TheS.S. MinnowfromGilligan’s Islandis as famous as its first mate, and there’s an interesting story behind the doomed ship’s name. Younger viewers may best knowGilligan’s Islandbecause of the season 2 episode ofThe Office, “Booze Cruise”, when Michael Scott (Steve Carell) sings the theme song and dubs each member of Dunder Mifflin by a different character’s name. For everyone else,Gilligan’s Islandis one of the classics of ’60s TV as well as colorized ’70s and ’80s television when it entered syndication.
While not everything inGilligan’s Islandhas aged the best, there is still plenty to love. From the incrediblecast inGilligan’s Islandto the coconut and bamboo inventions, there’s a lot to enjoy about the series. Of course, theS.S. Minnowneeds to be mentioned. It’s theS.S. Minnowthat brings Gilligan and his passengers to the uncharted island in the first place. In the intro theme,it’s revealed theS.S. Minnowran aground in the Southern Pacific, trapping everyone on the island. There are a few attempts to fix the boat, but the castaways' efforts inevitably fail.
The S.S. Minnow Name Is A Dig At Former FCC Chairman Newton Minow
Executive Producer Sherwood Schwartz Was Angry With Minow
Ostensibly, theS.S. Minnowis named after the tiny fish, but reputedly,Gilligan’s Islandexecutive producer Sherwood Schwartz named the boat after the U.S. Federal Communications Commission Chairman, Newton Minow(viaTarltonLawLibrary). On June 18, 2025, the recently-appointed Minow made a notorious speech at the 39th Annual Convention of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) in Washington, D.C. There, he talked about the “vast wasteland” that TV had become, scolding networks for not taking responsibility for the content they showed.
Dawn Wells, Mary Ann on Gilligan’s Island, Dies at 82
Gilligan’s Island actor Dawn Wells, who played Mary Ann Summers on the CBS sitcom, has died at age 82 from causes related to the coronavirus.
Minow’s comments led to some sweeping changes in television production, changes that Schwartz decried as the “death knell” for programming independence and integrity. He said about Minow,
“The year [that I began working on Gilligan’s Island] was 1963, and the three networks were already beginning to use the dictatorial power Newton Minow, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, had handed to them. Mr. Minow’s famous ‘vast wasteland’ speech, in 1961, at the NAB convention, was brought on by the quiz show scandals, payola investigations and the general low esteem in which television was held. Unintentionally, probably, that speech had a far more devastating impact than the conditions he was criticizing… The shocking aftermath of that designation of responsibility by Mr. Minow and the FCC gave ABC, CBS, and NBC absolute authority over everything that comes into your living room on network television.”
To get one over on Minow, Schwartz decided to name his show’s useless boat after the FCC Chairman, with one unidentified crew member saying,
“No one can say ‘Gilligan’s Island’ was without hidden meaning. I was surprised to find out recently from Sherwood Schwartz that our shipwrecked vessel, the S.S. Minnow, was actually named for someone. It was so christened in dubious honor of the man who, Sherwood insists, ‘ruined television.'”
Minow never seemed to be bothered by the gibe, however, and it was reported that he and Schwartz ended up having a friendly correspondence over the years (viaCBC).
The Restored S.S. Minnow Can Be Visited On Vancouver Island, Canada
The Boat Is Used For Fundraising Events
For fans who want to experience what it was like to ride theS.S. Minnow, they’re in luck. In 2008,the boat was restored by Ken Schley and John Briulo, co-owners of one of the four boats that played theS.S. Minnowin the series (viaCBC). The 11-meter vessel was previously in the care of Scotty Taylor of Parksville, B.C., who was unaware of the boat’s legacy. Taylor had bought it from another man who had run it aground on a reef in northern B.C.’s Hecate Strait. Taylor moored it next to Schley’s boat for years.
The “S.S.” inS.S. Minnowis a steamship designation, but the boat inGilligan’s Islandis depicted as having spark plugs and being diesel-powered.
Schley knew that it was theS.S. Minnowright away, and with Briuolo, paid $100,000 for the boat, and did $200,000 of work on it. The repairs were well worth it and theS.S. Minnowhas been restored to near-mint condition (viaKellandVentures). Schley and Briuolo now offer theGilligan’s Islandboat for fundraising events, sailing theS.S. Minnowout of its marina in Schooner Cove on Vancouver Island, Canada.
Gilligan’s Island
Cast
Gilligan’s Island is a classic sitcom that aired from 1964 to 1967, created by Sherwood Schwartz. The show follows seven castaways, including the bumbling first mate Gilligan, stranded on a deserted island after a shipwreck. The ensemble cast includes Alan Hale Jr., Jim Backus, and Tina Louise. Each episode revolves around the group’s comedic attempts to escape the island, often thwarted by Gilligan’s ineptitude.
