The S.S. Minnow is Back in Shipshape
Posted on August 24, 2008 at 8:00 am
Anyone for a 3-hour tour? If you get on the S.S. Minnow and the other passengers are a movie star, a professor, a millionaire and his wife, not to mention Mary Ann, you might want to check to make sure you’ve packed enough to wear for a long vacation.
Yes, the S.S. Minnow from Gilligan’s Island
I have special affection for this boat because it was named after my father, Newton Minow, whose famous speech to the broadcasters calling television a “vast wasteland” annoyed “Gilligan’s Island” creator Sherwood Schwartz. So Schwartz named the sinking boat after him! My dad got a huge kick out of it and later had a very cordial exchange of letters with Schwartz. It is a great point of pride for our family. 
Thanks to Zeke for bringing me up to date on this story!
Your family connection to Gilligan’s island really tickled my funny bone. At first I thought, “No way! That has to be one of those traps people bury in their copyrighted work to catch the plagiarists who never cite their sources.” So I did a little research of my own. What a wonderful story.
I live in Seattle, so maybe I’ll run up to B.C. when the boat is ready and take a 3-hour tour.
Keep up the good work.
Thanks, John! Believe me, I couldn’t make up something like this!
Hi Nell;
I was thrilled to come across your column!
I’m with Quality Foods, the company that purchased and restored the SS Minnow.
With your permission, I would like to keep you and your readers updated as we progress with the project, and hopefully be a valuable and accurate SS Minnow resource because – as I’m finding out – information can often get messed up by (mostly)well meaning reporters.
I look forward to chatting with you if you have the opportunity.
Regards
Rob MacKay
Quality Foods,
Vancouver Island, BC