My Father, the Captain

About the Book

Jean Ferdinand Tannis looks back at the life of her father, Alfred George Tannis, as well as his younger brother, Isaac, with pride. Known as “the captain” throughout the Caribbean and South and Central America, the way Alfred and his brother lived remains a source of inspiration for the entire Tannis family. In this book, the author shares their wonderful story and how they contributed to the success of the Eastern Carribean during the Second World War and beyond. The author’s father studied shipbuilding at Union Island in the Grenadines. When he returned to Bequia, the second-largest island in the Grenadines, he knew his destiny was to build ships. He would marry a fellow visionary, Elvira Rosalie, the author’s mother, who encouraged him to build a sloop that became one of two that transported passengers between the islands of Bequia and Kingstown, Saint Vincent. Later, the two brothers built a larger ship together. At a young age, the brothers proved to be men of destiny, and even though they went their separate ways, they were always there to help each other as they left a mark on the world.

About the Author