The Story of Jack London’s Snark and the Cruise of the Shindig

Sat, September 28, 2024, 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Have you ever been lured by the siren song to set sail for the South Pacific?  Learn about two couples who made it a reality, Jack and Charmian London and Rob and Nancy Novak.

For Jack and Charmian London, living and owning land near Glen Ellen was a way of escaping Oakland, from the city way of life he called “the man trap.” But, restless and eager for foreign travel and adventure, he and his wife, Charmian London, decided to build a ship, the Snark, and sail around the world, serializing his adventure.

Nancy and Rob Novak, Sonoma County residents and real-life sailors left on their cruise of a lifetime in 2012. During that time, unknowingly, they visited some of the London’s South Seas destinations like the Society Islands (Tahiti, Moorea, Huahine, Bora Bora and Raiatea), 105 years after Jack London’s Snark came to call.

Join Nancy and Rob Novak for an enchanting afternoon as they recount their amazing voyage. They will set the stage with a summary of Jack and Charmian’s South Seas sailing adventures before sharing their personal story of sailing their own 48 ft sailboat, “Shindig” in the Mexican and South Pacific waters for over a decade.

“Our goal was to go on our own sailing adventure. We had been sailing in the SF Bay for many years, and our sailboat Shindig was bought specifically for an offshore adventure.  We resigned from our jobs, and spent a year downsizing our belongings and  putting the rest into storage. Our initial plan was to take 1-2 years off of work, and see where the winds would take us.  We thought we’d stay in Mexico for a year, and then possibly go across the Pacific Ocean to the South Pacific.  When we finished our adventure, we had sailed over 14 years and covered 15,000 nautical miles. “

Note: Limited seating is available. Performance space can be reached by stairway only; for more information about access, please call (707) 938-5216

$15 per person plus $10 per car entry free (up to 9 passengers)

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Jack London State Historic Park

2400 London Ranch Rd. - Glen Ellen