Just sit right back and you’ll hear a tale,
A tale of a fateful trip
That started from this tropic port
Aboard this WHEELER ship.
Sailing into Uncharted Territory
The premise of Gilligan’s Island was simple. Five tourists set off on a three-hour cruise captained by The Skipper and his bumbling first mate, Gilligan. After leaving port in Honolulu onboard the S.S. Minnow, a big storm blew the ship off course and shipwrecked the passengers on an “uncharted desert isle.” Most episodes are about the castaways’ attempts to escape the island, but their ploys invariably fail, generally due to Gilligan’s incompetence.
With strong viewership, the network picked up Gilligan’s Island for a second and third season, which is when a Wheeler-built ship made its cameo on the classic show.
The mate was a mighty sailing man,
The skipper brave and sure.
Five passengers set sail that day
For a three hour tour, a three hour tour.
Suspension of Disbelief
Between the dream sequences and occasional island visitors, the show played fast and loose with reality, but that was part of its charm. And, since the producers were likewise concerned with continuity, four different ships were used for the S.S. Minnow over the course of three seasons.
Minnow #1 was bought and towed to Kauai for the shooting of the pilot. Once the boat was beached, the TV crew took sledgehammers to its hull to make it appear storm-damaged and unseaworthy.
The Minnow today
In the opening credits of the first season the cast was filmed boarding Minnow #2 and sailing out to sea. This S.S. Minnow was rented from Honolulu Harbor.
During the remainder of production, all the episodes were shot at CBS in Studio City, California. Since there were three casting changes between the pilot, which was never aired during the series’ initial run, and the first episode that did hit the airwaves, new opening credits were recorded for seasons two and three. To capture this new scene, the crew visited nearby Marina Del Rey and filmed Minnow #3, a 1964 Wheeler Playmate named The Bluejacket.
This Wheeler Playmate featured a 38-foot Express Bridge with two Detroit Diesel engines, giving it a maximum speed of 14 knots with a cruising speed of 12 knots. The ship’s wooden hull and mahogany woodwork could accommodate two crew and six passengers, making it just the right size for Gilligan’s ill-fated excursion.
The fourth Minnow was merely a prop that was created for the set of the hit TV show.
The weather started getting rough,
The tiny ship was tossed,
If not for the courage of the fearless crew
The Minnow would be lost, the Minnow would be lost.
Rescuing a TV Icon
Despite its popularity, Gilligan’s Island was unexpectedly cancelled after its third season. With the cast and crew scattered, the whereabouts of The Bluejacket remained widely unknown for more than 20 years — until one day, life imitated art.
In 1996, The Bluejacket’s owner was taking the boat south from Alaska when it hit a reef during a storm in the Hecate Strait, located between the Queen Charlotte Islands and mainland Canada. For three days, it was capsized in the water, rendering all its electrical equipment useless.
The ship was being towed when it caught the eye of Vancouver resident Scotty Taylor. He knew wooden ships were rare and upon closer inspection discovered it was a 1964 Wheeler built in New York. Wheeler’s reputation for high-quality craftsmanship and legendary history more than piqued his interest. Taylor offered $3,500 to salvage the ship, and the owner agreed on one condition: The Bluejacket had to be restored.
Recreating a Maritime Gem
After Taylor purchased the boat, The Bluejacket’s previous owner mentioned the vessel was used as one of the Minnows on Gilligan’s Island. Taylor didn’t give the rumor much credence until he found a numbered plaque above the door. Upon researching the vehicle identification number, Taylor confirmed the boat’s Hollywood ties.
Taylor kept The Bluejacket in Parksville, British Columbia where it was moored next to Ken Schley’s boat for years. Having suffered considerable wood rot and damage from the capsizing, Taylor eventually sold the boat for around $90,000 to Schley and his friend John Briuolo.
At that price, the new owners were determined to make the recently renamed S.S. Minnow seaworthy again. They hired a pair of skilled boat craftsmen who spent more than two years on the $200,000 restoration. In an ode to the show, the owners placed a cast photo above the galley table and hung an old life preserver emblazoned with “S.S. Minnow” on the ship, just like the one that’s pictured in the closing credits.
The Minnow Sails Another Day
Just as syndication exposed new generations to Gilligan’s Island, so did the Minnow’s meticulous renovation.
Throughout the 2000s, Schley and Briuolo kept the boat in Vancouver where they offered three-hour tours (three-hour tours!) to the public and hosted charity fundraisers.
In 2016, Dawn Wells, the actress who played Mary Ann, made a special visit to the Minnow and drew huge crowds for days. A video of her visit has more than 148K views.
More than 50 years after the show aired, there continues to be interest in Gilligan’s Island and the Wheeler Yacht — because beloved classics are unsinkable.
The ship set ground on the shore of this uncharted desert isle
With Gilligan
The Skipper too,
The millionaire and his wife,
The movie star
The Professor and Mary Ann,
Here on Gilligan’s Isle.