In Croatia's rugged interior, a stone's throw from the Bosnian border, hides one of Europe's most exotic hikes: through Plitvice (PLEET-veet-seh) Lakes National Park. There's nothing like this lush valley of 16 terraced lakes, laced together by waterfalls and miles of pleasant plank walks. Years ago, after a dozen or so visits, I thought I really knew Europe. Then I discovered Plitvice, and realized you can never exhaust Europe of its surprises.

THE BANJA LUKA DIOCESE IN WORD AND PICUTRE FROM 1881 TO 2006, on the occasion of 125 years since founding the Diocese, a monumental and important book written by Franjo Maric and Anto Orlovic

In the academic year 2003 University of Zagreb Medical School (UZMS) introduced a new 12-semester/8 semester (6/4-year) Medical Doctor Study program in English. Graduates of the program are granted a diploma conferring the professional title of Doctor of Medicine (MD). This program is entirely instructed in English, and is also designed so as to meet both American (USMLE) and European Union standards with its internationally accredited exams. Read more...

www.CroatianHistory.net

Up and coming ... Rovinj on the Istria peninsula. Photograph: Alamy

Mrs Grieve and her husband Elliott, who works at an investment bank in the City, have just spent ý200,000 (Ł135,000) on a four-bedroom house in Croatia's sun-kissed region of Istria, a peninsula on the Adriatic sea with a quarter of a million people.  "We heard this was the new Tuscany. But you can't get places in Tuscany like this any more," she says.

Zoran Orlic with Janine Schaults

Glen Hansard founded The Frames before appearing in The Commitments (1991). Since then the band has enjoyed multi-platinum success in Ireland. Now they are making a global breakthrough. Zoran had unfettered access to the band. The rise of the band is illustrated with exclusive vintage photographs. Also included are rare shots of enigmatic producer, Steve Albini who worked with Nirvana and The Pixies

Croatia launched as of Monday production of biodiesel. Production of the Croatian biodiesel began in the private industrial complex located in Ozalj, which has capacity of 30.000 tons on a yearly basis. The initial quantities are intended for export in Austria and Italy, and to be introduced in the public transportation of the city of Zagreb too.

I had a rose named after me and I was very flattered. But I was not pleased to read the description in the catalog: "No good in a bed, but fine against a wall."                                                                                                                         -- Eleanor Roosevelt

	We are inspired by the beauty and ephemerality. As for us beauty is not just what is new, technically perfect, flat, symmetrical, neat etc. We see beauty in a photograph that failed, rough wall, rusted key, unskilly painted wood and so on. ... beauty and imperfection go together wonderfully -               Matthew Fox

Hotel Therapia - www.therapia.hr

“End of the world but the beginning of everything.”

Logbook of the m.s.Andrea USHUAIA — ANTARCTICA
January 6-15, 2005

www.elegantcruises.com/

First Wedding on the Antartica

In late afternoon the wedding of Jessica and David Wilborn
took place ashore at Orne Harbor. A crowd gathered on a small
snow covered slope, Dick gave the preamble and then Captain
Pazanin conducted the service –pronouncing them man and wife.
Then Praba and Jittu sang a traditional Sanskrit song of good
wishes for the bride and groom. Then the revelers were taken on
a zodiac tour of the area and then back to the ship for a champagne
celebration. We remained at anchor all night in this beautiful area.

 

expedition leader: Dr.KimCrosbie
assistant E. L.: Sonja Messick
lecturers: Dick Cameron, Gustavo Lovrich, Nanette Schleich

Monday, 6 December ushuaia, argentina
The m.s. Andrea calmly awaited dockside for its passengers while
the crew was stowing supplies, preparing staterooms, and setting
tables for dinner. The expedition crew was also busy checking
radios, and practicing Zodiac launching from the bow area.
The passengers arrived at about 1600 hrs and were shown to
their cabins and their luggage appeared as well. All received their
own luggage and for the crew there was a sigh of relief, for when
luggage is misplaced immediate confusion breaks out with everyone
searching everywhere for the missing piece.
A buffet of sandwiches, pastries, tea and coffee was set in the
Kittwake Lounge for the passengers. This allowed them to mingle
and get to know one another. Dr. Kim Crosbie, Expedition Leader,
took advantage of this gathering to introduce the expedition staff :
Sonja Messick (Assistant Expedition Leader), Dick Cameron,
Nanette Schleich, and Gustavo Lovrich.
People then had the chance to familiarize themselves with the
ship by taking a nice walkabout. The Mandatory Life Boat and
Safety at Sea Drill was postponed as cargo was still being loaded.
Dock workers were on strike so the cargo had to be brought to
the ship by small boat and then loaded through the starboard side
(the port side was along the dock). Just before 2000 hrs the ship
began to maneuver from the dock and by 2007 hrs. the Andrea
was full away. And then in short order the mandatory drill took
place followed by dinner as the passengers were, by this time,
famished.
Leaving Ushuaia the sign on shore read “End of world but the
beginning of everything.” The Andrea sailed smoothly down the
Beagle Channel on its way to Antarctica.

