Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1917-08-02
iSOME SEA ROVER
NOW IN THE CITY
Capt. Drake on Journey Of Over
1900 Miles
MANY CURIOS ON EXHIBIT
Visitors Welcomed to Inspect Strange
Little Boat Now at City
Dock

Finishing another leg of a sea jour
ney upon which he started more than
two years ago from Seattle, Wash,
and which has covered more than H.
600 miles, Capt Thomas Drake, who
has been dubbed the Lone Sea
Rover" and the Hermit of the Sea" ("
an dother things of the like reached
Annapolis this morning in his sturdy
little deep sea boat, the "Sir Fran
els"
The arrival of Captain Drake and
his craft was like voice from the
deep,so as to speak, for the hardy little
sea mariner. He has weathered many
heavy storms while hundreds of miles
out at sea, but on one occasion was
shipwrecked along the lower coast of
California. But probably his most un-
welcome experience was that which
occurred down in a port of Jamaica,
when he was arrested as a German
spy, and locked in the town Jail for
three days. But he had all the neces-
sary credentials in the way of ship
masters papers, etc, and was finally
released and allowed to go his way.
During the journey the Sir Francis
has put in at every port of conse-
quence along the Pacific and Atlantic
days she will visit Baltimore, thence
continuing on to Philadelphia, New
York and places along the New Eng
land coast The Sea Rover" esti-
mates it will be considerably more
than two years before he returns to
Seattle
Captain Drake, whose native home is
London, and who claims relationship
with Sir Frances Drake, the famous
seafarer and explorer, for whom his
boat is named, has followed the briny
deep since a mere lad of a. He is
now nearly Sand in his time he has
seen service on every type of craft,
from small sail boat to the big
steamships of the West Coast And
although he has such remarkable
career, Captain Drake is unlike most
"skippsrs." in that he has always
made his journeys similar to the pres
ent one without a companion. Nor
will he allow mascot to go along
with him. And he neither drinks nor
smokes His has been life of the
quiet and lonely in rowing the sea and
he likes il, for to use his own words
he is as happy as any man that lives.
Heis unmarried and has no depen--
dent relatives.
The "Sir Francis is queer type of
boat, built for the heaviest of wealth
er and is said to be one of the most
seaworthy craft of its size afioat. And
Captain Drake speaks with the great
est pride of the fact that the vessel
is the result of his own workmanship.
The craft is an auxiliary schooner, 80
feet long 10 feet beam, and has draft
of 80 feet. Her bow lines are of the
Norwegian type of construction and
she has whaleback stern, and she is
capable of making a speed of from 6
to 10 miles an hour. She has ira
versed all of the waterways en- route
from Seattle including the run
through the Panama Canal
Captain Drake is not making the
trip on any bet or def, but entirely
for the pleasure he derives. out OF
such mode of living. The Sir Francis
is now tied up to the north side OF
the city dock; visit to her should
be of extreme interest to residents OF
Annapolis lin view of the fact thai
Captain Drake has wonderful col.
lection of curios, sea shells and other
things, gathered from the waterways
of southern climes. The cabin is lit
orally stored full of such things. These
the Lone Sea Rover sells at small
prices. simply as means of securing
sufficient funds to cover his running
expenses. He welcomes visitors to
the boat, regardless of whether they
purchase a trinket or not, and he is
ready to tell of his many and varied
experiences. He expects to remain
here only couple of days before go
ing to Baltimore. Many Annapolitans
attracted by the strange looking craft
alroadv have visited and insnected ii