"...a wide range of interviews
with those who knew him, sprinkled with the history of schooners,
whaling, shipping, daily life on Martha's Vineyard in past centuries,
and the importance of sailing to men like Tilton, despite the
onslaught of steam and oil-powered vessels."
-David Liscio, Sailing Magazine
"The film tells Zeb's story
as well as the related tales of shipbuilding, arctic whaling,
famous sea captains in the age of sail, Vineyard artists past
and present, and most importantly, Islanders' enduring romance
with the sea."
-Vineyard Style
""Zeb-Schooner Life"
is sure to appeal to anyone with an appreciation of New England
maritime history and the colorful characters that shaped the
economy and culture of the region."
-Marilyn J. Rowland, Falmouth Enterprise
"Captures the American folk
hero's sharp wit, canny intelligence, and ability to meet any
challenge with courage and derring-do."
-Susan Dewey, Martha's Vineyard Life
"...a well-documented history...something
special."
-Sam Hoyt, Wing & Wing, American Schooner
Association
"Tilton grew up into a spokesman
for the nation's maritime heritage and a symbol of those steeped
in its traditions, bucking technological change at every junction."
- David Liscio, Sailing
"Anyone with nostalgia for
the days when coastal schooners plied these waters carrying
cargo from port to port under sail should make it a point...to
see "Zeb Schooner Life."
-William F. Galvin, Cape Cod Chronicle
"Various Tilton relatives
and Islanders appear on screen to share anecdotes, Vineyard
folklore, and their memories of their outsize, funny, and notorious
friend and relative."
-Amy Ullrich, Sail Magazine
"...a smashing success."
-Ebba Hierta, Director, Chilmark Library
"An equally captivating subject,
the Alice S. Wentworth
was a 73 foot schooner built in 1893 in Norwalk, Conn and made
iconic by a great many photographs, paintings,
and models."
-Alice Early, Vineyard Times
The Alice Wentworth’s “description
reads like poetry.”
-Brooks Robards, mvtimes.com
"A great production. Having
sailed and skippered schooners in the past, I thought I was
an expert, but I learned a lot."
-Captain Robertson Dinsmore, USCG (ret.)
“The film is an amazingly
complete history of schooners, from their early use as revenue
cutters and privateers, to the coasting schooners, the fishing
schooners, an finally to yachts."
-Sam Hoyt, Wing & Wing, American Schooner
Association
“The film wins high marks
for its educational value.”
-Brooks Robards, mvtimes.com
"Historic footage and photographs
of Tilton, the Wentworth, and local maritime settings provide
the focus for this wide-ranging look at Captain Tilton and a
nearly forgotten way of life."
-Marilyn J. Rowland, Falmouth Enterprise
“A great gift to the island.”
-Polly Burroughs, Author Zeb’s biography
“I greatly enjoyed the film.”
Keith Gorman, Executive Director, Martha’s
Vineyard Museum
"...beautifully filmed."
-Marc Songini, author, "The Lost Fleet"
“…a number of underlying
narratives regarding Vineyard life, its maritime heritage, as
well as the life and culture along the East Coast. These themes
came through very strongly.”
-Keith Gorman, Executive Director, Martha’s
Vineyard Museum
“‘Preserves a valuable
segment of Vineyard history.”
-Brooks Robards, mvtimes.com
“Provides background on
the whaling industry, the early Vineyard community, including
Mr. Tilton's forebears, and a look at other local sea captains
-Brooks Robards, mvtimes.com
"While the documentary focuses
on expert seaman, character, and charmer Zeb Tilton and his
love of the Wentworth, it goes much further to tell the story
of schooners and their value in maritime trade in the late 1800s
and early 1900s, before trains and trucking relegated the few
remaining vessels to leisure cruises."
-William F. Galvin, Cape Cod Chronicle
"Great stories and great
video!"
-Cynthia Hall, Executive Director, Osterville
Historical Museum
“A vast history of schooners,
whaling, the Vineyard and the world in which Zeb came to fame.”
-Alexander Trowbridge, Vineyard Gazette
“The Vineyard story from
the days of Moshup, the Wampanoag legend, to the rise of the
whaling industry, to the recreational use of schooners today.”
-Alexander Trowbridge, Vineyard Gazette
"Tilton was a charismatic
Vineyard native whose antics on shore were as colorful as his
life aboard the iconic vessel, the Alice S. Wentworth."
-Susan Dewey, Martha's Vineyard Life
“Draws deeply on its island
roots.”
-Alice Early, Vineyard Times