Tuesday, 7 December All night long and all day long, the Andrea did her imitation of
Rock and Roll. Numerous passengers and a few of the Expedition
staff were somewhat without sea legs and thus scheduled lectures
and other informative activities were postponed. Several
times during the day one heard the crashing of dishes and one
would think that we were attending a Greek wedding.
Some lectures were given and they were:
A Time to Krill – Gustavo Lovrich
Krill are the keystone of the Antarctic ecosystem with whales,
penguins, and seals depending on krill for sustenance. Krill are the
most abundant animal on earth. Gustavo presented information
on numbers of krill, their biology, and the way in which krill studies
are being done.
Antarctic Sea Birds by Kim
Overview of the types of birds and their unbelievable life at sea.
Basic Geology by Dick
This was an overview of basic geology and a primer on plate
tectonics and the overall geology of the Antarctic continent.
Passengers reported seeing penguins and a whale. The system
works, as the only real way to enjoy Antarctica is out on deck. At
2000 hrs fog appeared and the sea temperature dropped to 0
degrees Centigrade. We were crossing the convergence where
cold Antarctic waters meet the warmer seas to the north.
In the evening a contest was announced whereby the person who
saw the first iceberg would win a bottle of champagne. The excitement
of the passengers was keen but it all came to a halt when at
2100 hrs all were notified that it was Ivan, the Ice Captain, was the
one who sighted the berg. As he is considered staff he was ineligible
for the bottle. The berg was sighted at 59 degrees and 25 minutes
south latitude and 62 degrees and 23 minutes west longitude.
NOON POSITION: 57°22.7’S 69°28.9’W

Wednesday, 8 December Icebergs were all over this morning, and under a beautiful blue
sky we sailed on Southwards. The first lecture of the day was by
Nanette, entitled Science in Antarctica Part 1. This lecture explained
the Antarctic Treaty and how it is the basis of worldwide cooperation
and governance of the continent. She also gave a brief
overview of the significant research projects that are underway.
Kim conducted a Mandatory Zodiac Briefing whereby the passengers
were given the rudiments of how to board and disembark
from these rubber crafts and the do’s and don’ts while in the zodiac.
They were also instructed in the IAATO Code of Conduct in
Antarctica. The environment on the continent is fragile and the
animals have such a short summer their activities must not be
interrupted.
The first landing of the day was to be Aitcho Island in the group
of islands called the South Shetlands. However, the wind would
not quit and a landing was impossible. So we sailed on. We found
a decent place to land at Half Moon Bay where there was an abandoned
boat most likely left by whalers. The landing went smoothly
and we were able have a nice walk to see the Chinstrap penguins
and some Weddell seals. Of course I am only kidding about a nice
walk, as every step of the way on the snow surface was one of
anticipation as to how deep will my foot go this time. This landing
was great as there was plenty of time to spend absorbing this environment.
After this good time ashore the passengers returned to
the Andrea to prepare for the Captain’s Welcoming Cocktail Party
and Dinner.
During the evening we sailed towards the Weddell Sea side of
the Peninsula. As we approached the Antarctic Sound the great
tabular bergs appeared as if on parade. A beautiful sight
NOON POSITION: 62°29.2’S 59°22.0’W

Thursday, 9 December By early this morning we had passed through the Antarctic
Sound and were in Terror and Erebus Gulf. The destination was
Devil Island but as we arrived the wind was too strong for a landing
so we sailed south along the Prince Gustav Channel that separates
James Clark Ross Island from the mainland Peninsula. But
before long sea ice obstructed further progress and the ship came
about and we once again headed for Devil Island. This island is a
strange one, set in an embayment of the larger island called Vega.
The islands in this area are fascinating in two ways. The first is
that the Swedish explorer Nordenskjold wintered on Snow Hill
Island in the early 1900’s and the story of his travail and rescue is
an amazing one which is yet to be properly appreciated. And secondly,
the islands have some interesting Mesozoic and Cenozoic
rocks in which numerous unique fossils have been found
including the remains of a 6 foot tall penguin.
We were able to land on Devil Island as the wind speed
decreased. On the island were large rookeries of Adelie penguins
guarding their precious eggs and it was more than entertaining to
watch their antics of communication and their serious attention to
the business of keeping the eggs at a proper temperature. Some
people climbed to the summit of the island while others watched
penguins and strolled along the beach.
There were several good examples of columnar jointed basalt
along the beach. This jointing is produced when lava flows out
onto the surface and cools rapidly. Back to the ship and Gustavo
told the fascinating story of Nordenskjold’s expedition with its
unbelievable coincidences of sledge journeys, boat trips, time, and
place that finally reunited the expedition.
During the evening we sailed towards Paulet Island where
there resides a tremendous number of penguins. Enroute, however,
the wind increased to a gale over 50km/hr. and the ship had a
permanent list to starboard. We could see where the huge rookery
was on Paulet but there was no way to visit the island so we
sailed on into the Antarctic Sound and then during the night the
ship made its way to Deception Island.
NOON POSITION: 63°45.7’S 57°16.1’W

