In a September 5, 1962, letter to Wayne while preparing the boat for transfer of ownership, Wyman recommended he hire British citizen Ken Minshall as his chief engineer, which Wayne did. The following year, when an opening came up in the boat’s six-man crew, Minshall recommended his brother, Bert Minshall, to serve as a deckhand, and Bert joined the Wild Goose while it was cruising between Europe and Mexico.

Wild Goose

The one-hundred-and-thirty-six-foot Wild Goose had been a US Navy minesweeper during World War II. After the war, it was converted into a private yacht, and its second owner, Max Wyman of Seattle, eventually sold it to John Wayne in 1962.