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The Whistling Man Schooner Co. StoryThe founder of Whistling Man had an old Charlie Chaplin wind up toy as a kid. When wound, Charlie twirled his cane and whistled. When starting this company in 1996, he was reminded of this childhood toy and he recalled a superstition that many sailors revere: whistling on a boat will conjure up fair winds and following seas! 25 years later, the Whistling Man Schooner Co. namesake has come to mean more than just old sailing lore. It's also the pleasant sound the wind makes when traveling through the rigging, and it's what we all like to do when we're having a jolly good time sailing on Friend Ship and Wild Rose.
From all of us at Whistling Man - Welcome Aboard! |
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Meet The Crew
Capt. Hannah "Diddy" Langsdale - Owner After graduating from St. Lawrence University, Hannah learned to sail on Lake Champlain which she now considers her home waters. Since catching “the sailing bug”, it has been hard to get her off the water. Hannah’s pirate name is Diddy, which she earned her first season as a deckhand with Whistling Man. She was responsible for maintaining Friend Ship’s lines and sails, so she always had the “Ditty Bag” within arm’s reach. Diddy is passionate about learning and sharing Lake Champlain stories and being part of a tightly knit yet growing maritime community. Diddy now has what she considers to be the best job in the world, and she feels incredibly fortunate to be at the hem of such historic vessels and to be surrounded by this amazing crew. |
Capt. Bill "O" O'Connor As the son of US Navy parents, Bill grew up around some of the major ports of the US and Europe. His passion for all things nautical developed as he followed his dad on all kinds of seagoing vessels. Bill worked his way through college aboard a New Orleans tug boat, and has captained a number of vessels up and down the East coast, and once across the Atlantic. Since then, Bill has dropped anchor in Burlington, which he considers to be one of the most beautiful and historic places in the world. |
Capt. Bob "Bubba" Bristow Bubba grew up in Bristol, CT but spent all his summers on Lake Champlain. When he was old enough he spent three summers at Camp Tonset in Orleans, MA learning the art of sailing on Cat boats. It was during these summers at camp that his passion for sailing grew. Together with his family, Bubba experienced many wonderful adventures sailing and exploring Lake Champlain. After retiring in 2019 Bubba went back to school to get his captain’s license and feels very fortunate to share his experience and passion for sailing with others as a captain aboard the Whistling Man boats and with Sail Beyond Cancer. For the past fifteen years he has done numerous deliveries of boats up and down the east coast. When not sailing you can find Bubba enjoying time with his wife and his four grandchildren. |
Capt. Lucia "Periwinkle"Pendolino Raised in the Champlain Islands, Lucia is no stranger to wonders of beautiful Lake Champlain. A dinghy sailor since in the age of seven, she has spent her days sailing from the lakes thaw to freeze on boats big and small. In high school she was a part time sailing instructor and a racer for the Lake Champlain Community Sailing Center. She now spends her fall and winters in the waters of Lake Ontario where she attends school at Queen’s University. Lucia has a passion for everything sailing and is excited to be back for another summer with Whistling Man and this fabulous crew. |
Capt. Alexis "Moxie" Kelly Alexis first discovered the magic of sailing when she was 9 years old and stepped onto a Rhodes 19 in her hometown of Charlestown, MA. From that point she was hooked and went on to spend every summer sailing, racing, and teaching on Boston Harbor. After graduating from the University of Vermont, Alexis spent some time sailing on the San Francisco Bay before deciding that she missed her home in Vermont and on Lake Champlain. Alexis began working as a deckhand for WMSC in 2021 and stepped into the captain role in 2023. Alexis loves nothing more than sharing her passion for sailing with others. When she's off the water, Alexis is an elementary school special education teacher and enjoys adventuring around this beautiful state with her rescue dog, Spinnaker. |
