Ferdinand Nimphius
Ferdinand Nimphius Ferd Jr." started building sailboats with his father Ferdinand Karl Maria Nimphius (or Red Nimphius a he was known around the Great Lakes:), at the age of 12. His father gave him a car when he was 13 and said" if you can make it work you can have it." Ferd Jr. made it work. That attitude prevailed through his entire Shipwright career of 57 years on these Great Lakes.
Ferdinand and his father RED - along with a group of "long bearded guys with whiskers all over their faces" built the amazing creation of a 65 ft. square rigged, Dutch frigate - all of wood - the Red Lion, which crossed Lake Michigan and onto the Atlantic for a transatlantic crossing in 1972. Charles Kuralt came to film the production and it aired on CBS national TV.
https://youtu.be/Ba370oi09Xc?feature=shared
For 10 years, Ferdinand served as a head judge on Lake Geneva and raced for 15 years also on inland lakes. He now races and cruises with his wife Wendy on Lake Michigan. He has raced 7 Queen's Cup races as main tactician and - as a Professionally rated sailor - has raced in such international regattas as the J111 World Championship in Chicago and twice at Charleston Race Week. He has been known to offer design and rigging advice to Jeff Johnstone and Gerry Douglas:)
His Racine Hook races had him selected numerous times as main tactician and his skills of maneuvering through "Death's Door" have calmed many an anxious sailor.
Few have given so freely of their time as Ferd to train and serve seasoned sailors and would be sailors across the globe. He recently lectured at Yacht Club Chiavari on the Mediterranean (with wife Wendy translating into Italian!) how to build and maintain antique wooden sailboats. (Narrator's note: believe me, Genova has thousands of antique wooden sailboats - think Marco Polo and Ferdinand Magellan - and they beg him to move there and repair!)
His "Boat Doctor" mentality kicks in no matter what marina or area of Lake Michigan he finds himself. Whether it's dropping everything to rescue a panicked crew aboard a sinking sailboat who's propeller ran over a hidden floating canvas or a senior who's finger got entangled with a runaway line, his spring-to-action attentiveness on water is remarkable. (Another Narrator's note, his wife taught him to swim 8 years ago. His nickname before? Gorilla Glue - he never fell off a deck:)
He and his wife donate Lake Michigan Harbor Cruises (a first time sail for many on Lake Michigan, plus dinner aboard) averaging 6 charities per year raising over $25,000 in donations for Make-A-Wish, Big Brothers Big Sisters, UW Washington County, Racine Area Veteran's Association, The Racine Police Force, Alliance Francais and The Cedar Lake Conservation Foundation.
Mostly though - and what everyone remembers when they meet Ferdinand - is that he takes time to TEACH sailing to whoever wants to learn; whether a seasoned racer or a young lady skipper getting into a sailboat for the first time. He answers each and every question no charge; even makes boat doctor "boatcalls"! His endless patience in teaching take-offs and landings is appreciated by so many and makes for a kinder, gentler, SAFER marina.
He is respected by all as a rare and talented Shipwright and an expert in his seamanship. His Cornthian spirit is contagious...
Red Nimphius would be proud of his son.....
Thank you for reading.