Friday, 10 December As we awoke we were just off the entrance to Deception Island.
The sky was overcast but visibility was reasonable. When passengers
were notified of our position and what we were about to do
the decks were immediately filled and we sailed through
Neptune’s Bellows and into Port Foster. We made directly for
Pendulum Cove and the morning swim.
There were a large number of passengers hardy enough to do
the swim. Steam covered the beach and the shallows. Nanette
was to be the sacrificial lamb so in she went and said the water
was fine. The rest followed with giggles and oh’s and aw’s. As
swimmers came out they were handed nice heavy towels. Now
they could brag they had been swimming in Antarctica.
Our next stop on Deception Island was Telefon Bay where the
eruption of 1967 created a large crater. The passengers climbed to
the crater and viewed this large depression with steep sides and a
flat central area, and waterfall on the far side. Kim led a group of
walker/climbers up and around the crater while the remainder
relaxed and strolled to view a small crater nearby and then back to
the beach. At the beach a group of Weddell seals were sunbathing
on the snow so passengers had another opportunity to take a few
photographs. The number of photos being taken on this trip must
be phenomenal as cameras seem to be in constant action. In the old
days one could here the clicking of cameras – now they are silent.
Onto Whaler’s Bay to view the remains of the old whaling station
and the equipment used for rendering the blubber and storing
the whale oil. Here also are the remains of a British research station
abandoned after the 1967 volcanic eruption. Lincoln
Ellsworth landed here on his historic flight from South America to
Little America in 1935.
We left Deception in early evening headed for a landing on the
continent.
NOON POSITION: 62° 56’ S 60°40’ W

Saturday, 11 December Early this morning we approached the continent of Antarctica. It
was with palpable anticipation that the passengers were ready to
land on what is known as the Seventh Continent. The Zodiacs
took the Redcoats to Selvick Cove of the Antarctic Peninsula and
people stepped onto a new continent. For many of them it was
indeed their 7th continent while others, especially the younger
passengers, have a few continents yet to go. Group pictures were
taken and people mingled about on the rocky beach and on the
snow platform beneath the rocky cliff.
Taking advantage of surrounding majestic mountains and their
ice cover as plateau glaciers and outlet glaciers, Dick gave a brief
talk on glaciology; their classification from ice sheet to ice cap to
valley glacier and how they are formed and how they flow.
From here the zodiacs took all to Cuverville Island where there
were several Gentoo penguin rookeries. The water here was very
clear so one could watch the penguins swimming underwater. A
number of passengers went on a stimulating walk high up on the
rock for fantastic views of the mountains and glaciers that surround
the area.
With all aboard once again the Andrea sailed from Cuverville for
Neumayer Channel, a spectacular waterway between Anvers and
Wiencke Island. Unable to penetrate the channel very far, the ship
came about with the intention of trying to reach the southern
entrance of the Neumayer via the Gerlache Strait. Had we been
able to do this we would have visited Port Lockroy, a Heritage Site
run by the British. But unfortunately ice blocked the Andrea’s path
once again and at 64 degrees 47 minutes south latitude, the most
southerly point reached on this trip, the Andrea headed north.
Before long a pod of orcas’ were sighted headed south.
In late afternoon the wedding of Jessica and David Wilborn
took place ashore at Orne Harbor. A crowd gathered on a small
snow covered slope, Dick gave the preamble and then Captain
Pazanin conducted the service –pronouncing them man and wife.
Then Praba and Jittu sang a traditional Sanskrit song of good
wishes for the bride and groom. Then the revelers were taken on
a zodiac tour of the area and then back to the ship for a champagne
celebration.
We remained at anchor all night in this beautiful area.
NOON POSITION: 64°41.0’S 62°38.0’W

