Much is known of famous captains and explorers throughout history. But the little-known stories of the more common sailors are often filled with exciting adventures from around the world. Samuel Francis Knowles was born in 1855 in Orleans, Massachusetts, and began his maritime career at a very young age. After getting into some mischief and running away from home, young Samuel stowed away on a merchant ship, longing for a life at sea.
Captain Frank, as he came to be known, cut his teeth as a teenager and worked his way up the ranks, earning respect as a knowledgeable sailor. As Captain of the Norway, he saved all aboard his ship, including his wife, when the ship’s cargo caught fire and sank in the Atlantic Ocean. Later, as captain of the Mary S. Ames, his ship was caught in a hurricane, and he was forced to abandon the ship before it went down. He, his wife, 2 daughters, and other survivors embarked on a strange and almost unbelievable journey when they landed on the coast of Madagascar, in the hands of tribal people known to be cannibals.
Captain Frank’s storied adventures are found in the detailed ship’s logs, journals, correspondence, and interviews that were collected and recorded since he sailed the oceans in the 1800s. These records were remarkably preserved and passed down to future generations of his family. His great-great-granddaughter, Amy Giannotti, joins me as my guest in this special episode, featuring the remarkable life of a true “sea dog”.
Amy Giannotti is an environmental scientist, scuba diver, and enthusiastic science communicator. Amy’s love of the sea spans generations, as her great-great grandfather was a prominent captain of sailing ships from Cape Cod during the 1800s. Amy serves as the Director of Development for Schoolyard Films, a 501c3 non-profit organization founded in 2008. Schoolyard Films brings the planet’s most remote locations into schools and classrooms via high-end environmental documentaries for youth. Raising awareness through expert filmmaking provides a bridge for connecting humans to nature.
Thank you to Dave Morton, a veteran east coast wreck diver and member of the Boston Sea Rovers, for providing the voice of Captain Frank Knowles.
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Sources
Giannotti, Amy. Personal interview, October 16, 2024.