[From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia] Electa S. (Exy) Johnson (b. August 17, 1909 in Rochester N.Y. d. November 9, 2004) was an American author, lecturer, adventure, and sail training pioneer. Throughout her life she complete many sailing feats including sailing around the world seven times while training younger sailors each tour.
Electa Exy Johnson was born in Rochester, New York on August 17, 1909. She attended Smiths College and then University of California, Berkley. Exy Johnson’s sailing experience started after her years in college when she boarded a schooner set to sail aroundFrance. Exy Johnson was fluent in French and German, and also had the ability to communicate in other languages. While aboard theschooner touring France she met her soon to be husband Irving Johnson. Whom at the time was a crew member aboard the schooner. In 1933 Exy and Irving got married and began their sailing career together. Exy and Irving Johnson began sailing the world together and teaching young enthusiasts in 1932 to 1958. In this period of time they went on seven tours, all of which circumnavigated the world. Exy and Irving did not sail during to years of World War II. Therefore they went on 3 tours before the war and four after the war. Each different tour would have a new crew of fresh recruits ready to learn. The crew would consist of two dozen ready to learn sailors. While on tour each trip would visit 120 ports of call and amount that each crew member had to pay was 4,860 dollars. Each tour would last about 18 months and then they would proceed to take 18 months off. During these months off they would work on their books that they had been writing, lecture students, or work on films. The books that they wrote are listed below. Also if Exy and Irving had free time during their summer off they would show young girl scouts how to sail by sailing up and down the coast of New England.
Exy and Irving used different types of sailing ships for training there crew mates. The first ship they had was a 92 foot wooden schooner that was named the Yankee. The next ship they used for training was the 96 foot steal brigantine which was also named the Yankee. Their final ship was a 50 foot ketch that was also named the Yankee. But the Ketch was primarily used for their own personal use after their years of training. Exy had sailed more miles than an astronaut would travel to the moon. Exy and Irving ended up having two children. They were named Robert and Arthur. As soon as they could walk they boarded the ship and began to sail as a family.
In 1958 when Exy and Irving were done teaching young people how to sail they went on their own personal tour until 1975. On this they mainly sailed their 50 foot ketch and toured around exploring the European water ways.
Exy retired from sailing in 1975 where her and her husband settled down in Hadley, Massachusetts on a farm that Irving had grown up on. In 1991 Irving passed away but Exy worked to keep the legacy alive. The Los Angeles Maritime Institute has recently honored Irving and Exy by naming their twin brigantines for use in their award winning Topsail Youth program after them. The doyenne of modern sail training, Exy Johnson would personally oversee the christening ceremonies of the vessels she was instrumental in constructing prior to her death in 2004.
