History Northwind

When Cox and Stevens designed and when Charles Martin Clark commissioned Northwind in 1930, they had no idea of the adventure and intrigue and celebrity that would follow her.

Northwind cruised the Great Lakes and the Atlantic seaboard until 1938 when the U.S. Maritime Commission possessed her and transferred her to His Majesty's Government in Great Britain. She was placed in the hands of the Admiralty from 1938 to 1946 and saw much varied duty.  Northwind is reputed to have been moored near Parliament so senior naval officers could have a way from eyes meetings with persons like Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Northwind was at Dunkirk and was reported patrolling off northern England and Scotland. She served as a torpedo net tender and personel transport. After the war ended, it is said that Churchill used her as a refuge to relax and paint.

In 1947, Northwind was sent on an around the world good will mission to promote British export trade. Placed under command of the British diplomat, Capt. Philip Shephard, the mission has since become regarded as an intelligience gathering trip. For the 5 year period surrounding this trip, both the famous and infamous had connections to Northwind and/or Capt. Shephard. Names like John Profumo, Miss Keeler, the Traitor Sir Roger Hollis being but a few.  Of special note is the attendance aboard in 1951, while in Malta, of Princess (now Queen) Elizabeth.

In 1961, the Prime Minister of Greece asked Marcos Nomikos (then owner of Northwind) to help host U.S. First Lady Jackie Kennedy and her entourage (including Prince and Princess Radziwill). Nomikos arranged for the Northwind to cruise the Aegean Sea with the First Lady on a trip the entire world watched through the media. Jackie Kennedy is later connected with more trips on Northwind arranged by Marcos Nomikos and business partner Aristotle Onassis.

About the late 1970s, the son of the Sultan of Oman conspired to overthrow his father, the Sultan. The coup was successful and Northwind was purchased by the new Sultan of Oman as a thank you for one of his co-conspirators. During this ownership, a major refitting of the vessel was done.

After the refit, the Northwind had some celebrity for several years in the motion picture world. One of the better known films shot aboard her was with Omar Sharif and Michael Caine.

Kingston and Camille Peters acquired Northwind in Port d'Antibes, France in 1982. The Seattle couple embarked on the voyage to bring Northwind home with their family aboard. They travelled past Gibraltor, through the Panama, and up the Pacific coast (and through a storm with 30 foot seas) to arrive in Seattle in February , 1983.

In Seattle, Northwind hosted untold numbers of interesting people, all fascinated by her classical beauty and intriguing history. In recognition of her unique history, all of Northwind privileges lost as a result of being taken out of US registry in 1938, were restored on October 16, 1988 by a Special Act of the United States Congress.

In the 1990s, the Northwind was purchased by other interests, again with intriguing connections, and brought to Canada although she remained registered in the US. She was confiscated by the Canadian Authorities for breach of import procedures and failing to pay subsequent fines. Northwind then sat at rest for several years until spotted by William Plant.

Purchasing Northwind from the Canadian government, the new owner put William to work with marine craftsmen to restore the vessel to it's old standards. William, with a great deal of passionate research and labour, is just finishing bringing the 1930s Northwind into the new millennia, once again the matriarch of all the vessels around her.

Not only is the elegance and beauty apparent in Northwind from William's work, but the information and original documents that his research has found makes for days of fascinating reading and discussion while sitting in the very presence of that environment.