Sunday, 12 December Waking, the passengers could not believe their eyes, for once
again blue sky and absolutely wonderful calm weather engulfed
them as if embraced by a loved one. Well, that seems to be a little
too poetic but it indeed was a beautiful day.
We arrived at Enterprise Island and a zodiac cruise was initiated.
The island is located in Whilemina Bay where whalers would
bring in the whales for processing. The wreck of the factory ship
Guvernorn is there rusting away. The ship was destroyed in a fire
on the 27th of January in 1915. Through a hole in the hull we
could see the explosive harpoons that were used to kill the whales.
A bygone age. Although the Japanese are still doing some whaling.
We cruised around the area and saw many Kelp Gulls and a
few Weddell seals. One seal left his snowy perch, entered the
water, and swam past the zodiac creating a fantastic wake. Back
to the ship and we sailed north to Ceirva Bay.
Into the zodiacs again. This area is the sight of the Argentine
station Primavera which is presently unmanned. These stations
cost a great deal to maintain and so it will most likely only be utilized
for special research projects. The reason for our visit here
was to see leopard seals. Kim knows this Peninsula so well that
indeed we saw a wonderful leopard seal on an ice floe. We were
able to get quite close and get good pictures. As we were concentrating
on the seal a Minke whale appeared and began to play
with us. The three zodiacs cut their engines and drifted about as
the whale came up between the boats and then dived under the
boats. The passengers and the staff were thrilled with this performance.
In the evening we made our last landing on Trinity Island
where there was a Argentine Refuge and many Gentoo penguins.
This was a somewhat sad visit as the passengers knew this was
their goodbye to Antarctica. It was a quiet evening with no wind
and on the ride back to the Andrea we could see golden clouds at
the horizon.
The Andrea set sail on a heading of 330 degrees for Cape Horn.
NOON POSITION: 64°32.1’S 61°51.2’W

Monday, 13 December At sea in the Drake Passage. This cruise has been an extremely
lucky with a southern crossing in relatively moderate seas and
now as we head north the seas seem to be behaving once again.
Today the activities were confined to shipboard as the zodiacs
are stowed away for the crossing. We have had eleven landings
which is quite remarkable in such a short time.
Today’s lectures were:
Science in Antarctica II by Nanette
Nannette devised a research project to determine the amount of
sunlight that penetrates snow. She conducted this work near
Scott Base on Ross Island, McMurdo Sound. Her results agreed
favorably with other researchers.
Armageddon in Antarctica by Gustavo
Icebergs scrape the bottom of the sea destroying animal and
plant life that have been living for hundreds of years. It will take a
long, long time for these biota to reestablish their communities.
Global Warming by Dick
A series of examples of warming trends were presented including
coral reef loss, drying up of Chinese rivers, increased rain and
storms on East coast of the U.S.A°., and finally how the ice cover
of Kilimanjaro will be gone in about 15 years. An astute observation
by one of the passengers noted that in the map shown a
majority of the ice cover disappeared between 1910 and 1923,
before real concern about the greenhouse effect.
After each lecture there were numerous questions that led to
more questions and a lively ensued.
Just before dinner we had the Andrea Quiz with groups of six
answering 25 questions, doing a crossword puzzle, and composing
a song. The creativity of the songs was amazing. The group with
the highest number of points won a bottle of champagne.
Dinner was delightful as ever with conversation somewhat
more animated stemming from some of the controversial answers
to quiz questions.
NOON POSITION: 61°08.0’S 63°33.8’W

Tuesday, 14 December At sea. Last night the Andrea gave the passengers a taste of the
Drake with pitching and rolling for a number of hours. But by
breakfast time the sea had moderated and remained that way for
the rest of the day. By late morning Cape Horn was sighted –
South America was in sight.
Today the lectures were:
How to Cope with Antarctica by Gustavo
This talk explained the mechanisms by which the various animals
keep from freezing.
Long line fishing and the Albatross by Kim
The ongoing slaughter of these birds is a terrible tragedy that is
caused by the birds taking the baitand being pulled under the
water and drowned. Efforts to develop methods to minimize
these deaths were discussed.
The Uttermost Part of the Earth by Dick
Two books that are about the Beagle Channel area were reviewed.
Lucas Bridges was the son of a missionary to the Ushuaia area in
1871 and in his book “Uttermost Part of the Earth” he describes
the life in Tierra del Fuego and the various the Indian tribes.
Rockwell Kent’s book “Voyaging Southward from the Strait of
Magellan” describes his trip to this area in 1922 and his woodcuts
are gorgeous.
Rain began to fall as we approached the Beagle Channel. The
first bad weather of the trip. We hove to for part of the evening
as we waited for the pilot to take us into Ushuaia. The Captain’s
Farewell Cocktail Party and Dinner was a splendid affair. At the
end of the Cocktail Party Kim showed a series of photos with
African music in the background. The photos were made available
for those contributing to the Save the Albatross effort and
this wonderful group of passengers all did so.
The dinner was magnificent. It was a great finale to this adventure.
NOON POSITION 55°54.8’S 66°43.3’W

Wednessday, 15 December The Andrea arrived at the dock in Ushuaia at 0700 hrs amid a
bright sunny day and the mountains about the harbor covered
with powdered sugar. While rain was falling on the lower Beagle
last night snow was dusting the mountains.
Disembarkation day is always a day of where did I put my luggage?
What time does the bus leave for the airport? And can I
board the ship again to look for my pen? But it always works out
and the passengers leave for their many destinations with happy
memories of a wonderful trip to Antarctica and a good feeling
about the Andrea and its crew.
NOON POSITION 54°48.5’S 68°16.4’W

Captain Stanovic, owner of m.s.Andrea, Nenad Bach, Marilyn Armbruster

Martinolich Shipyards in America

Just saw on your Web that a young lady just discovered her Martinolich Roots. Here are a few of her cousins from
Mississippi, Washington and British Columbia, Canada. The first Martinolich's came in the 1860's; they were
successful shipbuilders and sea captains..

