Gerrard Fiorentino
Engineer,
Seaman, Entrepreneur
A
commercial fisherman by the age
of 14, Fiorentino
descends from a long line of seaman, clipper captains
and master riggers in Genoa Italy. One of Gerrard's
first boats was the 87' Santo Antonino (picture
above) that he purchased with his father Valentino Fiorentino.
A self taught man, Fiorentino used his
natural engineering abilities to dramatically impact the
commercial fishing industry by modifying existing boating
equipment and inventing entirely new equipment.
Fiorentino's accomplishments include co-designing the
world's first
3,000-pound power block (right photo), and creating or
modifying purse blocks, anchor winches, seine winches, and
black cod holders.
Shortly after he was released from
the Navy
in 1946, Fiorentino pioneered the concept
of
converting a military parachute into an underwater drift
control device; He then spent much of his life at sea
experimenting with various rigging techniques. In fact,
it was a common practice for he and his crew members to
deploy a para-anchor over 50 times in a single season.
And, after 200 actual storm deployments off the Western
Pacific, Eastern Pacific and South American Coasts,
Fiorentino (left photo, bottom
right) has learned that
the para-anchor's rigging system is key to its success.
Once Fiorentino developed a safe rigging system, the young
entrepreneur cashed in on his new discovery by investing in
a large inventory of military cargo chutes, which he then
stored away on three open lots in San Pedro, California.
Word began to spread fast about "Fiorentino's rigged
para-anchors," among fishermen and yachtsman up and down the
Western Coastlines of the United States and Mexico.
By 1958, the forward-thinking Fiorentino moved his
inventory of surplus para-anchors and commercial
marine equipment
into a 3,000-foot waterfront store,
(above photos) ideally located right
next door to the commercial fishing fleet and San Pedro's
Cabrillo Yacht Club. His word-of-mouth business was so
successful that it turned into a full-time operation that
has lasted over 40 years in the same location.
Today, Fiorentino para-anchors are manufactured in Newport
Beach, California where the company and Gerrard Fiorentino's
engineering efforts continue to influence manufacturing and
design standards in the parachute sea anchor industry.
Any sailor will benefit by practicing with a para-anchor in
moderate weather conditions. Gerrard
Fiorentino (above) demonstrates this
simple procedure from his fishing boat, "Holy Family"
and
from Zack's old Catalina 25.
Return to Top
|
