Re: The St. Clair Voyage - 1398 to 1998

[Niven Sinclair <niven@niven.co.uk>]

At 12:48 03/08/99 -0700, you wrote:
>Hi, Friends, Cousins, and Shirt-tails,
>
>I've lurked on this list for about a year and enjoyed, sometimes even
>laboriously the eloquent and fascinating topics which arose.
>
>I have to thank all of you who've contributed to the presence, success and
>endurance of the list.  I love to read Nevin's, Richards, Toni's, and
>others thoughtful comments and historical wisdom.  Thanks, All.  Would love
>to meet you.
>
>Nevin, your letter re the voyage interested me, and I came alive when I
>read about the lack of cash offered to build the ship.  When I learned of
>it at Laurel Fechner's home, I promptly dug out my checkbook and
>contributed a pittance, my $20.
>
>I can't believe that nobody else offered any financial support, and when it
>is described as 'zilch' I have to wonder where my $20 went, as well as
>other contributions.  It just doesn't add up.
>
>Myra Perala
>
>Myra, I have no doubt your $20 would be put to some use.  Gary Smith, 
>Chris Minty and others

  devoted many many hours to the project; commissioned drawings and 
eventually had a model

built which, although beautiful, did not match our understanding of what 
Henry's ships wouldhave

looked like.

You may be sure that there was no 'scam', no wastage of money just too 
little of it to make a

dream become a reality.  The students deserved better but, as usual, they 
received more critcism

than praise for their enterprise.

Although I contributed to the venture, I wasn't actively involved because 
my business commitments

keep me tied to my office desk - apart from the various sallies to the 
Scotland and the States.

Niven Sinclair


>At 02:47 PM 8/3/99 +0100, you wrote:
> >At 14:10 01/08/99 -0400, you wrote:
> >>Hi,
> >>
> >>Has anyone seen this page?
> >>
> >>http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/~exped/stclair/stclair.htm
> >>
> >>Amber
> >
> >Replica boat to re-enact the crossing of Prince Henry Sinclair.
> >
> >
> >  I gave the enthusiastic Edinburgh University' students £400 to get them
> >started.  This was followed by a
> >further £10,000 to prepare a model (now in the United States) but, as there
> >was very little money being
> >contributed from other sources (including zilch from the United States and
> >an equal sum from Canada),                                           the
> >project ran out of money rather than steam.  I also paid the air-fare for a
> >fund-raiser to go to Canada
> >to present the case to a large Canadian Company (founded and run by
> >Sinclairs) in the hope of generating
> >interest there.  Again there was lots of enthusiasm but a complete dearth
> >of funds.
> >
> >The students had gathered some very experienced boat-builders and seamen
> >together.  They deserved
> >greater support.
> >
> >A lady is now planning a voyage from Venice to the New World via Orkney and
> >Shetland.  She already
> >has a boat.  I have agreed to address a gathering in Venice later this year
> >to raise funds.  This has the
> >support of the Mayor of Venice so we are hoping for a happier outcome.
> >
> >Niven Sinclair
> >
> >Ideas are wonderful but money is needed to carry them through
> >
> >
> >
> >>[ This is the Sinclair family discussion list, sinclair@mids.org
> >>[ To get off or on the list, see http://www.mids.org/sinclair/list.html
> >
> >
> >[ This is the Sinclair family discussion list, sinclair@mids.org
> >[ To get off or on the list, see http://www.mids.org/sinclair/list.html
> >
> >
>-
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