Adam S. Eterovich

Martinolich Shipyards

MARTINOLICH, JOHN A. Shipbuilder: The history of the Puget Sound would be incomplete without the story of the
Croatians who purchased land and made Dockton, Washington a town on Maury Island, their home. Among them was John
A. Martinolich, who was born in Mali Losinj, Dalmatia, Croatia and came to this country in 1893. Martinolich came
from a line of shipbuilders who had practiced their trade along the Dalmatian Coast of the Adriatic. He had
emigrated first to Canada, where he was employed at the Vancouver Shipyards Ltd. under Watts. He was not only a
skilled craftsman but also had considerable knowledge and ability as a ship designer." In June, 1909, the drydock
of the Puget Sound Drydock Company, for which the town of Dockton was named, was gone. But Dockton was by no means
ready to become a ghost town. Her greatest days were yet to come. Many of the former drydock workers stayed on and
embarked on enterprises of their own. Among them were Martinolich and John Bussanich, who was a blacksmith. This
hardy citizenry of fishermen and drydock workers liked their community too much to leave. They soon established a
thriving economy, even surpassing the drydock era. Martinolich operated his shipbuilding business at several
locations in Dockton in the early years. In 1904, he signed a contract to build the Vashon, which was the first of
many well-known "mosquito fleet" steamers to be built in Dockton. Next he built the 142-ton, 113-foot steamer, the
Verona. After building these, Martinolich had kept busy building purse seiners and other fishing boats for
Dockton’s growing fleet of fishermen. John Martinolich had often been credited with the development of the West
Coast purse seiner. His long, deep draft hulls became the classic pattern for the engine-driven fishing fleet that
was to dominate the fishing grounds of the Northwest and Southeastern Alaska for the next fifty years. Many of
those early purse seiners are still in use.
As the larger shipyards in Seattle and elsewhere became mobilized for the war effort in 1916, opportunities arose
for small, independent operators, and Martinolich obtained a contract from the Norwegian government for three
large wooden sailing schooners. All three were 235-foot, fore and aft rigged, topmast schooners. To accommodate
these large vessels, the yard was completely rebuilt to provide fully planked ways capable of handling all three
ships simultaneously. When America entered World War I in 1917, work was in progress on all three hulls. However,
by the time one of the ships was completed in 1918, the shipping crisis had abated and, with worsening financial
conditions, the Norwegian government failed to make payments on the contract. Because of Martinolich's fine
reputation, a major lumber supplier decided to take over the contract. During the reorganization of the shipyard
operations following the panic, Martinolich took in his relative, John Catalinich, to be a partner, Several
relatives, including Tonce Cosulich, also worked in the same shipyard. The combination of relatives and fiery
Dalmatian tempers resulted in some memorable verbal battles and smouldering rivalries. Cosulich and Catalinich
formed a partnership and bid for the construction of a new passenger steamer by undercutting Martinolich. They
obtained the contract to build the Vashona. Martinolich was enraged, and he, in turn, fiercely undercut them on
every job that came along, so that the partners were driven out of business. The rivalry finished, Martinolich
hired them back. Martinolich continued to build purse seiners and packers for the salmon trade. Many of his boats
were operated by local Dockton fishermen. They were divided into two groups: the big seine boats which were
operated by Slavonians (Croatians) such as Plancich, Beretich, Lubich, Catalinich, and Berry; and the
Scandinavians, who operated one and two-man trollers. In 1929, when business became slack at the shipyard,
Martinolich sent most of his crew to Gig Harbor to help the Skansie yard during the construction of the ferry
Skansonia. In 1930, he retired and the shipyard closed except for occasional repair work. In 1937, he left Dockton
to go to Italy, where he had acquired a villa. The Second World War forced his return to this country. He died in
Tacoma in 1960. (Petrich, M. 1984)

