lives at sea aboard their three ships-a schooner, a brig, and a ketch, each named Yankee. In the course of hundreds of thousands of sea miles, th ey took dozens of people around the world and inspired today's generation of traditional sailing ship mariners. Born in Rochester, New York, in 1909, Exy Search graduated from Smith College in 1929. Returning from a summer in France aboard schooner Wanderbird, she met Irving Johnson, who was a member of the crew. They married in 1932 and, together, embarked on a long and extraordinary career under sail. Between 1932 and 1958 they took yo ung people to sea in their schooner Yankee and brigantine Yankee on seven circumnavigations. From 1958-1975, they sailed in Europe aboard their ketch Yankee. During their career, they sailed more miles than an astronaut's round trip to the moon. In 1976 they threw out their anchor, though they continued sailing with friends. Exy was Auent in French and German and could communicate in six other languages. She wrote six books and numerous National Geographic articles about their Exy and Irving Johnson on the bow of brigantine Yankee voyages.
At her memorial service, brigantine Yankee's former mate, Eric Wolman recalled: "The Exy I remember from that period shopped for fresh food in many languages, and while at sea taught school to her son in the after cabin every morning, typed acco unts and correspondence in the afternoons, took sun and star sights and worked rhem, and stood the evening watch. A skill ful helmsman, she could converse whi le concentrating on her steering. "One day the ship's company was invited to a cookout on Harbor Island in Muscongus Bay. Since the ship was behind schedule, Skipper dropped Exy and me off in Port Clyde with the dinghy to do some shopping. I had pored over the charts to memorize our route thro ugh the islands, about six miles, but from the unique perspective afforded by a 3-foot height of eye. We set off in a thick haze with a heavy overcast, little wind, some swell, and sprinkles of rain . Thus, the narrow passages between islands seemed confusingly wide because I could hardly see the nearest shores. I sat in the stern steering with the outboard, the ship's groceries stowed amidships. Exy was forward, lying in the bi lge with her back against the stem, sitting halfway up as if in bed, with an oilskin jacket pulled well over her head so that irs hood shielded her copy of Time magazine from the rain. She was completely comfortable in this environment and conscious of this interlude as a rare bit of time off: she looked up, smiled, and said, "Isn't this lovely?" !, -Robert P Joh nson
Captain Uli Pruesse ings, Captain Pruesse would study the weather to find the most Captain Ulrich Hans Wolfgang Pruesse died on 13 December favorable winds for a passage under sail. By avoiding the use of the 2004 after a short illness. He was sixty-one years old. Born in engine, he minimized fuel expenses and gave his passengers the Hamburg, Germany, to a seafaring father who sailed the clippers opportunity to experience the thrill of sailing a huge ship under of the famous Flying P Line and was president of the Hamburg sail power alone-an experience rarely found in today's passenger Maritime Academy, "Uli" Pruesse sai led boats from a young age. trade. Pruesse was known to sail the huge modern square-rigger After graduating from his father's school, Pruesse went to sea workoff the dock with engines on stand-by but nor engaged. ing in many types of cargo ships; he progressed rapidly and earned The captain ran a tight and happy ship. He was a skillful his master's papers for sailing unlimited tonnage worldwide. His passion for sailing ships brought Capt. Pruesse explains sail theory and race tactics leader and teacher who could bring a crew of seventy passenger-vo lunteers to Uli to the Caribbean and to the world of to Star Clippers passengers and crew in 2003. race a 360-ft. four-masted ship efficiently. classic sailing yachts. Pruesse founded the In daily talks attended by dozens of Antigua C lassic Yacht Regatta in 1987 attentive passengers, he diagrammed and with a colleague from the Antigua Yacht explained sail theory and race tactics. C lub. In 1998, as master of rhe modern He taught maneuvering, sail handling, barquentine Star Clipper, Pruesse created meteorology, safety-at-sea, and a dozens the Tall Ships" World Peace C up compeother topics with clarity, humor, and tition, a new class of the Antigua C lassic practical advice. He would advise his Yacht Regatta. passengers and crew, "you must love Uli loved to sail fast. H e has had every wave," and we did. !, Star Clipper charging along at 16- 1/2 -Charles A. Byrne knots under sail. On transAtlantic crossSEA HISTORY 110, SPRING 2005
7