Capt. Tricia "Treasure T" Senzel As the daughter of a naval sailor Tricia came to the world with an affinity for boats and water. However, it wasn’t until an evening sail on Lake Champlain in September 2014 that her enthusiasm for the sport caught wind. Anchored in curiosity, she completed 3 American Sailing Association Certifications in summer 2015 and began volunteer crewing with Sail Beyond Cancer. By June 2017 she was crossing the North Atlantic between Tortola and Bermuda followed by a Caribbean Sea voyage to Bonaire in June 2018. Through her love of community and connection Tricia discovered WMSC. When not on a boat you can find Tricia navigating the waters of leadership development as Founder and CEO of her own firm. Lake Champlain is where Tricia soaks in some of the best sunsets on earth and she is passionate about sharing this experience with friends and family. |
Harry "Yeo" Chaucer Harry Chaucer (“Yeo”) has been on boats since he was very young. As a youngster, he boated with his family on Long Island Sound and Cape Cod. His mother’s family were boat-builders from Prince Edward Island. Harry’s first boat was a Super Porpoise, a wet-sailing Sunfish-like boat popular in the Great Lakes. He launched her in many northern Vermont lakes. He graduated to a series of O’Day sloops with “Canterbury Tales” being his current boat. For real fun, Harry and his wife, Kathleen, sail a pair of Hobie Tri-hull kayaks or buzz around on his dad’s 1963 Boston Whaler. Professionally, Harry has been a science teacher, a head of school, and a professor. He is retired from full-time teaching now and performs magic, sails with grandkids, and consults with international schools. He is on the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum board and enjoys sailing traditional boats when possible. He travels with Kathleen, most recently to Hawaii and Venice. His favorite quote comes from the seafaring Phoenicians: “The gods do not deduct from man’s allotted time those hours spent in sailing”. That says it all… |
Eden Smith Born and raised in Vermont, Eden has spent the past 18 years adventuring in the Green Mountains and beyond, including backpacking, skiing, camping, hiking, kayaking, and riding horses competitively. She also loves animals and has a housesitting/animal-sitting business. Eden is thrilled to spend the summer on the lake. She was first introduced to sailing in July 2019 while living on a catamaran for 21 days in the Caribbean. Eden attends Eckerd College in St Petersburg, Florida, where she studies (and adventures). |
Eleanor "Eddy" Duva Eleanor is a recent graduate from the University of Vermont and is interested in working in ecology. Outside of sailing, Eleanor spends her time hiking, gardening, and reading in the sun. This is Eleanor's first season with Whistling Man. She is thrilled to be a part of this epic crew and share the magic of Lake Champlain! |
Oliver King A VT native with a deep family connection to the state, Oliver is a local high school student with a long standing interest in anything relating to traditional sailing vessels and wooden boat building. With several weeks of Lake Champlain Community Sailing Center camps under his belt, Oliver bought his first sailboat and from there never looked back. Following this was more summers of sailing camp, a boat building apprenticeship at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, a sailing expedition with LCMM, and hopefully more sailing soon with his new Siren 17. When he is not running, sailing, or dreaming of sailing, he will most likely be holed up in his room watching history documentaries and building boat models. |
Lazlo Snyder Born and raised in Vermont, Lazlo first learned to sail at the Community Sailing Center, and has since spent the last 10 years sailing on Lake Champlain. He has a passion for all forms of sailing, from big boat cruising to dinghy racing. Lazlo loves to share his collection of stories he’s acquired during his many years on the lake. As an upcoming student at the University of Vermont, Lazlo hopes to learn more about protecting the local ecosystem and keeping the lake healthy for many years to come. When he’s not on the water, you can find Lazlo bikepacking, skiing, or reading. |
Sophia Gillies Sophia loves being on (or in!) the water. Learning to sail in Boston Harbor, she grew to embrace its bustling waters and developed a love for harnessing the wind. Sophia team raced dinghies through high school and she is excited to return to the water after some years away. When not sailing with Whistling Man, studying, or working at CHC, Sophia enjoys moving her body (mostly on bike, ski, or foot), laughing, and snacking through Vermont’s beautiful landscapes. |