Martinolich Shipyard

MARTINOLICH, FRANK and MATTEO Shipyard: When Croatian born Matteo Martinolich came to the Mississippi Coast in the
mid-1880s, he was already skilled in shipbuilding and design. First working for Handsboro shipbuilder Henry
Lienhard, Martinolich then established his own shipyard on the banks of Bayou Bemard at Handsboro, now part of
Gulfport, Mississippi. An ad in the 1893 publication Mexican Gulf Illustrated advertises "Martinolich Shipyard.
Vessels Built Hauled out and Repaired on Short Notice, and Satisfaction Guaranteed. Also, Steamboats, Iron or
Wood, Yachts and Pleasure Boats." Matteo was the first to use Mississippi pine in the building of seagoing vessels
and built the first sliding-way on the Coast to handle vessels larger than 60 feet. Pictures of visitors to the
shipyard stand in the ribs of the schooner John Francis Stuard, then under construction. The rigged halfmodel of
this 205.8-foot 1,200-ton, four-masted schooner, built in 1919 to carry freight and lumber, is on exhibit in the
Hancock Bank in Gulfport The ship itself burned at the dock in Gulfport in 1928. Another photograph is of
Martinolich and the large family he reared in the banks of Bayou Bernard. Seated in the center of the photograph
is Frank Martinolich Sr., who came in 1883, along with his wife and sons Matteo and Frank Jr., from the island of
Losinj near the western coast of Croatia. Other family members are front row, from left; children Joseph, 12,
Andrew, 10; Leo, 3; Joanna Pavalini Martinolich holding 1-year-old. Jessie, standing next to Frank Sr. are Katie,
8 and Anna, 5. Through hard work and diligence, Martinolich launched a shipyard and raised a large family a true
American immigrant success story. But as with many success stories, his was also touched by tragedy. From 1911 to
1914, three Martinolich's sons, his brother and his father died. On June 19, 1914 his two youngest boys drowned
while swimming together in Bayou Bernard. Through World War I and until his semiretirement and closing of the
business in about 1922, Matteo Martinolich built and designed hundreds of ships and boats; some still ply the seas
today. (Pejovic, I 1935)

