Keel Laid for New SF Bay Tallship

During the past two years, Sausalito’s Educational Tall Ship project has grown from a mere pipe dream to a viable shipbuilding endeavor with well over $1 million of backing. But the effort to construct this 140-ft brigantine reached a major benchmark Saturday, with a keel-laying ceremony that drew over 300 well-wishers, patrons, and old salts — a veritable Who’s Who of local traditional boat lovers.

Compared to the agonizing efforts made previously to find a viable build site, get city approval for the massive construction tent, and obtain various other permits, actually building the ship will probably seem easy — and will certainly be a lot more fun.

Modeled after the designs of Matthew Turner, whose ships were the most successful commercial vessels of the Gold Rush era, this two-masted tall ship is being constructed of materials from sustainably harvested forests, and is expected to supply most, if not all, of it’s own electrical needs through innovative "regeneration" techniques. 

The brainchild of sail training advocate Alan Olson and his wife Angie Lackey, the ship, when completed, will largely be used for youth programs that incorporate elements of California history, marine science and hands-on seamanship. It will also serve as a ‘goodwill’ vessel representing the Bay Area at regional tall ship events. It has long been an embarrassment to many traditional ship lovers here that the Bay Area — with all its nautical history — has no such vessel to represent it, while cities from Baltimore to San Diego do. 

We encourage you to learn more about the project via the website, and/or to drop by the build site any time and check out the progress. Needless to say, donations of any size will be cheerfully accepted. 

EDITOR’S NOTE: Speaking of tall ships, the spectacular three-masted barque Gloria, which is the Colombian Navy’s official tall ship, is expected to pass beneath the Golden Gate between 7:00 and 7:15 a.m. this Friday, then dock at San Francisco’s Pier 17, where she will be available for daytime tours until her departure on the 29th. At 212 feet in length, she is one of the world’s premier Class A tall ships. Her square-rigged sailplan allows her to carry 15,000 square feet of sail.

With any luck, spectators during her arrival will get to see more than 100 cadets scramble up the rigging and straddle the yardarms as they stow the square sails, then stand atop the yardarms in a dramatic harbor salute.