Tinkerbelle moored in Falmouth, Massachusetts, circa 30 May 1965.
Letters, Comments, Fan Mail…
A collection of correspondence from visitors to and supporters of The Robert Manry Project. Explore the collective memory and diverse viewpoints about the remarkable Mr. Manry. We enjoy receiving your comments, questions and suggestions. Drop us a line at:
13 October 2008
I was amazed recently to find the Robert Manry Project website, and all the great information, after all these years. When I first read Manry’s book, I was stationed in West Germany while serving in the US Army. I was a news photographer and my stateside home was Erie, Pennsylvania. Having been a sailor from my youth, the book gave me the idea to build a replica of Tinkerbelle from plans that were printed in Popular Mechanics.
After returning home, I wrote a letter to Mr. Manry, who was on a long voyage with his family at the time. On the form letter I received in return, a handwritten note by Manry encouraged me to build the little boat. It seemed that Manry and I had lots of things in common, and I even ended up following a career in newspaper work as a photographer, and later, as a feature writer for the Erie Times News, where Manry had worked years before.
As it turned out, I never did build the Tinkerbelle look-alike, but did restore a 21-foot antique sailboat that I often dreamed of sailing across the North Atlantic. I never got the chance to meet Bob Manry, but have always felt a personal relationship with him through his wonderful book, which I’ve read countless times over the years.
After retiring seven years ago, I have spent much time rebuilding small antique boats of many types. I also volunteer as a boat restoration teacher at the Bayfront Center for Maritime Studies in Erie, where we work with inner city youth, who learn boatbuilding, sailing and other marine skills.
About a year ago, the center gave me a very old and severely decayed 16-foot sailboat that I have started to refurbish. Although it’s 3 feet longer than the original Tinkerbelle, the lines are similar and I have decided to build her to at least look like Manry’s famous craft. It will probably take me at least another year, but when she is finished I plan to sail her across Lake Erie — a far cry from the North Atlantic, but at least in the spirit of the wonderful man who has continued to inspire me and countless other sailors for so many years.
Thanks for all you are doing to keep Bob Manry’s story alive. I’m sure you will enjoy knowing that there is an old retired newspaperman in Erie that is still following a dream that Bob Manry started a long time ago. I will keep you up to date on my progress in building my little ocean yacht that will be named Tinkerbelle 2. The Bayfront Center will have photos on their website showing my progress.
Yours Truly,
Paul Jenkins
Erie PA 16510
pvjenks @ aol . com
UPDATE – December, 2010. Check out Paul’s progress report.