Martinolich Shipyard

MARTINOLICH, VENANZIO Fisherman-Shipyard-Mariner: In June of 1905, Venanzio Martinolich of Ladner, Canada signed a
contract with Yammamoto of Steveston to fish with Martinolich's 50 ft. steam tug "Eva". The tug was accompanied by
two scows, two seine boats, all necessary purse seine nets and approximately nine sailors and fishermen to fish
for dog salmon between Deep Bay and the town of Comox.
Purse Seiners were introduced in the U.S.A. during the mid-1880's to the Puget Sound area. The problem was
mobility; the early purse seiners were operated using both a scow and a skiff. As Duncan Stacey states in 'A
History of Gear Technology in the West Coast Fishing Industry', "Seine fishing at this point of time was a slow,
ponderous procedure: The early purse seiners were fished from a boat and scow. The boat was 25 ft. long and 7 ft.
wide". The scow upon which most of the work was done, and which was considered indispensable in setting the seine,
was 20 ft. long by 8 ft. wide.
At each end there was an iron winch. These winches were used for the “pursing up", the seine being pursed from the
scow. There was a wooden purse davit, which stepped into the side of the scow and to which were attached two (3
inch) wooden blocks, the purse line leading from them to the winches at either end. Eleven to fourteen men were
required to set the seine, six at the oars, two at the seine and two on the scow. During the slow process of
pursing, a man stood at the davit with a long pole, which had a block of wood called a "plunger" fastened to it.
This was kept working up and down between the purse lines to frighten the fish away from the centre of the net. No
doubt it was very effective in saving the school, as the bottom of the seine was left open from twenty-five to
forty minutes which was ample time for the salmon to find its way out. From an hour and a half to two hours were
required for setting, pursing up and stowing the seine ready for another trial.
The use of steam tugs partially solved the mobility problem, as Venanzio Martinolich proved, but the real
innovation at this point in the purse seine industry was the introduction of the internal combustion engine. As
Duncan Stacey explains: "It provided mobility and changed the method of setting the net".
The scows were discarded and the net moved from the skiff on the powered seiner. The end of the seine was now made
fast to the skiff which acted like a sea anchor and the seiner made a circle back to the skiff. Both ends of the
net were then brought aboard, the net pursed and finally hauled up, allowing the fish to be removed.
Soon after these powered seiners were introduced, their purse winches were driven by the main engine, which
eliminated much of the labour of pursing up. The powered purse seiners could set and haul up their nets in
approximately half the time required by their predecessors.
Venanzio Martinolich was bom on January 10, 1848, on the island of Mali Losinj on the north Adriatic coast of
Croatia. He was married in Mali Losinj; however his first wife passed away, leaving Venanzio with two children; a
son Mariano and a daughter Maria. A master mariner and boat builder, Venanzio decided that North America would
present better opportunities for him and his family, so they left his island, never to return. They landed in New
Orleans and Venanzio Martinolich soon met and married Antoinetta Nikolich. Venanzio then took his family to
Colorado where their daughter Carolina was bom on July 27, 1889. Apparently he attempted coal mining in the
north-west. The family moved on to Tacoma, Washmgton where a son, Venanzio was born on May 14, 1891. Venanzio and
Mariano started fishing in Tacoma, where it was decided that the Fraser River had no more to offer to catch. How
he finished in Tacoma and with what type of gear is not known. Venanzio then moved to Port Guichon 1892. Port
Guichon, about a mile south of moderm day Ladner near Vancouver, accommodated steamer and also sailing vessels.
Venanzio saw that there was a demand for scows and tugs. So he started his own shipyard. The first Martinolich
boats were steam-powered tugs. One was called the "B.C. Boy"; the other was the "Eva".
The entrepreneurial Venanzio began to work the gear that he built. In a recent
interview, grandson Richard Martinolich related to me that "Venanzio built a tug and used it himself to tow scows
and what not because they needed them on the river to collect the fish and bring the fish to canneries and what
not".
By the early 1900's a market was developing for the lesser grades of salmon such as dogs (for salting) and pinks
(for canning) where previously only sockeye, or in a bad sockeye year, red springs and cohoe were in demand.
Venanzio saw the opportunity to go fishing for the lucrative salmon market that was establishing and in 1905, he
acquired one the first Purse seine licences in B.C. He proceeded to fish areas on the coast, working an area until
the run had finished and then travelled to another area. Two scows were used: one for living quarters, the other
for the working platform and the base for the two boats that were used to set the nets from the scow. Venanzio
continued this type of operation for approximately three years.
However, as Duncan Stacey describes, the purse seining would be revolutionized by the internal combustion engine.
"The forerunner of the modern seiner was introduced around 1902 when the 'Pioneer', a gas-powered seine boat, was
launched in Puget Sound. This vessel was only 38 ft. long, powered by a 5 H.P. combustion engine, and had a
hand-operated purse winch. The typical early seine was a small open boat decked forward with a small cabin over
the engine. The width was twenty-five percent of the vessel's length to take the heavy cargoes and the strain of
pulling in the nets. The seine net was stored on a platform or table on the stem, hence the term table seiner".
In about 1909 Venanzio brought over the table seiner "Yankee Boy", probably imported from the Puget Sound area. It
was one of the earliest powered seine boats used in B.C. These early seiners were built to fish a localized
fisheries; however the fishing industry was changing and a need for most robust, deeper hull types would
necessitate changes in vessel design. As Duncan Stacey asserts, "British Columbia's seine fleet began to develop
rapidly after 1911 to exploit the Swift Sure Bank fishery of the Straits of Juan de Fuca. Between 1911 and 1912
the number of seiners in this fishery rose from 22 to 100. Also seiners that fished theses waters were known as
deep sea seiner boats and differed from the earlier types, had more power, had crew quarters, and were fully
decked."
Venanzio used the "Yankee Boy" very successfully locally and he decided in 1912 to build a more robust hulled
seiner based on boat design. The boat he built "The B.C. Kid", was approximately eighteen feet long and a deeper
displacement hull, which was more geared for rough weather. The first home-built table seiner in the Ladner Area
was the "B.C. Kid", and would be Venanzio's last vessel.
In 1913 at age sixty-five, Venanzio Martinolich died of a heart attack, but he left behind him a legacy: The
pioneering Martinolich family would continue to be innovative in it's approach to fishing.
Matt Martinolich carried on in the fishing industry and built the "Green Sea" in 1918, a sixty-'five footer, the
"Daisy B" in 1927 and the. "Splendor", another sixty-five footer in 1940. Matt Martinolich married Emilla
Giuricich on February 17, 1917 in Port Guichon. They had three sons, Richard, Aldwin and Glenn. Little major
technological change occurred in the seine fisheries until the late 40's when a few seine fishermen were using
rudimentary drums, but with little success. Drum type seiners in contrast to table seiners could set and purse
more quickly.
A drum is a mechanically or hydraulically powered horizontal drum made of wood or aluminum which sets and hauls
the seine. It was commonly accepted however, that drum seiners could not catch the high-paying sockeye salmon, a
favourite target species by table seiners. This train of thought was commonplace mainly because this new
technology had not evolved to where the drum seine could became the dominant seine system. Table seining was still
the accepted means to catch salmon. In the early 50's the table seine net was brought up by fleeting the net. This
was by strapping the net and hauling it using the winch. The power block replaced the strapping process. (Herman
1995)

WINE TALK
Taking the Party on the Road

"Recently it was determined that zinfandel is identical to a grape long cultivated in Croatia. In other words, it is an immigrant. But myths die hard, and having taken zinfandel as our own, we are, it would appear, reluctant to give it up."

Editor's Note:
Is there any kind of brochure or leaflet or book or add or ANYTHING coming form Croatia about Zinfandel? Are we watching another golden carriage pass by?

Nenad Bach

Wayde Carroll
FOR A GRAPE Wines from 275 wineries were featured at the 13th annual Zinfandel Festival in San Francisco in January.

