Captain Lane Briggs
Captain Lane Alan Briggs was born in Mars Hill North Carolina on June 18, 1932. When Lane was 15 he saw the ocean for the first time, and he knew immediately that that was where he belonged. He signed on a fishing boat as deckhand, and later joined the Coast Guard. A long maritime career had begun.
Lane eventually settled in Norfolk, Virginia, with a wife and four sons. In Norfolk Lane assisted in the construction of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, ran a commuter Hydrofoil in the James River, and in the 1960's purchased the tug Steel Rebel. Lane started a successful towing and salvage operation named Rebel Marine Service based at Willoughby Spit. Eventually Lane purchased the Marina where his boat was based and named it after his business. The Marina remains family owned and operated today. In May of 1980 Lane launched the first sail assisted tug, the Norfolk Rebel, registering it as the one and only Tugantine. The Norfolk Rebel is recognized and welcomed in ports up and down the east coast of the U.S. and Canada, and on into the Great Lakes.
But Lane's history is really much more than just dates and facts. Lane's real history revolves around his spirit, his passion, his generosity, and his unique vision. Lane never met a person who didn't become his friend.
Lane always looked to the future, and inspired many events such as Norfolk's Harborfest and the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race. Lane promoted both maritime history and conservation, and constantly sought ways to bring these to the public's eye. And wherever Lane went, he was always ready to share his hospitality with men and women from all strata of society.
Aboard Lane's vessels he trained countless young people in the lessons of seamanship, including his four sons and one of his grandsons, who now all hold Captain's Licenses. Lane was presented with many awards in his lifetime, including the coveted American Sail Training Association's Lifetime Achievement award. But for Lane the greatest prize was watching one of his trainees make Captain.
Captain Lane Briggs passed away on September 19, 2005. His ashes were spread along with his old dog Rebel's in his beloved Chesapeake Bay. But Lane generously left behind his spirit to inspire the next generation.
