The Crew

The Northeastern Maritime Historical Foundation is operated entirely by volunteers who share the same passion for maritime history, machinery and educating others on the industry and its mechanics.

We are thankful for those who have volunteered their own time, money and resources to make many of these projects happen. The Foundation is always in need of short term volunteer crews for vessel moves and skilled craftsmen to perform restoration work such as carpentry and mechanics. If anyone is interested in helping on various trips, or restoration work near your area, feel free to contact us.

The current board of directors is as follows:

Franz von Riedel

Franz von Riedel, founder of the Northeastern Maritime Historical Foundation, inherited a strong interest in shipping, growing up on Lake Superior watching steamships pass. His career in transportation began with a 5-year stint on the DM&IR, an iron ore railroad, as the youngest conductor in the history of the railroad. He also operated the M/V Marine Trader, as the last commercial bumboat Captain in North America, out of Duluth until 2000. He is an avid photographer and tugboat historian, with over 350 published photographs since 1994. Franz has also authored three popular books on maritime subjects. He spends his time between the Great Lakes and Southeast where he manages his two companies, VonRiedel Marine Services and the Zenith Tugboat Company.

Richard Jenkins

Richard Jenkins is an avid marine historian and photographer with a lifelong passion for ships and steam power. Over the years he has been actively involved with a number of maritime and railroad museums and preservation groups on the Great Lakes, East Coast, and in his native England. He worked for three years on the preserved ore carrier William A. Irvin, and later helped to cosmetically restore the triple-expansion steam engine aboard the British paddle steamer Tattershall Castle in London. Richard has long been a vocal advocate of historic preservation, starting with a letter-writing campaign in the late 1980's in an attempt to save the historic Great Lakes freighter Henry Steinbrenner. More recently, his Lost Engines of Roanoke web site has led to the formation of the Western Virginia Railroad Preservation Society, of which Richard is a founding member. He is also responsible for the design and construction of the NMHF web site. He currently lives in the Boston area, working as the Creative Director of Isovera, an internet consulting company which primarily serves non-profit organizations.

Wendell Wilke

Wendell Wilke has been involved with the shipbuilding industry since 1966. He's been in an engineering position with Peterson Builders, Manitowoc Shipbuilding, Bay Shipbuilding, Palmer Johnson, Bay Engineering, and Northeast Technical Services, to name a few. Wendell has been responsible for projects such as designing the complete piping layouts in a number of ships constructed at Sturgeon Bay and performed initial survey's for self unloader conversions of several steamships and barge conversions. Aside from work, he has maintained a close relationship with various Great Lakes shipping companies and has been a marine photographer and historian most of his life. He has been a long time correspondent to various Great Lakes organizations and is credited with three books on Lakes history. Wendell resides in Algoma, WI and is presently working as a private consultant and taking time to complete a fourth book, detailing the history of local commercial fishing.

Greg Rudnick

Greg Rudnick is a marine historian and noted photographer. Greg developed an interest in Great Lakes shipping and history while growing up on the shores of Lake St. Clair, where he began taking pictures at age thirteen. His interest was developed further through his friendships with Photographer Harry Wolf and Fr. E. J. Dowling, S.J. and summers spent riding the Bob-Lo steamers. Greg sailed for about 15 years on a variety of Great Lakes vessels. In 1977, Greg purchased the KANER BROTHERS (US.237722) in Duluth, sailed it to Cleveland, and operated the bumboat as the FOREST CITY on the Cuyahoga River. Greg currently resides in Lakewood, OH.