Name: Fred Ford-Smith
Office in The Town & River Cruise Club: Commodore
Where were you born? I was born in Hamilton, Ohio.
How long have you lived in Fort Myers? My wife Lorraine and I have been part time residents for 19 years but last year we became full time residents of Fort Myers.
How long have you been boating? Where have you boated? I have been boating for 70+ years. As a youngster, I boated in the Muskoka Lakes, Hamilton Harbor. After that, we boated regularly off the coasts of Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. For the next 30 years, we cruised the Great Lakes and the Trent-Severn Canal System. Now, Lorraine and I are enjoying navigating the local waters and cruising the west coast of Florida.
Are there any boating experiences or anything else you would like to share with the readers of the Town & River News? I taught Advanced Piloting and Celestial Navigation for 10 years for the US Power Squadron. Eventually, I pursued and received a 100 ton Merchant Marine License from the US Coast Guard which I held for 25 years.
With my wife’s invaluable assistance, we started and incorporated the Dock of the Bay Yacht Club in Sandusky, Ohio. This yacht club on Lake Erie has about 80-100 members at this time.
I ran for office and was elected to the Board Of Directors of MTOA in 2000. This is the world’s largest trawler organization with about 2,500 members. As Director of Northern Operations, I organized and oversaw the club’s first international rendezvous at both Leamington, Ontario and Toronto. I also provided organizational support in the group’s first west coast rendezvous in the Seattle area.