For decades, Julie McEnroe was “head sea wench” for the 74-foot topsail schooner Wolf, built and skippered by her husband, Key West’s legendary captain, Finbar Gittelman.
She partnered with Finbar to coordinate the Wolf’s humanitarian voyages, bringing donated supplies to Caribbean countries hit by hurricanes or other natural disasters; spearheaded the Wolf’s designation as the official flagship of Key West and its irreverent alter ego, the Conch Republic; handled logistics for the vessel’s participation in festivals and tall-ship events in U.S. and international ports; and organized its pirate cruises, specialty day sails, weddings at sea and private charters.
A Minnesota native, McEnroe developed a longstanding passion for the Wolf, its preservation and Finbar’s goal of making it a seagoing classroom where young people could learn the ancient art of sail — a passion that still motivates her after Finbar’s death in late December 2024.
McEnroe, an event coordinator and marketer by trade, is deeply involved in the annual Conch Republic Independence Celebration, set this year for April 17-26 (See the back cover of this issue for the schedule.). The offbeat festival commemorates the Florida Keys’ 1982 “secession” from the United States and reinvention as the well-loved republic — which Finbar helped lead as admiral, first sea lord and supreme commander of the colorful Conch Republic Military Forces.
McEnroe recently sat down with the Keys Weekly to discuss her work, the Wolf’s future and her ongoing voyage through life.
When did you arrive in Key West — from where, and why? My first visit to Key West was back in 1992, after meeting Finbar and crew in Opua, New Zealand, a few months earlier. Fin and I reconnected in 1995, and I moved to Key West from Fort Myers in 1996. I wanted to embark on the voyage of a lifetime with Fin — who moved here in 1973 and would never have considered living anywhere else!
Your longtime passion has been the promotion and preservation of the schooner Wolf. What are some of your favorite Wolf-related memories? Sailing to Bimini in the late ’90s and early 2000s was always magical. One of the first bonds Fin and I had was over our love of the island. We both had been going there since the early ’60s. My parents had met Les Hemingway, Ernest’s brother, at A&B Lobster in Key West. They flew with him to South Bimini to check out lots he was selling, and bought one.
Wolf was one of the first vessels to travel to Cuba after it opened in 2016. It was Fin’s first trip spending time in Havana since 1959, and full of emotion. We returned in 2017 and our last voyage was in May 2019. Our voyages were documented in two award-winning documentaries: Matt Dean Films’ “Old Man and the Sea — Return to Cuba” and PeaceVision’s “Cuba Reframed — The Power of Connection.”
We also enjoyed many wonderful Caribbean voyages, including sailing Wolf to Grand Cayman for their Pirates Week Festival and Cayman Island’s Quincentennial, and we participated in America’s Sail 2002.
What’s ahead for schooner Wolf?
Wolf is now in the hands of two capable people and I’m excited to see the ship get a second life. Captain Seth Salzmann, owner of Sunset Sail Key West, grew up aboard Wolf. He and partner Donald Trujillo, owner of 3-D Boatyard, recently took the helm — and I believe there is no better team to serve as stewards of the ship.
The Restore the Wolf Campaign kicks off at the Conch-Tail Dinner Party at the Sunset Pier Key West on April 21. Captain Seth is already working with volunteers to prepare her for major maintenance and refurbishing.
What made you choose event coordination and PR as your career? I was 5 when I planned my first event, a Muscular Dystrophy carnival. My first hotel sales director job in South Lake Tahoe opened for me the world of destination and event marketing, and I’ve loved it ever since.
How do you want people to react when they attend one of your events? To enjoy being in the moment and have more fun than they imagined possible. And to remember not to take themselves too seriously. It’s important to embrace the whimsical — and whenever possible, laugh till your stomach hurts.
After your long career in events, what keeps you energized about new projects? The excitement of seeing an idea and helping nurture it into fruition feeds my enthusiasm and energy. What’s energizing me most now is knowing Wolf gets a second life — and she’ll be teaching new generations the ancient art of sail.
What do you do when you’re not working? Enjoy time on my back patio with friends, play with the kitties who adopted me last year, and sort out the Wolf memorabilia we collected over the years.
You’ve been in the Keys for many years and have seen significant changes. What keeps you here? Key West’s ability to retain a sense of community among those who’ve called the island home for decades, while welcoming those who continue to feel drawn to it. Plus I love that everyone gets to be their authentic selves — and be appreciated for who they are.