By FRANK J. PRIAL
Published: March 24, 2004

HARDONNAY is America's favorite wine, but if someone gave a party to celebrate it, how many people would come? Oh, a handful of fanatics, perhaps, plus the people who produce all those oak flavorings. But that's it. There is nothing visceral about the appeal of chardonnay.

Ah, but zinfandel, now that is something else. There was a party for zinfandel in San Francisco in January, and 8,500 people came. In the course of a long, liquid afternoon, they tasted, if that's the appropriate word, more than 550 wines offered by some 275 wineries.

Tasted might not be the right word because, according to participants (both winemakers and revelers), hardly anybody bothered to sip and spit. It was a wine drinking affair. In all fairness to the hosts, no one had to drink or taste on an empty stomach: each arriving guest was handed a baguette at the door, and there were mountains of California cheeses available.

The party, the San Francisco Zinfandel Festival, is an annual affair organized by Zinfandel Advocates and Producers, better known as ZAP, a nonprofit group dedicated to, in its own orotund words, "advancing the public knowledge of and appreciation for American zinfandel and its unique place in our culture and history." In other words, to tirelessly plug the wine, an exercise which has been wildly successful. I must note here that the organization means red zinfandel, and definitely not that wimpy, pale pink stuff known as white zinfandel.

The tasting, on Jan. 24 at Fort Mason, was preceded by several other events including an equally over-the-top Good Eats and Zinfandel lunch in Golden Gate Park, at which 36 zinfandel producers and 36 restaurants teamed up to show how well the wine goes with food. Only a modest 800 fans took part.

At the first ZAP tasting, in 1992, 22 wineries poured their wares for a small group of zinfandel fans. It was the kind of tasting that goes on every week in San Francisco, virtually unnoticed. But this one grew. Today ZAP claims 6,000 advocates and 310 producer members.

Almost all zinfandel comes from California. Small amounts are made in Oregon, Washington and New Zealand. Similar wines are made in Italy and Croatia. In Italy, the grape and the wine are called primitivo. Most of the wines poured at the big tasting were bottled ones from the 2001 vintage. Many producers also offered barrel samples, wines not yet bottled, from 2002.

Aside from showcasing zinfandel, ZAP finances research on the grape's provenance and history and covers most of the operating budget for the Zinfandel Heritage Vineyard in Oakville, in the Napa Valley, where zinfandel vines are gathered from all over California to study and preserve. Some of these vines are more than 100 years old.

Part of zinfandel's appeal is its long connection with America. For years it was known as this country's only native vinifera vine. Cabernet sauvignon, merlot, pinot noir and chardonnay all have traceable European origins.

Recently it was determined that zinfandel is identical to a grape long cultivated in Croatia. In other words, it is an immigrant. But myths die hard, and having taken zinfandel as our own, we are, it would appear, reluctant to give it up.

Zinfandel was long considered a second-tier grape, suitable mostly for jug wines. It was a major constituent in wines like Gallo's Hearty Burgundy. Later, producers like Ridge Vineyards showed that it could be fashioned into wines with elegance and complexity. Today's winemakers turn the grape into a remarkable array of wines, from light and simple styles to wines that are intense and long-lived. In recent years, old-vine zinfandels have been popular; so have high-alcohol wines, some of them containing 16.5 and 17 percent alcohol (most table wines have a 12.5 to 14 percent alcohol content).

Though many of the zins poured at the festival were alcoholic monsters, many seemed less massive than in former years, wrote Paul Franson, who publishes a newsletter about the Napa Valley. That was either because of climatic conditions or of restraint on the part of winemakers who may recognize that big isn't always better.

Many of the wines, in fact, were more like the friendly zins of yore, though that wasn't what most festival attendees were seeking, Mr. Franson wrote.

Calling the wines zins is part of zinfandel's populist image. Winemakers cannot resist the slightly louche effect that comes from rhyming zin with sin. Names that have appeared over the years include Original Zin, Mortal Zin and, in the case of wordsmith-winemaker Randall Grahm, Cardinal Zin, Made from Gnarly Old Vines.

For zinfandel lovers who can't make it to San Francisco for the annual bacchanal, ZAP takes its show on the road. As road shows go, it's a big one.

This year, some 50 wineries will pour new releases for their fans in five cities beginning with New York on April 22, where they will pitch their tent, figuratively speaking, at the 200 Fifth Club at 200 Fifth Avenue. Ticket information is available at www.zinfandel.org.

The road show offers less wine than the main event in San Francisco, but no one is likely to complain about being limited to 50 wines. In addition, there is the usual detritus of fan-oriented events, including caps, T-shirts and the like. A zinfandel T-shirt says something about the wine's laid-back image. I ask you, who could conceive of a cabernet sauvignon T-shirt?

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/24/dining/24WINE.html