23 August 2014, the replica of Columbia (ESG Hull 981) was launched in Panama City, Florida, at Eastern's Nelson Street facility. D 'Isernia has been married to the love of his life, Miriam "Mimi," for more than forty-six years and they have ten children together and fourteen grandchildren. Today, six ofD'Isernia's sons work at the shipyard with Eastern's extended family of dedicated employees in a culture that maintains a hard-working, family-oriented shipbuilding philosophy. In August 2015, son Joey
D'Isernia became president of Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc., with the senior D'Isernia remaining as CEO.
(above) The 141 foot steel replica ofColumbia under full sail. The schooner was built in 2014 by Brian D1sernia's Eastern Shipbuilding Group in Panama City, Florida. (left) Mimi and Brian D 'Isernia at the helm.
Captain Bert Rogers's Bert Rogers's skills as a sailing ship captain have earned him the reputation as a "driver" and compelling leader to teach and nurture the next generation of students and trainees who come aboard tall ships, as well as the crews who sail them. Rogers has worked to capture the public's imagination and to help grow interest and appreciation in tall ships as executive director of Tall Ships America. In response to the annual Tall Ships Challenge series, which includes ship races and cruises held at sea between ports, and alternates between the Great Lakes, and the Pacific, the Atlantic, and the Gulf coasts of North America, millions have come out to see the glorious tall ships and meet the crews. Tall Ships America is commended by the United States Congress as the national sail training organization representing the United States in the international forum. During Rogers's time before the mast, he has served as sailmaker, bosun, rigger, mate, and captain aboard sailing school vessels and traditionally rigged sailing ships, including Regina Maris, Sea Cloud, Elizabeth II, Mayflower II, and Lindo/Alexandria. However, his seafaring career began in 1978, when he joined the brigantine Romanceunder Capt. Arthur Kimberly, winner of the 2008 NMHS Karl Kortum American Ship Trust award-for a three-week voyage that took a kid from Iowa and set him on a course for a seagoing career. Rogers's intention was to sail aboard Romance for three weeks; however, those three weeks turned into three years, during which the ship circumnavigated the globe. Rogers served as captain and program director for sail training and ocean education programs aboard the schooner Spirit of Massachusetts from 1985 to 1993, and was instrumental in developing both college and high school semesters-at-sea programs.
Bert Rogers in command of Spirit of Massachusetts in the fall of 1988 during SEAmester, a full semester at sea for undergraduates. SEA HISTORY 160, AUTUMN 2017
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