Last Chance for a Ride on the Eagle

Rumors have been circulating all year that the famous warhorse-turned-sail-training-vessel Alaska Eagle may be sold after completing her current schedule. We certainly understand the reasons why — namely that it takes a whole lot of man hours and cash to keep her in top shape. Still, the retirement of this aluminum S&S 65 from the realm of sail training would be a real shame. Since ’82 her instructional offshore trips for Orange Coast College’s School of Sailing and Seamanship have upgraded the skills and bolstered the confidence of hundreds of sailors, many of whom went on to cruise and cross oceans successfully on their own.

As sad as Eagle‘s rumored retirement may be, though, she’s not done quite yet. In fact, there is currently plenty of room on an epic ocean crossing this summer: the return trip from Hawaii to San Francisco, right after the TransPac (in which the Eagle will serve as a communications boat).

The dates are July 22 to August 9, and the route is expected to hold a little bit of everything. "It will start in the tropics and end under the Golden Gate," explains longtime co-captain Sheri Crowe. "There will be lots of variety in the weather; a few days beating, then into the Pacific High and some reaching. It would be a great first passage for those wanting to go to sea." We couldn’t agree more. So if this sounds like the sort of challenging opportunity you’ve been looking for, we’d urge you to waste no time in applying. We’re tempted to do so ourselves!