Just after Christmas, the Florida Keys’ Conch Republic lost a beloved guiding spirit: Captain Finbar Gittelman, the personification of an “old salt.” In honor of the staunch and dedicated mariner, Keys Voices is sharing an updated profile of him that originally appeared in 2018.
For much of his life Captain Finbar Gittelman, a longtime Florida Keys denizen, bore a slightly unnerving resemblance to the fierce Barbossa from “Pirates of the Caribbean.” Owner and master of the majestic Schooner Wolf, he was for many years the venerable First Sea Lord and Supreme Commander of the Keys’ picturesque Conch Republic Military Forces.
Finbar and his wife Julie made many humanitarian voyages on the Wolf, carrying relief supplies to Caribbean islands after natural disasters.
Despite his imposing titles (which also included admiral of the Conch Republic forces), the roguish seafarer was simply called “Finbar” by most people who knew him.
Growing up on Miami Beach, he first came to Key West as a child with his parents to take the then-operating ferry to Havana to visit relatives. Always fascinated by the sea, he sailed into Key West for good in 1973.
“Key West was a very different place in those days,” he said during a 2018 interview, recalling an era dominated by commercial fishing, a navy base and illicit marijuana importation. “Seafaring was everything, but there were no passenger sailboats — so I jumped in to fill the gap.”
In 1980 he built the 33-foot sloop High Tide, designed for day sailing and trips to the nearby coral reef. Two years later, he began building the 74-foot topsail Schooner Wolf that became not only his lifelong passion, but his frequent liveaboard home.
“The Wolf was designed to be a traditionally rigged schooner, the type common in the 19th century,” explained Finbar. “I’ve always loved traditional ships. To me, the old ways are sometimes the best ways, and it was a tradition worth carrying on.”
The Schooner Wolf was headquartered in Key West and neighboring Stock Island for some four decades. As well as operating as a passenger boat, offering everything from specialty day sails to private charters and extended voyages, the classic schooner appeared in films and at tall ship festivals around the U.S. and Caribbean.
Finbar’s Schooner Wolf departs on an evening sail some years ago — a majestic sight against the setting sun.
The Wolf was also renowned for humanitarian relief sails — missions inspired by a personal experience that Finbar never forgot.
In 1980 the steadfast captain survived a deadly Caribbean hurricane at sea, spending three harrowing days in a tiny life raft after the ship he was piloting sank. Years later, he and his wife Julie McEnroe began leading the Wolf’s crew on missions of mercy after hurricanes and other natural disasters, carrying cargoes of relief supplies to survivors in stricken Caribbean regions.
“People keep asking me why we’re doing this, and my answer is simple,” said Finbar in 2010, right before he and Julie set sail for earthquake-ravaged Haiti with more than 10 tons of donated supplies. “We’re islanders, and we need to take care of our fellow islanders.”
As a Key West islander, Finbar embraced activities that include portraying a pirate king at local festivals coordinated by Julie (who he fondly called “Blossom”) and working his way up through the ranks of the Conch Republic Military Forces.
This film by Matt Dean chronicles Finbar’s seafaring life and a pivotal voyage.
In 1985, the Wolf was designated the flagship of the republic — a symbolic “independent nation” recognized around the world as the Florida Keys’ colorful alter ego. Supreme Commander Finbar led the lighthearted sea battle against “federal invaders” each April during the Conch Republic Independence Celebration.
In all the roles took on, the captain — who later in life called himself “the ancient mariner” — was driven by a devil-may-care enthusiasm and a profound affection for the ocean and his Key West life.
“I love being at sea, but I also love being home on my island,” he said. “I’ve been to many ports and none of them have the way of life I love here.”
He was also passionate about teaching others the ancient art of sail.
“I want to pass on what I know to younger sailors, and try to show them — as best I can — the spirit of the sea,” said Finbar several years ago.
That spirit, and Finbar’s own dynamic spirit, were spotlighted in a captivating documentary film released in 2018 by Matt Dean Films. “The Old Man and the Sea: Return to Cuba” explored Finbar’s seafaring life and first journey to Havana since his childhood.
Now those who loved him — and who love the Conch Republic — are celebrating his life and preparing to carry on his legacy. Fair winds and following seas, Finbar. You will never be forgotten.
