Bonnie Carroll's Life Bites - Kids Kaleidoscope

MAGICAL 18^TH CENTURY SBMM/ANCHOR ROSE ADVENTURE A SEA FANTASY COLLABORATIVE

All Hands on Deck: A Modern Day High-Seas Adventure to the Far Side of the World at Santa Barbara Maritime Museum

The Santa Barbara Maritime Museum partnered with Anchor Rose restaurant to develop a series of collaborative harborside movie screenings and special events for members and their kids.

The first of these amazing events launched a new book, All Hands on Deck: A Modern Day High-Seas Adventure to the Far Side of the World, was on Saturday, April 29, 2023, and was a a unique and fun experience for all, especially the Anchor Rose Restaurant owner and staff, as well as Maritime Museum staff members who came all decked out in fabulous 18^th-century themed period costumes.

All Hands on Deck featured a reception on the Waterfront Center’s

patio, a presentation based on author Will Sofrin’s book, an optional 18th-century-themed dinner that was delicious, and a complete screening of the classic movie, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, considered by many to be the best sailing movie ever made. This first event was also a reception and book signing on the museum’s patio featuring an 18th-century themed rum cocktail and the opportunity to meet author Will Sofrin.

The reception was followed by Sofrin’s presentation, and included film clips, commentary, and photographs. Sofrin shared the story of the American tall ship Rose (a 180-foot-long replica of an 18th-century British frigate), 6,000 miles from Newport, Rhode Island to Hollywood. The ship ultimately served as the centerpiece of the 2003 film Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, starring Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany.

Following Sofrin’s presentation, the film Master and Commander, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, was screened on the museum’s patio. Anchor Rose restaurant, in partnership with SBMM, offered an optional dinner based on food served to officers and crew in the British Navy around the turn of the 19th century.

Cost to attend the reception, the presentation, and the film screening was free for SBMM’s Navigator Circle Members and $35 for all others. For an additional $40, guests had the option for dinner, which included a glass of wine and a buffet meal featuring lobster bisque, saffron rice, chicken, swordfish, and a vegan option. Proceeds from the event will enable SBMM to continue offering tall-ship and other education and school-based programs.

The event was generously sponsored by Scott Newhall, Pauline Sattler, Don Galloway, and Doedy Orchowski. Rum for the reception cocktail was provided by Black Bart Navy Rum.

The dynamic duo Anchor Rose and SBMM have future delightful events on their calendar & menu, so check the SBMM website for dates.

In the late 1990s, Patrick O’Brian’s bestselling historical novels inspired the film Master & Commander: The Far Side of the World. While director Peter Weir and stars Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany were signed on, there was one problem: Rose, the replica eighteenth-century British warship that the filmmakers purchased to serve as the HMS Surprise, was in Newport, Rhode Island, two oceans and thousands of miles away from Hollywood.

Enter a ragtag crew of thirty tall-ship fanatics including author Will Sofrin, then a 21-year-old wooden-boat builder and yacht racer looking for some direction in his life. Together, the crew embarked on an epic adventure, racing a ticking clock and fighting against Mother Nature, and occasionally each other, to deliver Rose.

All Hands on Deck: A Modern-Day High Seas Adventure to the Far Side of the World

(Abrams Press; April 18, 2023) is Sofrin’s account of this unforgettable voyage. It’s a story of reinvention, of hard work on the high seas, of

love, and of survival. The crew of the Rose effectively went back in time, bringing the old ways of a forgotten world to life, while barely living to tell the tale. All Hands on Deck is a gripping story and a must-read for fans of O’Brian’s novels and the Academy Award–winning film adaptation.

I thoroughly enjoyed meeting Will Sorkin at his book signing and

presetation on "All Hands On Deck." About the Author: Will Sofrin, who grew up in Connecticut, describes himself as “the guy who didn’t follow any of the rules.” Instead of going to college after high school, he became an apprentice shipwright at the IYRS School of Technology and Trades, learning to build and restore wooden boats, and then became a professional sailor, working on yachts, logging over 30,000 blue water miles, and becoming a licensed captain. He sailed throughout Europe, the Caribbean, Central America and both coasts of the U.S., competing in numerous sailing events such as the America’s Cup Jubilee, the Prada Classic Yacht Challenge, and the 12-meter World Championships. Sofrin is a master shipwright who has taught at MIT and built boats for Billy Joel and Estée Lauder.

Today, Sofrin is a freelance writer for numerous maritime periodicals such as Classic Boat Magazine, Cruising World, Latitude 38, Ocean Navigator, Pacific Yachting, Sea History Journal, Soundings, and WoodenBoat, as well as an accomplished maritime artist. When he’s not writing, Will is doing all sorts of other cool and creative things, like designing the architecture of a home, overseeing the restoration of historic homes, designing and building furniture, or painting a wall mural. Next year, he will start construction of a cold-molded power boat for cruising off the coast of Santa Barbara, but his passion for yachting persists. He and his wife have a sailboat that they enjoy racing and using to explore the California coast with their 7-year-old daughter. For additional information, visit willsofrin.com.

For information on upcoming Santa Barbara Maritime Museum and Anchor Rose event please organizer Martha Donalan at: mdonelan@sbmm.org (805) 962 8404 or SBMM at 05 962-8404 • www.sbmm.org.