Schooner ‘Seaward’: The Quiet Legacy Behind Call of the Sea

While many Bay Area sailors admire the striking silhouette of the tall ship Matthew Turner, few realize that her “sibling,” the 80-ft schooner Seaward, was quietly laying the foundation for Call of the Sea’s educational mission long before a single plank of the brigantine was laid.

Now celebrating her 20th anniversary under Call of the Sea’s flag, Seaward has carried thousands of young people, students, and aspiring sailors on voyages through San Francisco Bay, down the California coast, and as far south as the Sea of Cortez and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Her story is one of vision, grit, and the kind of quiet persistence that makes lasting change.

Call of the Sea founder Alan Olson began dreaming of large-scale educational voyages back in the 1980s — a purpose-built platform for youth education and offshore seamanship.

In the early 2000s, Olson joined forces with Captain Ken Neal, an East Coast sailor and former crew of the US Coast Guard barque Eagle. Together, they began a search for a vessel that could carry their vision.

The search ended on the East Coast, with Seaward, an 80-ft steel schooner built for charter and ocean passages, equipped with a Marconi rig and a reputation for reliability. She was seaworthy, roomy, and best of all, affordable.

A deal was struck, and unable to transit the Panama Canal due to hurricane season and insurance complications, Seaward was loaded onto a freighter bound for Ensenada, Mexico, and from there, sailed north to Sausalito by her new crew.

In 2006, Seaward officially began her new life as a floating classroom.

From the beginning, Seaward was more than just a ship — she was a school without walls. Call of the Sea used her to teach Bay Area youth the fundamentals of navigation, marine science, and sailing. Daily, overnight, and weeklong programs ran throughout the spring and summer, introducing students aged 12–17 to life aboard a working schooner. Students learned how to stand watch, navigate using charts and instruments, cook at sea, and take care of one another as crewmates; they learned how to be good stewards of their environment. Many had never spent a night away from home, let alone offshore on an 80-ft vessel. Seaward became a transformative space: challenging, humbling, and inspiring.

When school programs — often topping over 6,000 students for the season — wrapped up in the fall, Seaward would shake out her canvas and head south. From 2006 through 2019, almost without interruption, she made annual voyages to Mexico, typically departing right after Christmas.

The first leg carried a crew of four professionals, and a coed team of Sea Scouts who learned offshore sailing firsthand. For these young sailors, the southbound voyage wasn’t just an adventure, it was an education in endurance, weather, responsibility, and confidence. Offshore, they rotated through watches, handled sail changes, cooked meals, and kept course on real bluewater legs.

Once in Mexico, Seaward offered berths to those seeking offshore mileage, or simply a taste of the cruising lifestyle before committing to their own boats. Some came to build skills; others came to reconnect with the sea. The crew was a mix, male and female, novice and experienced, but all bonded in the rhythm of shipboard life: standing night watches under starlit skies, navigating sun-drenched passages, and anchoring in remote Mexican coves that few tourists ever see.

It’s easy to admire the impressive Matthew Turner — a tall ship built from scratch with sustainable timber, powered in part by the wind and sun. She represents a bold, visible commitment to environmental and educational values. But none of it would have happened without Seaward. She was a springboard that helped make the Matthew Turner possible.

For 20 years, this unassuming schooner has quietly delivered on the original promise of Call of the Sea: hands-on education, character-building at sea, and meaningful connection to the marine environment. She’s taught thousands of students, launched sailing careers, transformed reluctant teens into confident leaders, and given countless adults a second chance at adventure. And she even won the Belvedere Cup Schooner Class Trophy in 2024!

As Call of the Sea celebrates Seaward’s 20th anniversary in the fleet, the organization is exploring how best to continue using the vessel for youth and adult programs, in tandem with the Matthew Turner. Whether teaching chartplotting in the Bay or preparing students for life’s long voyages offshore, Seaward remains an essential and beloved part of the journey.